ã€ŠKidnapped by a Dragon Billionaireã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Open The Door!

    Bang. Bang. Bang. The loud banging on their old wooden front door reverberated through their old prewar house in the early hours of the morning.

    "Open up! Tan Zan Chun! We know you are here, open the door now!" several loud male voices shouted outside. They continued to bang on the door, thumping and kicking at it.

    "You think you can run from us? You owe us money and you have to pay us back!" one of them, who appeared to be the leader, shouted.

    Tan Zi Mei was crouched directly upstairs, staring down the peephole. The one good thing about these old houses was the peephole on the wooden floor of the first floor that looked directly down at the entrance. It afforded those inside a private and safe way to observe those at their front door without them knowing.

    She counted at least five burly men outside their entrance, spread out at the five-foot way. These gangster-looking men are obviously loansharks here to demand payment from her father. She is all alone at home. She has not seen her father for almost a week. She had wondered where he had went. Now she knows.

    Her father, Tan Zan Chun, is a compulsive gambler. He gambled all of his income as a labourer away and now that Zi Mei is working at a cafe, he demanded money from her and gamble that away too. Each month, she had to scrimp and save just enough to pay the rental for the old, ramshackle house located in the heart of the heritage city of George Town. They were fortunate that their landlord was kind enough to charge them minimal rent although the rental rates for most of the prewar houses in the city have skyrocketed in recent years.

    "Open the door Tan Zan Chun! If you don''t pay up, your young and pretty daughter will have to come with us as collateral," the leader warned as he gave their sturdy door another kick.

    Zi Mei doesn''t know what to do. She can''t go down to tell them to go away. They might kidnap her to force her father out of hiding. They might sell her off to become a prostitute to earn back the money her father had borrowed from them. She shuddered at the thought. She considered calling the police. After all, the men were being violent and threatening. Surely, it is against the law for them to threaten their clients even if their clients had defaulted in their payments.

    She picked up her cell phone and dialled 112. An operator picked up and directed her to the police immediately. After a few rings, a policeman answered. She quickly told him about the five men outside her door, banging on it and shouting threats. The policeman assured her that they will send someone over in 10 minutes. After she hang up, she was not in the least assured. Ten minutes is a long time. So many things can happen in 10 minutes.

    "If you are not going to open up, we will wait outside here until your precious daughter comes home and we will take her with us," the leader said.

    Zi Mei is now panicking. What should she do? Should she try to sneak out from the back door? But, they might have a few other men waiting at the back door. She can''t even check her back door as it is a metal door without any peephole. If she opened it and the men are waiting there, she would be doomed.

    Why does she have gambler for a father? This must be her karma from her previous life. Her mother had ran off years ago, unable to withstand her father''s gambling habit, leaving Zi Mei with him. She had practically grown up taking care of herself, preparing her own meals, ironing her school uniform, going to school, doing her homework and stealing her father''s money when he was sleeping so that they could pay rent and buy food. Sometimes, she couldn''t even steal a single cent and when she ran out of money to buy food, she''d shamelessly beg for food from their kind neighbours.

    Their neighbours! Darren! She could call him and ask him for help. Darren lives a couple doors away and he is her best friend. They practically grew up together and he had helped her a lot over the years. His mother often cooked extra dishes and asked Darren to give to her.

    She quickly dialled Darren''s number. It rang for a long time before his sleepy voice came on.

    "Ya¡­.who is this¡­" he mumbled.

    "Darren! Help me. There are loansharks outside my door and I don''t know what to do!" she said urgently into the phone. She heard some rustling sound, as if he had dropped his phone.

    "What? Loansharks?" his voice is now wide awake. "Where''s your father?" he asked.

    "I don''t know¡­I have not seen him for almost a week now," she replied.

    Another loud bang reverberated through the house.

    "Whoa¡­is that them banging on your door? Have you called the police?" he asked.

    "Yes, but they told me that it will be another 10 minutes before they come and I am worried, what if they break down the door?" she asked.

    "Did you close the second timbre door with the bolt? They can''t possible break through two layers of heavy timbre!" he said.

    She tried to think back to last night. She remembers sliding the metal bolt and locking the ornately carved louvred door. Then¡­yes, she did push the heavy second set of timbre doors close but she wasn''t sure about the bolt. Usually, she was too lazy to drag the heavy timbre bolt across. Their city is relatively safe and she lives in an old ramshackle building that looked like it could collapse any second, no burglar or robber worth their salt would even step into their house.

    "I don''t think I bolted the inner door," she told Darren, panic rising in her throat. What if they break through her door before the police comes?

    "Ok, let me think. I''ll gather our other neighbours and try to chase them off, don''t worry, just stay hidden and don''t try to confront them," he said reassuringly.

    The men downstairs continued to kick and bang at her door. They were getting impatient. She peeked down at them. The leader was talking into his phone while his colleagues were peering into her windows. Fortunately their windows had metal bars built in by the landlord, like the jail bars, so they couldn''t break through or climb in.

    A few minutes later, she heard Darren''s voice and a few other male voices shouting at the men outside her door. She peered out her windows upstairs and saw at least a group of 10 men led by Darren advancing to her front door. She let out a huge sigh of relief.

    The five men left her entrance and stepped out to meet the group of neighbours. It looked like a face off between two different gangs. Except that neither group was armed. Darren was speaking seriously to the leader of the loanshark group. She tried to make out what they were saying but couldn''t hear anything except for snatches of words like "police", "criminal intimidation" and "illegal".

    Just then, the police arrived in a police car with the lights on but the siren off. The two groups immediately spread out, not wanting to seem like they are about to engage in a gangfight. Two uniformed policemen came out of the car and spoke to the groups. Darren went up to them and was speaking to them earnestly, gesturing wildly at the loanshark leader and his men. The loanshark leader did not seem worried. He sauntered coolly to the police officer and said something. After a few moments of discussions between the police, Darren and the leader, everyone dispersed.

    The leader signalled his men to leave but not before he glared up at Zi Mei, who was watching furtively from behind her curtains upstairs. She could sense a warning in his cold narrow eyes. The other neighbours that Darren had gathered slowly walked home while Darren went to her entrance and stood there, as if guarding it. He watched the loansharks leave in their cars. Zi Mei watched from her window upstairs and the moment their cars turned the corner and could no longer be seen, she ran downstairs.

    The inner door was merely shoved closed, it was not bolted. She pulled it open, unlocked the outer door and flung it open. Darren was waiting outside. Overcome with relieve and gratitude, she flung her arms around her friend and hugged him.

    "Oh Darren! Thank you so much! I was so frightened, they were really scary," she said. Darren''s strong arms circled her and he held, her patting her back assuringly.

    "You should''ve called me earlier," he said.

    Realising their close proximity, her body so close to his that she could feel his warmth spreading through her thin cotton shirt, she quickly released him and took a step back. They may be close friends but she had never really hugged him this way and not this long too. She felt her face reddened.

    In recent years, she had began to develop feelings for Darren but she kept it to herself. She didn''t want to ruin their friendship. She didn''t know how Darren felt about her and worried that he might only see her as a friend and nothing more.

    Oblivious to her shyness from hugging him, Darren turned to close her door and turned the lock. Then, he made his way into her house and sat on one of the wooden stools in the sparsely furnished living room. She followed him and sat on a plastic chair.

    "They said you father owed them $500,000," he told her. "He was supposed to make a payment last week but he didn''t. They tried calling him but his phone was turned off and when they went to the last place he was working at, the people there said he had disappeared,"

    Tears welled up in her eyes. $500,000 is a lot of money. She barely made minimum wage with her job at the cafe. How is she going to pay back the sum? Her father must have ran away. He did not even leave a note.

    "What am I going to do Darren? How can I pay back $500,000 when I can barely pay for our rent and food?" she said, tears sliding down her cheeks.

    Darren was at a loss for words. He is only a college student and still getting an allowance from his parents.. His part-time work pays him even less than what Zi Mei was earning.

 Chapter 2 - How Would You Like To Make A Few Million Dollars?

    "I don''t know how to help you Zi Mei, I am sorry," Darren said. He comes from a middle income family and though they do not want for food or the conveniences of modern life, they do not have spare money to throw around. "I only have a few thousands in my savings, I could give you that to maybe buy some time but after that¡­"

    Zi Mei shook her head. She didn''t want to take Darren''s money. It is not right. No matter how close they are, she could not bring herself to take his money. It was not only a matter of pride but also honour. It was one thing to beg for food for survival but quite another to take another person''s money to pay a debt her gambler of a father had racked up.

    "No, Darren. I can''t take your money. That''s wrong. I just have to figure out a way out of this," she said.

    Both of them sat in silence, each of them thinking of ways to settle the huge debt without resorting to illegal means. Zi Mei does not have any close relatives, except for one rich cousin who had long "disowned" them and refused to be associated with them. Her father had borrowed a large sum of money from that cousin and never even gave back a cent. The cousin had since changed her number, moved and disappeared from their lives. Zi Mei is all alone now. Her father has gone into hiding and left her with a $500,000 debt to repay.

    Tears wet her cheeks and dropped onto her lap. Maybe she will have to become a prostitute for the loansharks to repay her father''s debt. A sob escaped her at the thought. She is a virgin. She has never had a boyfriend or kissed a man before. She shuddered in revulsion at the thought of having to "service" men to earn money and repay the loansharks.

    "What if they force me into prostitution Darren?" she whispered, fear written on her face.

    Darren was taken aback and horrified at the suggestion.

    "No, I will never let them do that! Prostitution is illegal here so they can''t do that anyway," he said.

    She shook her head. "It is because it is illegal that they can charge high fees and offer up young women as prostitutes to rich men," she said.

    She had heard of such stories. Young girls and women, barely out of their teens, some even in their teens, being taken and forced into prostitution to pay for the debts their families had run up with the loansharks.

    She is 21 years old with a smooth complexion, features that can be considered pretty and her crowning glory, long luscious ebony hair. She also has an hourglass figure with tiny waist, an ample bosom and round hips. Boys often make jokes about her sexy figure in school and a number of them had tried to get her to date them but she didn''t have any interest in any of them. She thinks them childish. Her regular rejection of boys earned her a reputation as the "Ice Queen" and some meaner ones would call her "Lesbo". They assumed that she must be a lesbian since she had no interest in boys and seem to have a few close girl friends who are always with her.

    Darren, who is only a year older than her, went to an all boys school so no one from her school knew about her close friendship with her neighbour. Except for her two friends, Sheena and Jazzmine.

    Darren rubbed his forehead in frustration. "We have to think of something!" he said. He took out his cellphone and started googling "how to make money fast". He ended up finding pages after pages of scam sites offering dubious ways to make money. He threw his phone on the rickety table in frustration.

    "Urgh. Even the internet is useless," he said.

    Zi Mei dried off her tears. There was no point crying over this now. She has to look for a solution somehow and crying will not solve anything. She looked at the time. It was almost 10 and her shift starts at 11. The cafe she worked at is a 20-minute walk away. She got up reluctantly.

    "Darren, I have to get ready for work, let''s try to think of a solution later," she said, dejectedly.

    Darren nodded and got up too. "Okay, I have classes later too, let''s just chat over it later," he said. He walked to the front door, then turned. "You do know that I will always stand by you right, Mei?" he said, using his nickname for her.

    She smiled at him, her heart swelling at his warm caring tone. It was not hard to develop feelings for this man before her. He is good looking, tall and such a good friend to her for all these years. If only¡­she sighed. This was not the time to be thinking about romance.

    "Let''s chat later," she agreed. She waved Darren goodbye and locked the door behind him. Then she bounded upstairs to get changed.

    ...¡­

    Four hours later, Zi Mei was staring blindly into space during a lull at the cafe. It has been a busy day from the moment she started her shift till now, after the lunch crowd has dispersed and there was finally some peace and quiet. Only a few teenagers and college students are still hanging around, chattering and laughing. The working adults have already went back to work.

    She took out her phone. There were at least 10 messages from Darren and a few others from Sheena and Jazzmine. She clicked on the messages from Darren.

    "What if we try mining bitcoin?"

    "No, scratch that. That''s a bad idea."

    "What if we traded antiques instead? No wait, where do we get antiques?"

    "What if we start crowdfunding?"

    "R u busy?"

    "Hello? I guess you''re busy"

    "Maybe if I take a few more jobs and you take on another job?"

    "I''m running out of ideas"

    She scrolled past more similar messages along the same thread. It was so typical of Darren to send her tons of one-line messages. It was like reading him talking to himself. She smiled at his messages.

    "Sorry, Darren, it was lunch hour and today was madness," she texted back.

    He immediately responded.

    "Phew. I thought you were ignoring me. I thought of something, maybe if we start an online store selling stuff, it might work," he typed.

    She smiled at his earnestness. Darren was always the one to try to find solutions to her problems. She was so engrossed texting with Darren that she didn''t notice a stern looking woman at the counter, tapping her high-heeled foot impatiently and glaring at her.

    "Ahem!" the woman cleared her throat loudly. Startled, Zi Mei looked up. She quickly slid her phone into her pocket and smiled at the woman. The woman, possibly in her 30s, is gorgeous with large almond-shaped eyes, a high aquiline nose, rosebud lips and narrow, oval face. Her complexion was creamy smooth, like alabaster. She even looked beautiful when she was scowling at Zi Mei.

    "Oh, sorry. How can I help you?" she asked the woman pleasantly.

    The woman glared at her. "A latte for me and a double shot latte, no sugar, for him," she said coldly, gesturing to a handsome gentleman seated at the far corner of the cafe.

    "Would you like anything to eat? Cakes maybe?" Zi Mei asked pleasantly. She has met her fair share of rude and arrogant customers so she is used to such attitudes.

    "Of course not, ugh¡­I wouldn''t even come here¡­if not for him¡­.uggh¡­that''ll be all," the woman said. She handed a card to Zi Mei to pay for her orders. After Zi Mei completed the transaction and handed back her card, she walked off, an air of anger and displeasure heavy around her.

    Zi Mei was careful not to show any expression other than a pleasant smile despite her slight annoyance at the woman. There was no reason for the woman to be so angry. It was not as if she had kept her waiting for too long. She shrugged and dismissed the rude but beautiful woman from her mind. Maybe the woman had a bad day, she thought.

    She prepared the drinks and brought it over to the woman and her companion, that she assumed must either be her boyfriend or husband. As she neared their table, she noticed the man looking at her curiously.

    He has a mysterious aura about him, his thick dark hair swept up stylishly and his deep, dark brown eyes like bottomless pools. He is so breathtakingly handsome that she almost stopped to gape at him but caught herself. He looked like a movie star. She wondered if he is indeed a movie star. She noticed him staring at her enigmatically and she couldn''t help but blush. Her heart did a flip and her pulse quickened as she stood before their table.

    "Here are your drinks, enjoy and have a nice day," she said, careful not to stammer, and she carefully placed the drinks on the table.

    She avoided looking at him or the rude woman. She looked at some point on the table and noticed his hands with long tapered fingers resting on the table. A plain wedding ring glinted from his ring finger. So, she was right. He is the husband. They made a matching couple, the woman is gorgeous and her husband, equally gorgeous.

    She turned to walk away but the man suddenly reached out and touched her arm. Just the slightest touch and she felt as if she was zapped with electricity. A strange current passed between them. She gasped. She snatched her arm away, as if burnt, and turned to look at him. He looked just as surprised. He was staring at his hand in wonder, then he looked at her.

    "How old are you Zi Mei?" he asked. He has a deep baritone voice. The kind of voice that slides into your consciousness and burrows into your dreams at night.

    "Excuse me?" she asked. Customers have asked her many strange things but never once have they asked her a personal question like this.

    He stood up. He towered over her, his wide shoulders straining under his expensive-looking fitted shirt. His wife was looking at them, her expression contemplative.

    "Tell me, Zi Mei, how old are you?" he asked again. He took a step closer, almost touching her. She could feel the warmth from his body that was a mere inches away from her. She looked up at him and her breath caught. He was even more handsome up close. Her pulse is now doing a staccato dance and her heart is almost in her mouth. To say she was awestruck, was an understatement.

    "Erm. Ah. Mister¡­ah¡­" she stuttered. Her mind was blank. His closeness was disconcerting. His virile masculinity, so close to her, was scrambling her thoughts. What did he ask her?

    He smiled down at her and she almost melted into a puddle on the floor. It was the most dazzling smile she has ever seen. It was like meeting a famous handsome movie star in real life. Her heart did a flip and dance before it thumped rapidly like a machine gun going off. If he come any closer, she might just have a heart attack.

    "I am Thorin Loong and this is my," he paused and gestured to the woman seated at the table. "Wife, Jessica, and we would like to know more about you," he said, his tone warm and intimate. It burrowed insidiously into her consciousness, sending thrills down her spine.

    Zi Mei gulped. She barely heard what he said. Her heart was thumping so loudly and her senses so overwhelmed by his proximity, she couldn''t think straight. Despite his innocent words, his tone made it sound like he had asked her to have an affair with him.

    She stole a glance at his wife. The rude woman did not look angry. Instead, she was sitting back and sipping her latte as if it was normal for her husband to accost cafe servers and tell them that he wanted to know more about them.

    When she didn''t respond. Thorin Loong took a step closer and bent, his lips next to her ears.

    "How would you like to make a few million dollars?" he whispered into her ears.

 Chapter 3 - A Kidnapping!

    "What??" Zi Mei spluttered in surprise and took a step back from Thorin Loong. Is he kidding her? What is wrong with this man? Is he hitting on her with his wife sitting there? She looked at his wife. Jessica was not even looking at them, she was looking down at her phone and swiping it with a bored expression on her face.

    "Come, sit down, we have much to discuss," Thorin said. He pulled up another chair and placed it between him and Jessica.

    "Oh no, I am still on duty, I can''t sit down," Zi Mei turned him down. He may be the most good looking man she has ever seen in her life but his sudden offer of "how would you like to make a few million dollars" was suspicious as heck. For all she knows, he could be a big time scammer. She may be desperate for money but she''s not so naive as to fall for such an offer from some random stranger.

    No matter how good looking he is.

    "What time do you get off duty? We will wait," he said smoothly, looking at her intently. His deep brown eyes boring in hers. She flinched at his intense gaze and turned away.

    "Whatever it is you are offering, I am not interested, now enjoy your drinks, thank you," she said and quickly walk back to her counter. Her heart was beating at triple the rate, almost jumping out of her chest.

    Behind the counter, she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

    "What''s with the gorgeous couple? Do you know them?" Her colleague, Alfie, came up to her and she almost jumped out of her skin. She was so strung up from the tiny encounter with the handsome man.

    "Er. Nope, don''t know them," she shrugged and put on a nonchalant act despite her racing pulse and his deep voice still ringing in her head. "Lets switch Alfie. You take over the counter and I''ll clean up," she said. Alfie happily agreed. He hated the washing up.

    She let Alfie take over the counter while she started washing the cups and plates piling up at the sink. She kept herself busy clearing the tables and washing the cups and plates, careful to avoid going near the strange couple who remained seated at the corner.

    The couple was barely talking and didn''t look like a married couple at all. In fact, they look so distant, it was as if they were mere acquaintances. They were each looking at their respective phones and barely talking.

    At the end of her shift, Zi Mei was tired from the countless washing and wiping of tables. She took off her apron and went to get her backpack from the staff room. She hoped the couple has left by then. It was way past eight and she was hungry.

    The only reason she had stayed on in the cafe was because their meals are covered. The cafe owner made sure that all workers get to eat two meals at the cafe free of charge. She went to the pantry and grabbed one of the sandwiches there. The "free" meals for employees are usually unsold sandwiches and pastries from the day before. She doesn''t mind leftover food as long as it is still good to eat and not mouldy.

    She sat down and groaned, her back and legs are aching from all that walking and standing the whole day through. She had worked throughout her shift and even worked an extra hour or so without resting or taking breaks.

    She needed the extra overtime pay. She unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. It was a ham and cheese sandwich. Still, better than starving with no food at home. Her fridge is empty and she has only a few packets of instant noodles left at home. After she finished the sandwich, she got up and went out, hoping the couple had left by now. She had taken as much time as possible to eat her sandwich, hoping the couple will get tired of waiting for her and leave.

    She looked at the corner where they had sat and the table was empty. One of her colleagues must have cleared the cups too. She sighed in relief. They must have left as she had hoped.

    She was wrong.

    They were waiting for her outside. No, he was waiting for her outside. Alone. His wife was no where in sight.

    She gasped when she saw him outside. Her pulse quickened again as she looked at his handsome profile. She just could not get used to his dazzling good looks.

    "Now, you are off duty, can we talk?" he said to her, his deep voice sliding down her spine, causing little hairs on her body to tingle in anticipation.

    "Look, Mister¡­er¡­Loong, I have nothing to say to you, I am not interested in your¡­er¡­whatever it is you are trying to push," she said.

    She quickly turned and walked away. She realised the street is unusually quiet that night. There are barely any other people around and it was not even nine o''clock yet. The street was dark with only puddles of yellow light from the street lamps to light the way as she hurried down it. She needs to walk fast to get away from that strange handsome man.

    "Zi Mei, I can offer you a solution to your loanshark problem," the man had followed her. He was striding next to her effortlessly. She almost stumbled at his mention of loanshark. How did he know? Who is he? She stopped in her tracks and turned to him.

    He, too, stopped and waited, a small smile curling his lips. Gorgeous inviting lips that she had a sudden urge to reach up and kiss. She shook the thought away. What is wrong with her?

    "Who are you? What do you want from me? Did my dad borrow money from you too? Is that why you''re stalking me?" she asked.

    He didn''t look like a loanshark. But one never know. He could be one for all his debonair dashing good looks and style.

    He chuckled, an oddly seductive sound that curled her toes and made her senses tingle. He reached out to touch her. She flinched and avoided him defensively. Noticing her wariness, he withdrew his hand.

    "Dont'' worry Zi Mei. I am not here to harm you. In fact, I have a proposition for you, one that will solve all of your financial problems and you will never have to worry about money ever again," he said.

    "How do you know my name? Why are you doing this?" she asked, suspiciously.

    He raised an eyebrow and looked at her chest. She automatically crossed her arms over her ample chest. What is he now, a pervert?

    Her name tag scraped her arm as she crossed her arms and she realised he was looking at her name tag. Of course he knows her name. She was wearing her name tag. She was so embarrassed by her own stupidity. She cleared her throat.

    "Ahem. Well, how do you know about the loansharks and my financial problems?" she raised her chin defiantly.

    "I think we should find a more private place to discuss this, will you come with me?" he said.

    A dark luxury sedan stopped next to them and the door to the back seat swung opened. He gestured to it.

    "Come with me," he said.

    She backed away from him. She is not stupid. She may be an adult now but she knows all about what happened to girls getting into cars with strange men. They will likely get robbed, raped and murdered and then dumped by the roadside like yesterday''s trash.

    "Nah uh, no way," she said, backing away more.

    Jessica alighted from the car.

    "Darling, it''s obvious she won''t come with us, why don''t we just take her along whether she wants to or not?" she said. She glanced at Zi Mei cursorily and then got back inside the car. A burly man came out from the front passenger seat and stood next to Zi Mei.

    She was trapped between Thorin Loong and the burly thug-like man who could be his bodyguard. She stepped back instead but they would not have it. The burly man caught her arm and she instinctively kicked his shin but he did not even flinch.

    "No! No! I''m not going with you! Help!!!" she screamed as the man dragged her to the car. She pulled and struggled but she was no match to his vice grip on her arm.

    Thorin Loong merely stood there as his bodyguard threw Zi Mei into the car. She was kicking and struggling as he pushed her inside. Then he was gone and Thorin slid in. She kicked at him but he reached out and held her arm. An electrical current coursed through her and suddenly her world went dark.. Her body slumped against the seat as darkness rushed up to her.

 Chapter 4 - An Indecent Proposal

    Zi Mei woke up with a start, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. She is lying in a bed in a strange room. A large luxurious room. Like a hotel suite.

    She gasped and checked her clothes. All her clothes are intact. She is fully clothed. She remembered being dragged into the car with Thorin Loong and his wife, Jessica. After that, everything went dark.

    She tried to get up and realised her left hand and right leg were chained to the bed. She pulled at the restraints and it clanged loudly. These are thick sturdy metal chains. She had been kidnapped and now being held captive? What will they do to her? All sorts of ideas filled her mind. Torture. ****. Sadistic sex rituals. Devil worshipping. Human sacrifice.

    It can''t be for money since she is poorer than an out-of-work trishaw man. Besides, she comes with a $500,000 debt that she had no way of repaying. If they had kidnapped her for ransom, they will be in for a huge surprise.

    She struggled against the restraints ineffectively. There was no way she could get out of this. Frustrated tears welled up in her eyes. Why is this happening to her? First the loansharks and now this. She cursed her luck. She cursed her lousy karma. She cursed her gambler father for leaving her in his mess. She cursed her ancestors for not blessing her with good fortune and luck.

    The door opened. She quickly wiped off her tears with her unrestrained hand. She didn''t want to look weak in front of her captors. Her kidnappers.

    Thorin Loong walked in. Dazzlingly handsome and just as imposing. Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse quickened at the sight of him.

    What is wrong with you Zi Mei? He is your kidnapper! She admonished herself, then she gasped when he stood over her, an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes, on the other hand, were filled with longing.

    Was he going to bend down and kiss her? Was he going to do all sorts of nasty things to her? Her heart thrilled at the thought but her rational mind recoiled at how her heart reacted to such thoughts. She must be out of her mind.

    "I apologise for chaining you up. We had to make sure you will not escape before we have this talk," he said. He sat down on the bed, the mattress dipped under his weight and she felt her body roll towards him, stopping a mere inches away from him.

    She gasped. Her blood is singing in her veins at his proximity and her pulse is now doing the cha-cha. What was wrong with her? She should be frightened. She should be mortified. Yet, her body is responding like a horny hormone-filled teenager.

    "Why are you doing this?" she finally said, her voice tremulous. She tried to move as far away from him as possible, pulling at the restraints as she did so.

    "I need an heir," he said. "And you can give it to me," he added.

    Okay. He may be handsome but he is obviously insane. He sounded like some royalty from some period drama show. She would have laughed if she was not chained to a bed, practically vulnerable to whatever he wanted to do to her.

    "While I am honoured, you have a wife to do that so there was no need for me," she said. She will have to play along and placate him. You can never antagonise a crazy person.

    "No, Jessica can''t give me an heir. None of my wives from all these centuries could bear me an heir. I need a perfect human match and after so many centuries of searching, you are my match," he said.

    Her eyes widened. Now, he sounded like a full blown escapee from the asylum. She tried to keep her calm.

    "I am sorry but I have to, er, respectfully reject your offer, of course, I am so honoured, but you see, I am still way too young to be a mother," she said. "I will make a horrible mother too!" she added.

    She has to play along. Who knows what he will do if she angered him? Her right hand slowly reached into her pocket, hoping her phone is still there. It wasn''t. She bit back her frustration. And fear.

    "You are 21 years old, you are an adult and as far as I can see, quite fertile and ready to bear an heir for me or maybe even a few heirs," he said.

    Cold fear ran down her veins. He sounded crazier than the homeless man who talks to himself down the street near her house.

    "But¡­but¡­what will your wife say? She might not like this at all," she said.

    "Jessica? Don''t worry about her. She is not actually my wife. She is there for official purposes, just for show, like what you humans are fond of saying," he replied.

    She looked at him warily. There he is again with his reference to "humans" and the way he said the word. It was as if he was way superior than common humans.

    "Maybe she will gladly bear you an heir since she is already pretending to be your wife?" she suggested.

    Annoyance crossed his aristocratic face. He frowned at her.

    "You aren''t very smart, are you?" he asked. He traced a finger down her face, leaving a trail of red hot sensations on her skin. "That''s just too bad when you are so pretty," he added.

    She was outraged. How dare he touch her like that! How dare he insult her intelligence!

    "Why you¡­." She spluttered but he interrupted her.

    "Let me explain to you again. I have searched for centuries for a match to bear me an heir or several heirs and I have never found one. All these years, I had to take on a partner, a ''wife'' as you humans like to call it, for appearances'' sake. I find that remaining single attracts unwanted attention and I have no time to fend off all these lusty horny females falling at my feet incessantly," he said.

    She rolled her eyes. Yes, of course. He must brag about the women falling at his feet in adoration. As if. But she kept her scornful thoughts to herself.

    "As you would have already guessed, I am immortal and I am not human. I come from a long line of dragons from the Heaven''s Descent Clan¡­"

    This time, she couldn''t help herself but to laugh out loud. A literal LOL. If she wasn''t chained to the bed, she would be ROLFMAO-ing.

    A dragon. What next? She is actually a reincarnated warrior princess? He needed her by his side to fight a war between heaven and earth? And then they have to defeat The Dark One from another dimension by producing lots of heirs?

    "Please. Do you think I am that naive and stupid? You don''t even look an ounce like a dragon," she interrupted him. She is done placating him. His insanity knows no boundaries and it doesn''t look like he will let her go anytime soon.

    Cold anger sparkled in his eyes. His lips thinned.

    "Don''t believe me? Fine," he stood up. He closed his eyes. There was a flash and a silver dragon floated before her.

    She gasped and blinked. She rubbed her eyes and stared. There it was. A silver Chinese dragon with an undulating body of a large snake, four claws, a long snout like a horse, antler-like horns and shiny scales along its sinuous body. Its deep brown eyes was glaring at her. She blinked again and Thorin Loong was back in human form. He smoothed his thick hair.

    Did she imagined the whole thing or did she just see a real life dragon?

    "Now do you believe me?" he asked.

    She gaped at him. She didn''t know what to say. Maybe he had drugged her and she was hallucinating. That was the only possible explanation for what she saw. Dragons are mythical creatures. They aren''t real. They are stuff of legends and stories.

    "Now, back to what I was saying. I am the last of my kind in my clan and I need to produce an heir or a few heirs soon before I lose my immortality and powers. Much as I am bored with the trivialities of living amongst you humans, I prefer to remain immortal and I prefer to keep my powers for now, we need to maintain the delicate balance between good and evil with my presence," he said.

    And there it was. The mention of good and evil. She is sure he will mention some sort of battle or war soon. It was like the plot of a very bad B-grade fantasy drama.

    "In order to get heirs, I need to find a perfect match and yesterday, after touching you, I realised you are my perfect match," he said.

    Okay, so she was wrong. No mention of battles. Now he sounded like he''s reciting lines from some fantasy romance drama.

    "You will have to be my mistress and bear me at least an heir. In return, I will give you all the riches that you want, millions of dollars, gold, jewellery, all the riches that you humans desire the most," he said.

    Wait. Hold up. What did he just say? She narrowed her eyes at him. So, he is a pervert after all.

    "Define mistress," she said.

    He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You don''t know what that meant?" he asked. He walked towards her and bent towards her, his lips next to her ears.

    "It meant sleeping together. It meant countless nights of passion until you conceive and it also meant, you are mine until I release the day I release you," he whispered.

    He blew gently into her ears and she shivered. Sudden red hot desire bloomed within her and she gasped at its ferocity. She tried to tamp it down and reminded herself that she is with a lunatic who thinks he is a dragon. She is certain the dragon she saw was hallucination. He must have drugged her.

    He brushed his luscious lips against her neck ever so lightly, like the touch of a butterfly, and it sent a lightning of current down her veins. She gasped yet again. Then he was standing up and moving away, leaving her feeling empty. Like a gaping void inside her.

    "I know you still don''t believe me. But you will very soon. Take your time and think it over. I will get my people to release you from your chains," he said.

    Then he walked out, leaving her confused, inexplicably aroused and flabbergasted.

 Chapter 5 - Loansharks Or Crazy Dragon Man?

    A few moments later, the door opened and Jessica sauntered in. She is dressed in a tight fitting short dress that showcased her every curve and her long slim legs. Her hair was pulled up in a severe chignon which emphasised her high cheekbones. She looked like a supermodel. For a fleeting moment, Zi Mei wondered if she spends the nights with Thorin despite being unable to give him heirs, or so he claimed. After all, she is legally his wife.

    Jessica was emanating cold vibes as she took out keys and unlocked Zi Mei''s restraints. She didn''t even look at her or say anything. After unlocking the chain on her leg, she stood up to leave.

    She paused at the door.

    "It will do you well to accept his offer, you will live a luxurious life and have everything you need and want," she said, her tone cold and unfeeling. She did not even turn around to look at Zi Mei. She opened the door and left.

    Zi Mei heard a click on the door after Jessica left. The sound of a lock turning. So, they had released her chains but she is still locked in this room. She rubbed her wrist and her leg where the chain had bit into her flesh from her struggling earlier. Her skin was red and chaffed from the chains. Then she slowly got up. She wondered what time it was and where she is. She checked her other pockets on her pants and couldn''t find her phone.

    They must have taken her phone. She went to the windows and pulled open the curtains. Bright daylight streamed in. It looked like it was late morning. She had been knocked out for most of the night. Her stomach growled. The last thing she ate was a meagre sandwich from the cafe at eight o''clock. She looked at the sky outside, it looked like it''s around 11 o''clock. She had slept through breakfast and she is starving.

    Then she suddenly realised something. Today was supposed to be her day off. No one will notice that she was missing. Not yet anyway.

    But there is hope yet. Darren would be trying to contact her and he might even check on her by going to her house later today. She hoped he will become suspicious and sound the alarm. Maybe call the police.

    She went to the door and tried to open it. It was locked as she suspected. She went back to the windows to try to open it but those too were steadfastly stuck. She looked around outside, they are high up. Very high up. At least 20 storeys high. Even if she could open the window, she can''t escape from there. She will fall to her death. She looked down on the streets but couldn''t figure out where she is.

    She looked around the room. It was tastefully and impeccably decorated. There was even an ensuite. It could be a hotel room or one of the rooms of his condominium. She went inside and used the toilet. Then she washed her face and looked in the mirror. Her face was blotchy and her eyes puffy. Her luxurious thick black hair was all tangled and mussed. She looked a fright especially compared to the immaculate gorgeousness of Jessica.

    She looked around for a comb and found a plain brush. She quickly gave her hair a brush, untangling it and bringing back its shine. Satisfied that she at least looked much better and not death warmed over, she went back outside to the room.

    Her prison.

    She sat down on one of the armchairs and contemplated her choices. But that was wrong. Thorin had only given her one choice. To become his mistress and to bear him heir or heirs, plural.

    She blushed at the thought of him coming to her bed at night. She has never even actually kiss a man and now, her kidnapper wanted her to sleep with him and get pregnant and have his babies. That thought was inconceivable.

    "Although he is rather handsome," the sly thought slid into her mind. She brushed it aside. Handsome has nothing to do with this, she told herself. The fact that he had kidnapped her and literally chained her to the bed was already a huge no no.

    "But what about his wide shoulders, his tall muscular frame and his eyes¡­those dark pools of warm melting chocolate?" The insidious voice said in her mind. She shushed it. What is wrong with her? She can''t be lusting after some strange man who had kidnapped her. He wanted her to have his babies for gods'' sake! All because he had this crazy delusion that she is his perfect match.

    "Yup, he is insane. This whole situation is insane. I can''t agree to his proposition, it was too ludicrous," she said out loud to herself.

    Then she remembered the loansharks. The banging on her door. The threat to take her and force her into prostitution to pay for her father''s debts. She shuddered. She couldn''t imagine being forced to sleep with countless men, being forced to pander to all sorts of perverted demands, to pay back her father''s debts.

    "There must be another way! Is my body all I have? You are smart, you can think of something and Darren will help you!" she told herself.

    But then she knew she was lying to herself. She is only a high school graduate. She doesn''t have a college education. She doesn''t have any talent in anything. She has been working menial jobs from washing dishes to cleaning toilets since she turned 16. Even now, she works full time in a cafe for minimum wage and the only thing she was good at was preparing coffee and washing dishes.

    Even if she gets a chance to go to college, she wouldn''t know what she wanted to study. Her hard life of scrimping and saving and begging just to survive meant that she had never thought about a career or what she wanted to do after school. All she wanted was a roof over her head and enough money to survive. Provided that her father doesn''t gamble it all away.

    While she was still thinking of what to do, the door opened again and a timid-looking woman brought in a tray of steaming hot food. She didn''t even look at Zi Mei as she placed the tray on the table and hurriedly left.

    Zi Mei''s stomach growled as the aroma of the food filled the room. There was a huge plate of pasta. A side plate of fresh green salad. A bowl of creamy mushroom soup and a glass of orange juice to wash it all down. She dug in without hesitation. She was too hungry to even consider whether the food is poisoned or drugged.

    Just as she finished the last of the pasta, the door opened again and this time it was Thorin. He closed the door and locked it behind him. Even bolting it.

    She looked at him suspiciously. Why does he need to bolt it from the inside too? Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. Does it mean he doesn''t want to be disturbed? What does he have in mind?

    She clambered up from the armchair and shrink to a corner of the room. Thorin ignored her obvious fear and sat down on one of the armchairs.

    "So, have you made your decision?" he asked, studying her from under his hooded eyelids.

    She swallowed. She suddenly felt nauseous. The heavy meal she had just ingested curdled in her stomach.

    What if he decided not to wait and take her against his will? She looked around the room for a weapon, any weapon, to defend herself but there was nothing. Except for the fork on the table. But she is already on the other side of the room, cowering at the corner. She cursed herself for not grabbing the fork earlier.

    "Well?" he asked when she didn''t reply.

    "I¡­er¡­" she gulped again. She didn''t know. She doesn''t want to be taken by the loansharks and she doesn''t want to be his mistress either. She is literally stuck. Both choices suck.

    Maybe she should just run away. That''s right. She can run away, just like her father. Go into hiding. She doesn''t need this insane dragon man''s promises of unimaginable wealth. She is not some prized sow whose sole existence was to reproduce. He can shove his "perfect match" nonsense up where the sun doesn''t shine.

    "No, I don''t want to be your mistress or to bear you heirs, the whole notion is ridiculous no matter what you offer," she finally said, lifting her chin defiantly.

    "So, you can let me go and go find some naive gullible girl to fall for your rubbish perfect match and producing heirs nonsense," she added.

    He looked at her. His lips curled. He stood up and strolled towards her and before she knew it, she was cornered. There was no escaping him. He was standing right in front of her. He placed his hands on the wall behind her, on both sides of her head, and leaned towards her. They are only a few inches apart and his head was bent down to hers, his eyes gazing intently into hers.

    His musky masculine scent assailed her nostrils. Her pulse quickened and her heart thumped furiously. In fear¡­in excitement¡­she wasn''t sure. He glanced at her trembling plump lips. Her tongue darted out unconsciously and licked her lips.

    His eyes darkened at the sight of the pink tip of her tongue darting out to lick her lips before darting back in. He moved his hand and rubbed his thumb over her lips and she flinched, a strong current passed through them.

    She held her breath. Her blood is gushing so loudly in her ears and her heart sounded like it was competing in the gymnastics category in the Olympics, it was flipping and thumping and hopping wildly against her chest. The magnetic attraction between them was unmistakable. She has never felt like this with anyone ever before.

    He bent his head closer, as if to kiss her, and she found herself closing her eyes.

 Chapter 6 - Phew...is It Hot In Here Or What?

    He stopped at just a breath away from her lips. He looked at her lips. "Are you sure you don''t want this?" he said. Her eyes flew open and their eyes caught. The air was palpable with the magnetism between them.

    She inhaled and tried to calm her thumping heart. She gazed up at him and felt herself falling into the deep pools of his eyes. Her breathing is now coming in short gasps. She need only move a tiny bit and their lips would touch. She restrained herself from moving.

    He trailed a finger down her arm, leaving a blazing trail behind, before he raised his hand to rest it again on the wall next to her head.

    "It looks like you desire me just as much as I want you," he said quietly. "We will have nights full of passion, it will be thoroughly enjoyable," he promised.

    He bent and touched the jumping pulse on her neck very lightly, with his lips. A dry butterfly touch. That mere touch and his promise, spoken in his deep bedroom voice, shot another current down her neck, into the deep pit in her belly. Desire again bloomed, furious and red hot. It left her breathless and panting. Her legs shaking, weakening like jelly.

    Then he was gone. He turned and walked away. He went back to the armchair and sat down. He unbuttoned a few top buttons of his expensive white shirt, revealing hints of his muscular chest underneath. "It got hot in here for a while," he said wryly. His mysterious eyes did not reveal a single emotion.

    She swallowed and find that she couldn''t tear her eyes from his chest. She slid down to the floor, her legs finally giving out. She crouched there as she took in a deep trembling breath. S

    he didn''t know what that was but it was definitely something she has never felt before. Not even when she hugged Darren. Did he drug her again? Did he put drugs in the food?

    What she felt was not normal. Her speeding pulse was not normal. The secret thrill she felt when he leaned close to her was not normal. The red hot desire pooling in her belly and between her legs were not normal. Nothing in the whole situation was normal.

    "Looks like you need more time to decide," he said. He lounged back comfortably on the armchair. It didn''t look like he was going to leave anytime. He unbuttoned yet two more buttons, this time, she can see the hard planes of his chest and a hint of his belly which she is certain is flat with a six-pack.

    She forced herself to look away. What was she doing? He is her kidnapper. He is a lunatic who thought he is some thousands of years old dragon shapeshifter. He is delusional. Never mind that she saw him transform into a silver dragon with her own eyes. She shook herself internally. "Get a hold of yourself! He obviously drugged you!" she told herself.

    "Come, sit down. The floor can''t be that comfortable," he said and gestured to another armchair across from him. She shook her head silently in reply. She can''t trust herself to talk or walk now. Her senses are still overwhelmed from what happened when he leaned so close to her and their almost-kiss.

    "I see you still don''t believe what I told you earlier," he said conversationally. She nodded silently in agreement. He sighed. "I have shown you my true form. What else can I do to convince you that what I told you was real?"

    "You obviously drugged me. Dragons aren''t real!" she finally sputtered. She rubbed her legs. Her legs are falling asleep from being crushed in that uncomfortable position on the floor.

    He appeared amused by her discomfort. "Come sit down here, I am not about to jump of you," he said. "I don''t take pleasure in forcing women, I prefer them willing and open, makes it much more enjoyable, don''t you think?"

    She considered his words. Pins and needles are now shooting up her legs. She decided to sit on the armchair. If he had wanted to jump on her, he would have done so instead of playing this cat and mouse game with her. Besides, the fork will be within reach too. She got up and made her way to the armchair before sinking into its soft cushion.

    He was studying her again, his eyes hooded and watchful. It sent shivers down her spine. The kind that makes her wish he would kiss her and jump on her. She shook that thought away. What was wrong with her? Is she having Stokholm''s syndrome now? Does it work this way?

    "Look¡­I already said no. Can you please let me go home now?" she pleaded.

    He didn''t reply. Instead, he unbuttoned the rest of the buttons revealing rock hard abs underneath. He didn''t pull open the shirt but left it half closed. She gulped. Perspiration beaded her forehead. What is he doing?

    "Is the air cond not working?" he said, lifting a hand as if to test the air. "I am sure I told them to keep this room cool for you," then he pulled his shirt wide open, revealing the hard planes of his smooth chest and six-pack abs that are shiny with perspiration.

    Zi Mei could feel heat rushing up her face and pooling deep in her belly. She was transfixed. It was normal for men to go around shirtless in this tropical weather but never has she ever seen such virility up close.

    "Like what you see? You can touch me if you want," Thorin said, his tone amused.

    She got a hold of herself and averted her gaze. "Er, no, thank you," she muttered.

    He stood up and went to her. He leaned on the arm of her chair. His bare torso uncomfortably closed to her. Then he reached out, took her hand and placed it on his smooth hard chest.

    "Here, you can touch me," he said.

    She gasped and snatched her hand away as if burnt. What is wrong with him? She shrank away from him. More importantly, what is wrong with her? She had wanted to run her hand down his chest and touch his abs.

    "This is just a preview¡­of course, if you are my mistress, you can touch all of me and as a matter of fact, dragon shapeshifters are more well endowed than normal humans, we are also more skilled too," he said suggestively.

    She couldn''t help herself when her eyes automatically dropped down below to look when he mentioned the words "well endowed". Realising what she had done, she turned beet-red, she quickly turned away and squeezed her eyes shut. She should slap herself.

    He is a total stranger. He is possibly a dangerous lunatic who thinks he is some magical immortal dragon, she reminded herself. This strange animal magnetism between them must be drugs. He must have roofied her or something.

    He got up and walked back to his armchair, shrugging off the shirt as he went. It was as if he was modelling and showing off his body to her. His back rippled with muscles. His skin smooth and shiny from a layer of sweat. It was like looking at the cover of some sports magazine featuring a sexy toned male model. Except this is in real life. And she even touched him, ever so briefly. In that brief moment, she could feel his strong muscles rippling underneath.

    She gulped and again averted her eyes. She needed to stop staring. She need to stop thinking about his toned body.

    "Okay, tell me, what can I do to convince you that I am who I said I am," he was asking her. He had sat down, his tall frame folded comfortably on the armchair.

    For a fleeting moment, she wished she was sitting on his lap on that armchair, her arms wrapped around his sexy body. She tried to clear that image from her mind but it stayed there. Steadfastly playing like a silent movie.

    A risqu¨¦ fully R18 movie playing in her mind. She could feel the heat rising again and her face blushing. She was glad that he couldn''t read her mind. It would be so embarrassing. Mortifyingly embarrassing.

    "Make it rain, or better, create a storm and then stop it suddenly," she challenged him. Dragons are supposed to bring rain, right? This should be easy if he is really a dragon.

    He laughed at her challenge, rows of white teeth glinting.

    "Surely, you have something more difficult for me? How about turning this table into solid gold?" he offered.

    "Well, you said you are a dragon, not Midas," she shrugged. Although her interest is piqued. It is impossible to turn anything into gold. That was another stuff of legends and stories.

    "Fine. I''ll do both then," he said languidly. He snapped his fingers.

    The skies outside darkened and the table suddenly started glowing at the same time. Strong winds picked up outside, it sounded like a hurricane, not a storm. The table''s colour is slowly changing, it started at a corner. A tiny glint at the corner and then it spread. Within minutes the table is solid gold and just as the storm was picking up, it cleared completely. The skies are clear and bright blue again. Not a cloud in sight.

    Her mouth fell open.

 Chapter 7 - So, He Is Not A Lunatic

    Okay. So, he is not insane. He was not lying. He is really a dragon shapeshifter with magical powers. Zi Mei felt fear rise within her. He is a dragon shapeshifter! Does he eat humans? What if he is offended by her rudeness earlier? Will he eat her?

    She looked at him warily and was instantly distracted by his gleaming shirtless torso. The smooth muscled planes of his chest. The flat six pack abs. She averted her eyes. What is wrong with her. She must stop staring at his chest, whether it was bare or not.

    "So, now you believe me?" he asked. She nodded in reply. She couldn''t trust herself to talk.

    "Well? Will you consider my proposition?" he asked. His hand scratched at his chest. She stared as his elegant fingers scraping against his smooth skin, transfixed. Then she realised she was staring yet again and quickly averted her eyes. She must concentrate and think about what was being discussed. To have his babies. Just the thought of that brought inappropriate thoughts into her mind. She felt her face reddening. Again.

    She cleared her throat. Maybe she was the one with the dirty mind. Maybe it could be done medically. IVF.

    "How long?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.

    "You want to know my size?" he asked, a suggestive smile curling his lips. "Should I remove my pants to show you?" His hand reached for his belt buckle.

    "No, wait! I mean, how long do I have to stay with you?" she asked.

    He grinned at her but continued to unbuckle his belt.

    "Er, what are you doing? Stop that!" she said, her voice rising. He can''t be serious.

    "I am just getting comfortable," he said and pulled off the belt. She stared at his hands. It was rested on the zipper of the pants. He grasped it and pulled it down, revealing white boxers underneath and an obvious bulge there. She swallowed and looked away. She is fast turning into a pervert. Why in the world is she staring at a dragon''s nether region? And why is he undressing before her?

    "Why are you doing this? Please just get dressed," she finally said.

    "What? Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked teasingly.

    "Well¡­you are practically behaving like a pervert, you are just one cloth short of flashing me," she said indignantly.

    "I am only showing you what you are in for¡­fine, if you don''t like it¡­" he zipped up his pants to her relief. He shrugged on his shirt but left it unbuttoned.

    "So, in answer to your question, you will be with me until I get an heir, or maybe two, it depends," he said.

    "Depends on what?"

    "Depends on how soon I tire of you of course," he said nonchalantly. "But the condition is that you must bear me an heir, at least one, it doesn''t matter if it''s a boy or a girl, I just want an offspring with my blood,"

    She has so many questions. Wouldn''t their baby be half human and half dragon? How does that even work?

    "So, you mean to say, you''ve not been able to get an offspring in thousands of years and you are convinced that I can give you one?" she asked.

    "Maybe the problem is with you. Maybe you are impotent," she suggested.

    He suddenly snarled at her, his face morphed into his original form, sharp teeth glinting and bared at her. "How dare you!" he hissed.

    She recoiled in fear. Maybe it wasn''t wise to antagonise a dragon. An old thousands years old dragon at that. She balked at the thought. He is actually old. He is thousands of years older than her. That was like a huge age gap. It would be like sleeping with a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-a million great-grandfather. Eww.

    She stole a glance at him. Although there was nothing ew about his looks or his human form.

    "So, we will be er, doing it, the conventional way or will we be going to the doctor and doing it through IVF," she asked. She had to know. Despite his suggestive innuendos earlier, it could all just be a bluff to intimidate her.

    He had calmed down somewhat. His flash of anger gone. He smiled at her slyly.

    "What do you mean IVF? I can''t go to mortal doctors. I have no need for human doctors. Of course we will do it the conventional way, the way it was done for centuries between humans and shapeshifters," he said.

    "Don''t worry. I will be gentle and I will make sure you enjoy every moment of it, every night," he added, his eyes sliding down her body as if stripping her in his mind. "I will surely enjoy that body of yours," he licked his lips suggestively.

    She blushed and squirmed in her chair. She didn''t need that imagery in her mind right now.

    "Wait. Between humans and shapeshifters? You mean this was done before? You mean there are half dragon and half human babies everywhere?" she asked.

    He laughed. A deep rumbling laugh.

    "We have been living among the humans since the beginning of time. Mating with humans were the only way for our survival so you could say that I am a half dragon half human too," he said.

    "But why is it that no one knows about you? I mean if you''ve been around forever¡­" she was confused. This was her first time hearing of this. There was not even a fairy tale or an old wives'' tale about shapeshifters and dragon shapeshifters.

    "We have our ways of staying hidden. Often, our human mates didn''t know and once we get our heirs, we dispose of the human mates," he said matter-of-factly.

    "Dispose?" she asked. So what. He will just kill her after she had his babies?

    "Don''t worry. Dispose as in we pay them large sums of money and send them on their way, they are usually happy to leave," he said.

    "If I agree to this¡­can I set some conditions?" she asked tentatively.

    She could consider this as a surrogacy programme. Except that she had to sleep with this man. He may be old but he didn''t look a year over 30. He has a rocking body. One that women would literally fall over and worship. Other women would probably beg him to bed them. And his good looks is a bonus. Finally, he will be able to pay off her debts and she shall be free to do whatever she wants after having the baby. Or babies.

    "Sure, what conditions?" he asked.

    "That you will not force me into anything again. No more kidnapping of this nature. And I don''t do weird stuff. No spanking, no switches and no handcuffs or chains," she said.

    He smiled. "Okay, so you prefer vanilla, fine with me. That will be quite easy," he said.

    "Also, I don''t want to be locked up like some slave and give me back my phone. I want to go home. I have friends I want to keep in contact with," she said.

    He shook his head. "Sorry, no can do. You will have to stay here with me. I will not lock you in but you cannot leave. Not until you get pregnant," he said.

    So, he intent to keep her locked up like some sex slave? That is ridiculous! She told him so.

    He laughed again.

    "I can promise you that I will never force myself on you. I will wait until you are ready before taking you but for now, you have to stay here until I gain your trust and you gain my trust," he said.

    "How can I trust you when you want to keep me as your prisoner? You literally kidnapped me and chained me to the bed!" she pointed out.

    "I admit the chains were a bit of an overkill. Jessica did go overboard. That will never happen again," he said. "However, you are to stay here, with me, until we know each other more intimately," he said.

    He stood up and walked to her. He bent and trapped her between his hands. He gazed intently into her eyes. He raised a hand and trailed a finger down her cheek. She gasped. Her pulse throbbed and her blood sang. He rested his thumb on her lips and stroked it before he removed it and placed his hand back on the armchair.

    "I am sure we will get along just fine," he said, bending close to her, staring at her lips. She was staring at his lips in return. Her lips are burning where he touched it so briefly. He brought his lips close to hers and she automatically closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her.

    "See? You desire me just as much, we will be heating up the sheets and making babies real soon," he whispered, his breath touching her lips and then he stood up.

    "I will get Jessica to prepare the contract for you to sign. Just so you know, I am a billionaire and I still need to follow some of your human laws and rules," he said.

    Then he left.. Locking the door behind him.

 Chapter 8 - A Slave Or Baby Making Machine?

    "Ooooo, I am a billionaire. I am a dragon. I am immortal. I am so great and handsome and sexy and the best in the world," Zi Mei mimicked his tone mockingly and rolled her eyes after the door closed behind Thorin.

    She stuck her tongue out at the door childishly and showed her middle finger for good measure. Not like he was there to see it. But still, it gave her a small measure of satisfaction.

    She hoped she is not making a mistake by agreeing to this. She is literally trapped in this room and he hasn''t really given her a choice. She either had to agree now or she stay trapped and agree later. And staying trapped here until she gets pregnant?

    That is beyond ridiculous. She would go mad stuck in this room. He can''t expect to keep her locked up like some animal in a zoo. She stood up and paced the room anxiously. How will she convince him to let her go. Or at least to give her some freedom? And what about her job?

    She looked around the room. It was large and luxurious with plush luxurious furniture and an ensuite. But it is still a prison. And there was no TV. No computer. No gadgets. Not even a book. Nothing. She will just die of boredom at this rate. How will she pass her time? Stare out the windows and enjoy the view?

    "Stupid old dragon. Is that how you treat your mistress? Aren''t mistresses supposed to be pampered with everything they ever need? Damn, he wants me to have his babies, the least he could do was to treat me like a queen isn''t it? Aren''t mistresses supposed to go for spas and manicures and endless shopping trips?" she muttered to herself as she paced.

    "What''s the point of becoming a mistress when I am locked in here? The term shouldn''t even be mistress, it should be SLAVE! A sex slave! No no¡­a paid baby making slave," she huffed angrily.

    "And what does he mean "till I get tired of you"¡­was that supposed to be an insult? Tired of me?? Really! It should be till I get tired of him. He is the old man here. I am young and fertile and full of energy!" she is now talking out loud. Why bother to keep her tone down when she''s all alone in a freaking room-prison.

    She continued to pace the room, muttering and talking loudly to herself. It was not like she could vent and rant to anyone else. She has no way of contacting the outside world.

    She doesn''t even know where they are. She can''t even climb out the window. And if she tried to shred and connect all of the curtains and the sheets, like in the movies, it wouldn''t be long enough to reach the ground floor. They were too far up.

    "Stupid old dragon!" she said and kicked the chair. Then she kicked it harder for good measure, imagining kicking Thorin.

    Then the door opened. Of course, just when she is acting out, he must come back, she thought and turned to the door. It was only Jessica and a couple burly men, probably more bodyguards. She wondered why they needed bodyguards when Thorin is all powerful and magical and all that jazz. He could easily snap a finger or something and everything will be in control.

    She wondered if Jessica is human or a dragon shapeshifter too. Maybe she is a dragon shapeshifter, that was why she couldn''t bear him offsprings. She studied the other woman curiously. Jessica ignored her blatant stare but entered the room bringing a file. The two men stood at the entrance of the door which was left open. She tried to look outside but they blocked her view.

    Jessica snapped her finger and the plates and cutleries on her table disappeared. Guess her curiosity was answered. The other woman is obviously a dragon shapeshifter with her own magic too. Then she wondered if Jessica needed to mate with a human man to get offsprings. It would only make sense if this works both ways.

    "Here, Thorin wants you to sign this agreement. It is quite simple and straightforward," Jessica had sat down on one of the chairs and placed the file on the table. She waited for Zi Mei to make her way there. Zi Mei sat across from her and stared at the file.

    "I won''t be signing away my soul or something like that right?" she asked suspiciously. She made no move to touch the file.

    Jessica gave her a cold smile. She pushed the file towards Zi Mei.

    "I trust you can read. It is not like you are illiterate. Please read the terms and conditions and sign it if you agree to it," she said icily.

    Zi Mei let out a heavy breath. She might as well read through it. Not like she has anything else to do anyway and the way Jessica was staring at her was kinda scary and spooky. She still didn''t know if dragons can eat humans and Jessica might eat her if she offended her.

    She opened the file. Inside it was a document titled simply "Contract Between Thorin Loong and Tan Zi Mei". She started to read. The contract was worded simply and had a list of terms and conditions.

    1. She must live together with Thorin Loong at all times.

    2. She must only sleep in the same room as Thorin Loong.

    3. They must mate regularly until she conceive.

    4. She must not turn down Thorin Loong when he desired to mate no matter where or what time it is.

    5. She must not let another man, human or shapeshifters, touch her intimately or mate with her.

    6. She must produce an heir or as many heirs as Thorin Loong wants.

    7. When pregnant, she must protect the baby at all costs and not indulge in any activities that could harm the baby.

    8. If she accidentally lose a pregnancy at no fault of hers, she will not be penalised.

    9. All of the heirs that she produced will belong to the Heaven''s Descent Clan and the Loong family. She must never engage in a custody battle for any of them.

    10. She will have to leave, without taking any of the heirs, if Thorin Loong no longer needs her services.

    11. She can still visit the heirs any time that Thorin Loong agreed to but she will have no control or any say in their upbringing whatsoever, forever.

    12. All of her living expenses will be cared for throughout her service for Thorin Loong.

    13. She will be rewarded with $10 million for every heir she produce.

    14. She will receive $5 million the moment she mate with Thorin Loong for the first time, thus making this contract official.

    15. She will be penalised by a punishment deemed suitable by Thorin Loong if she break any of the conditions in this contract.

    16. The signing of this contract does not make it official, she can still change her mind at any point of time, right till the moment she mates with Thorin Loong.

    17. She will not receive any compensation if she or Thorin Loong cancels of the contract for any reason, before they mated.

    18. She cannot cancel or back out of the contract once they have mated and must continue to adhere to the contract.

    19. She must not disclose the contract, the terms of the contract and anything about dragon shapeshifters to other humans.

    20. Failure to comply to any conditions on the contract will mean the harshest punishments to be decided by Thorin Loong. Thorin Loong can also add other terms and conditions as and when it suits the situation.

    She looked up at Jessica. This effectively meant that she will be that old dragon''s baby making machine until he throws her out. But then, $5 million for her virginity¡­.that''s quite a high price they placed on her. She find that quite a confidence booster. Not that she planned to sell her virginity. She isn''t some high class prostitute offering up a bid for her virginity. And $10 million for each child. That is the highest priced child trafficking rate she has ever seen.

    This is almost like child trafficking since she is practically having babies and selling them to him. At $10 million each. And the children will not technically be hers too. She is just the sow to produce the piglets for him. That was quite insulting, actually. A highly priced insult. An insult with a $10 million price tag, that was so tempting, it will be hard to say no. She read number 13 and 14 again. Yup. She will be a multimillionaire just sleeping with that old dragon and having his babies. No hard labour required¡­well, maybe except for the actual labour to delivery the babies.

    "Okay, fine. Since I can rescind my agreement to this contract at any time, I will sign it for now," she said. She picked up a pen that Jessica had placed on the table. She wrote an additional condition to number one.

    1. She must live together with Thorin Loong at all times and be allowed to come and go as she likes instead of being locked up like a prisoner.

    Then she signed it with a brandish.

    "So, now, can I go out and be like a normal person instead of a prisoner?" she asked.

 Chapter 9 - Never Been Kissed

    Jessica didn''t reply her. She merely made sure Zi Mei had signed the document, then she placed it back in the file and stood up.

    "You are only supposed to sign this, not add to it," she said. "Thorin will be back and you can explain to him why you defaced the contract this way,"

    Then she left. The two burly men followed her. The door closed behind them and the lock turned. Still, she went to the door and tried it. It was locked. Then she kicked it out of frustration. Annoying dragons and their stupid contracts, she thought.

    She went back to pacing the room. Did she do the right thing by signing it? She doesn''t know. She only wished he would not keep her like a prisoner. She might go mad being imprisoned here like some baby making slave.

    How was she supposed to spend her days? Lay there and wait for Thorin to come and ravish her? Certainly that will take only like, what, five minutes? 10 minutes? She doesn''t know since she has never done it before. She is a virgin for crying out loud. She has never even been kissed! Then, what was she supposed to do with the rest of the time she had? Sit around and hope she conceived? Stare out the window? Pace and talk to herself like some mad person, exactly like what she was doing now.

    She threw herself on the bed and buried her face in the soft pillow. Although there was no mention of soul or selling her soul, this imprisonment is just as bad. If not worse. She screamed into the pillow.

    "Why me? Hah. Very funny, fate. Can you please let up now and give me a chance to live normally?" she thought. It was as if her life wasn''t bad enough, she had to get kidnapped by some old dragon, had to be propositioned to be his mistress, had to be forced to have his babies and the catch, be his prisoner in a room with nothing but functional furniture in it.

    She didn''t know how long she lay there but somehow she fell asleep. She woke up to someone gently shaking her. She was still lying on her stomach so she turned around and Thorin Loong was looking down at her. His face unreadable and his eyes dark.

    "Waiting for me to consummate our contract?" he asked.

    She scrambled up and sat up, shrinking away from him. She knows it is inevitable that he will want to mate with her soon but she wasn''t exactly ready.

    Having sex with someone for the first time is a big thing. And he is still practically a stranger. She doesn''t even want to imagine undressing in front of him. Or lying naked on the bed and waiting for him. The thought of him naked and on top of her came to mind. The imagery made her blush a tomato red.

    "You did promise that you will not force yourself on me!" she cried out in fear.

    He chuckled. He offered her a hand. "Come, let me show you something," he said.

    She took his hand tentatively. His large warm hands enclosed hers. An electrical current passed between them and she gasped. She could feel arousal blooming within her. Just from touching his hands. She tried to pull her hand out of his but he tightened his grip.

    He pulled her off the bed and then, still holding her hand, he started leading her to the door. He opened the door.

    "Since you wanted to go out so much, I am giving you a tour of my place," he said.

    She was barely paying attention. His warm hand holding hers was making her blood gush in her ears and her heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it was about to burst any second. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore their linked hands. It''s not like this is the first time she has touched a man''s hands.

    Okay, so it is the first time she is holding hand with a man. A dashingly good looking and sexy man who happens to be an ancient dragon too. Please Zi Mei, calm down. It is just his hands, she told her pounding heart and fluttering stomach.

    She tried to divert her own attention to her surroundings. They are in some sort of hallway that opens up to a spacious living room that was luxuriously decorated.

    Everything was white and gold. A sparkling gold and crystal chandelier dripped down from the ceiling. She gasped. She it was not a hotel room after all. It was his home. A condominium.

    Thorin linked their fingers intimately and then held her close to his side as he took her on a tour of his home. It was so huge that by the time they got to the other wing, she had forgotten which side she was locked in and where the room was.

    It was like a maze of rooms and sitting areas and living rooms and entertainment rooms (Yes! A home theatre! And a game room!) that she would have gotten lost if she had tried to escape. They needn''t even bother to lock her in. She wouldn''t know how to get out of this place.

    "This will be where you will be staying with me, where we will consummate our contract and mate," he said as he opened another door.

    This room is huge. It was so huge she couldn''t even see the other end of it and she promptly forgot about what she will be doing in this room with the man holding her hand. It was furnished in a minimalist style with clean white lines and adorned with gold finishings. What took her breath away was the huge bed that took centerstage. It was not the conventional queen size or king size rectangle bed. It was a huge round bed that looked like it could fit 10 people on it comfortably.

    Then she remembered what she was doing here. She will be sleeping in that bed with Thorin. Thorin whose large warm hands are holding hers so intimately. Like they are an actual couple and not just an ancient dragon with his baby making slave.

    "You''ve been staring at the bed for a long time. Do you want to start now?" he asked her. She blushed.

    "No, no, I was just surprised that the bed is so huge. I mean, I can''t be that big and you¡­er¡­in your human form, are not that big either," she said.

    "What makes you think I will be in my human form at all times?" he asked. He walked into the room, pulling her with him.

    Her eyes widened at his words.

    "You mean? I¡­er¡­we¡­er¡­wha¡­.we¡­er¡­will be doing it while you are a dragon?" she stammered, shocked. How does that even work???

    He laughed at her expression and shock.

    "I was just joking with you. I just like a large bed¡­more ways and positions to use it¡­even in a very vanilla way," he said and wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. This made her blush an even deeper shade of red.

    He showed her around the room. Other than the bed, there was a sitting area too with a set of sofa, armchairs and a loveseat. On another side, there was a reading area with shelves of books. Then there was a large balcony with a landscaped garden complete with fountains, a jacuzzi tub and a pond and outdoor seating and even a gazebo.

    The ensuite bathroom was amazingly huge too. It has a large jacuzzi tub that can fit two adults perfectly (as if the one outside is not enough), two shower stalls and two sets of everything. They could brush their teeth next to each other like some regular married couple.

    And of course, it comes with a walk-in wardrobe with one side for him and another side for her. Her side is already filled with new designer branded clothes, shoes, bags and accessories that she didn''t recognise. She assumed he had probably gotten Jessica or one of this many servants to do the shopping for her. Or maybe he only need to snap a finger and conjure it all up. She really didn''t know what his powers could do.

    "So, shall we get started?" he asked when they are standing in the middle of the room again, facing the humongous bed.

 Chapter 10 - What Side Effects?

    "G¡­gee¡­tttt¡­.sssssss¡­.started? What, hhhhhh¡­here, n¡­..nnnow?" she stammered. "Bbbbbb¡­utttt¡­."

    Thorin laughed a deep rumbling laugh. He raised her hand, still in his, to his lips and kissed it erotically. The hairs on her arms and behind her neck raised at the utter tenderness of the kiss. She felt another strong current passed through them.

    "Don''t worry, I was just kidding," he said. "I don''t think you are ready for me just yet, we will take our time," he said.

    He led her out of the room and back to one of the living rooms outside. She doesn''t know which one. It was like a maze in his condo. She wasn''t even sure if she would even find her way back to the bedroom. Not that she was in any hurry to go there now.

    "So, you added something to the contract and wanted your freedom?" Thorin asked her while gesturing for her to take a seat. She sat down obediently and nodded in reply to Thorin.

    "Yes, I mean, I am not a prisoner and it''s not like I can even run away from you, you have magical powers, surely you can track me down wherever I go," she said.

    "Besides, I have already agreed to your terms and your contract, and it''s not like I can even run away, those loansharks might come after me any day now," she added.

    He considered her request seriously. Then he nodded.

    "Okay, you made your point. Since you will be living with me here, you are free to go anywhere but remember the terms of the contract, you are not to mate with anyone else, male or female, once outside," he said.

    She turned red, first with embarrassment then with anger. What does he mean by that?

    "In case you are wondering, I have never¡­er¡­mated with anyone in my life!" she retorted.

    He didn''t look surprised.

    "Of course I know that. It was fortunate for me to find a perfect match that was unsullied by other auras, you have the perfect yin energy without the mess of too much yang around you," he said.

    She rolled her eyes at him. Seriously? So, in short, he wanted a virgin? "Unsullied by other auras" sounded like so much mumbo jumbo¡­but since she is here with an ancient thousands of years old dragon shapeshifter that she never even knew existed before this, she supposed believing in auras and yin and yang weren''t all that much of a stretch.

    "I am only telling you not to go around mating with other humans after we have mated because you might suffer from some slight after effects after our mating," he said.

    "What side effect???" she asked, agitated. And worried. Will she grow scales? Grow horns? Turn green? What?

    "Well¡­you might want be in an enhanced state of being so you might feel things more strongly and this included lust and desire," he explained nonchalantly. "But of course it has its advantages. It meant you will have very powerful¡­err¡­endings," he added.

    He walked to her and bent down to face her. His smooth handsome face a mere few inches from hers. "Let me give you a slight glimpse of what was to come," he said then he kissed her.

    His lips touched her lightly and his tongue darted into her mouth just once. She gasped. She was suddenly filled with wanting, a desire so strong she could feel it blooming like fire within her, her belly was thrumming and she felt herself becoming moist and wet down there. His lips had touched hers for only a couple seconds and she was already left wanting, almost panting and begging him for more. He sauntered away.

    He had given her her first kiss and it was phenomenal. It was like nothing she had ever felt and it wasn''t only on her lips. She gaped at him dazed from the sensations flooding her.

    "See? When we mate¡­it will be tenfold or maybe even a hundredfold of what you feel and after that, your senses will be so enhanced, you will feel every sensation clearly," he said.

    She gulped. Does that mean she will become some sex-crazed wanton slut? Will she start jumping on strange men by the street? That would be so insane. What if she jumped on Darren?

    "You mean I won''t be able to control the impulses at all? I will turn into an uncontrollable nymphomaniac??" she asked.

    He laughed again, his teeth glinting in the light. For a second, she could see a shadow of his dragon shape and then it was gone.

    "Of course not. I am saying you will get these impulses and strong sensations but you can still control them, thus my condition that you do not mate with anyone else except me," he said.

    "You must remain pure for me before we mated and after that, you must not sully your aura with others, regardless if they are humans or other shapeshifters," he said.

    This time, it was Zi Mei''s turn to laugh.

    "First, I don''t even know the existence of shapeshifters before now so I doubt I''d even know where to find one," she said.

    "Secondly, I think agreeing to be the mistress of one shapeshifter should be enough to last me a lifetime, I doubt I would do it again with any other shapeshifters, whether they are dragons or phoenixes or pegasus or unicorns," she said.

    He looked at her and rolled his eyes.

    "Really Zi Mei. You are an adult now. Unicorns don''t exist, nor do pegasus. This is not My Little Pony world," he said drolly.

    Zi Mei blushed. How was she to know. She thought dragons were mythical too, until Thorin proved her wrong. Well, at least she was right about phoenixes. Those legendary birds exist.

    "So, how many other types of shapeshifters are there?" she finally asked him. Might as well get the answers from him.

    "You honestly didn''t know? Not even a tiny bit of suspicion?" he asked her. She shook her head frankly in reply.

    He jumped onto one of the sofa and lounged on it comfortably, not in the least bothered that his expensive looking shirt was crinkling and creasing at that position.

    "Let me get comfortable first," he said and then he started unbuttoning his white shirt. Zi Mei rolled her eyes at him.

    "Really? This again?" she asked sarcastically. So, it was shocking when he did it the first time but this is the second time, she was already getting tired of it. Sure, he is well built and his smooth muscly chest and six-pack abs sure were impressive too. But really, flashing his chest and abs at her again on the same day?

    "Oh, you''re bored of my body even before you get to touch it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged off the shirt. "That would be a tragedy but I am certain you will not be able to get your hands off me soon, very very soon," he promised.

    Then he launched into a monologue about shapeshifters, their habits, their secrets, the many types of shapeshifters, the evil ones, the good ones, the do-gooders, the boring ones, the uptight ones, the beautiful ones¡­

    Zi Mei found her eyes glazing over after about 30 minutes of Thorin''s monologue. There sure are a lot of tales about shapeshifters but the way he recounted it in a monotone, like reading out a boring history book, was boring. She almost nodded off a few times and could barely keep herself awake. Is there an end to his monologue, she wondered. Is this a new form of torture where he talked her ears off or talked till she give in and begged him to mate with her so that he would stop talking?

    By the time he stopped talking, she had stifled at least a dozen yawns and barely paid attention. He ended with a story about some wolf shapeshifter and their obsession with shiny things or something like that.

    "Were you even listening to me?" he asked, observing her bored expression.

    "Actually no. I think I stopped listening at snake shapeshifter¡­like really? Snakes? But after that, I don''t even know what you said," she admitted.

    He gave an annoyed growl and lithely jumped up from the sofa. "Don''t tell me I didn''t warn you about the other shapeshifters when you encounter them," he warned her.

    She ignored him. No other shapeshifter except him had bothered her so she wasn''t worried.

    "So, can I go home now?" she asked finally. She wanted to get home, take a nice long shower and change. Then call Darren and Sheena and Jazzmine. They must be wondering what happened to her.

    "Home? But this is your home," he said, puzzled. Then understanding dawned. "Ah, you mean your previous home? It''s no longer yours, we have arranged it to be cleared out and a new tenant has since moved in," he said.

    "WHAT?!!?!?" she spluttered.

 Chapter 11 - The First Kiss

    "How can someone move into my house within a day??? What about my things? There are furniture and clothes and stuff¡­how could you do that??" Zi Mei exclaimed.

    Thorin was unperturbed by her outburst. He merely gave her a bored look, as if he could not be bothered with such human emotions.

    "But those stuffs are old¡­and cheap¡­not a single one is a designer item or even an artisanal work¡­not a piece of antique, why would you want all?" he asked.

    She stared at him speechless. What gave him the right? She felt her temper rising and the heat of her anger suffusing her body.

    "Who do you think you are? How dare you! So what those things are cheap or whatever, they are my things, MINE! You have no right at all, NONE," she half shouted at him in anger. She walked up to him.

    "Give," she jabbed at his chest.

    "Them," another jab.

    "All," jab.

    "Back," jab.

    "Now!" jab, jab jab until he took hold of her hand and trapped it in his large hand.

    He pulled her hard against him and he hugged her tightly to him. Her body is now crushed against his, her heaving chest tight against his, she could feel every sinew, every muscle of his body against hers. She gasped at the intimacy and the racing of her pulse.

    Thorin glared down at her. "Touch me disrespectfully again¡­and over inconsequential things, and you will regret it," he snarled. His deep brown eyes is stormy with a glint of silver shooting out of his glare.

    He slanted his face and brought it down to hers. He captured her lips in his in a brutally rough kiss. He pressed against her and his tongue invaded her mouth. She struggled and tried to escape his embrace but to no avail. His lips was crushed against hers, slanting first this way and then the other. His tongue thrusted deep into her mouth, conquering the moist cavern.

    She tried to push him away but he was too strong and the kiss was overwhelming her, weakening her knees, making her blood sing. Her eyes closed as she sink into the feel of his lips on hers. Her heart thumped and skipped.

    Her body was on fire, heating up with red hot desire shooting through her. She sink deeper into the kiss and began to kiss him back, her tongue sliding against his tentatively. He deepened it further and his hands went to cup her butt, pushing her close to him. She gasped under his punishing lips and at the feel of a growing bulge hard against her lower belly, between them. He groaned and ground his crotch against hers, as if showing her what was to come if they were to take this further.

    Then he broke the kiss off suddenly and released her. She was reeling from the kiss and almost collapsed into a puddle on the floor. She took in a shaky breath and raised a hand to touch her slightly swollen lips.

    Her whole body was humming with desire and arousal. If he had not stop, she might just let him do whatever he wanted with her, including tearing off her clothes and taking her there and then on the sofa in the living room.

    Thorin also took a shaky breath and turned to walk away. He paced the room for a while, as if to cool his temper, or maybe his arousal, she wasn''t sure which one but she was too wrung up to do anything.

    She finds a chair and sink down gratefully into it. Her knees are weak. Her whole being felt like it was on fire. Burning up. She places a hand on her forehead to check her temperature but it was cool to the touch.

    Thorin stopped pacing and turned to face her. Her eyes was automatically drawn to his crotch, to check on his arousal and it was gone. Then she averted her eyes and wanted to stab her own eyes out for looking there. What was wrong with her? Why in the world was she staring down there of all places?

    "You looked like you are ready for me to take you to bed and seal our contract," he finally said, a smirk on his face.

    This riled her up. More so when he was right. Her body is almost begging for him to take her into his arms and ravish her. Her heart was thumping so loudly and skipping like an insane person high on drugs. But her mind, her mind was what kept her tethered to reality and reason.

    "No way! This was all because of your magical powers!" she denied vehemently.

    He sniggered at her reaction.

    "Let this be a reminder to you not to test my patience," he told her. "As for your stuffs, it''s in our storeroom, you can go pick up whatever you need from there although I would prefer to set it all on fire and make it disappear," he said in revulsion.

    She rolled her eyes at him and his apparent disdain for her "cheap" things.

    "Those aren''t merely things, some of those things have memories attached to them," she told him. "But then you are a dragon, I suppose you don''t know a thing about human feelings and emotions despite living among humans for thousands of years," she said derisively.

    A flash of anger crossed his face, then it was gone. Talk about temper. He sure has a quick temper.

    "You humans seem too attached to material things, that is your downfall, just look at what is happening in the world around us," he said quietly. "You only think there are feelings attached to the things, have you ever considered that maybe it was you who are attaching feelings to the things?"

    He may have a point but she refused to concede. It was still rude and wrong for him to clear out her house and stuff all of her things into a storeroom. And then have her house rented out to another person almost immediately. Hang on. Wasn''t her landlord worried or confused? After all, she and her father have been living there for many years, since she was a baby. She grew up there!

    "How do you know my place was rented out? Do you know my landlord too?" she asked.

    Thorin''s only response was to look at her mysteriously and he gave her a slight shrug.

    "What did you tell my landlord? Surely he will be worried that something had happened to me?!?" she said.

    He shrugged again.

    "He would have said something when you went in there and cleared all of my stuff!"

    Another shrug.

    She was getting frustrated. What does his shrugs mean?

    "Can''t you at least tell me what happened? What about my neighbours? My friend Darren who lives a couple doors down?" she asked.

    He gave another annoying shrug. She felt a strong urge to slap him or knee him in his nuts or both.

    "Well, then, at least let me go back there and talk to Darren," she demanded.

    This time, he replied. One word.

    "No."

    "But¡­you said I can have my freedom!" she snapped.

    "So, I did say you are free to go anywhere. What I fail to specify was that you are free to go anywhere, here. In here, in my home. I am still contemplating your demands and I am not sure whether I should let you outside," he said.

    "What? I am still your prisoner? But why???" she could hear herself and she was certain she sounded like a whiney little kid.

    An annoying shrug.

    "Fine. If, and I mean this as a very big IF, we are to mate, will I be allowed out after that?" she asked and hope he doesn''t reply with another shrug.

    "We will see about that," he said. "Till then, I know your body is ready but like you said, it is due to my magical attraction, and I will not take you that way," he said.

    He walked over to her again and she actually flinched in her chair. He bent over to her and whispered into her ears.

    "I will make sure that your body, heart, mind and soul cry out in desire for me to become one with me, then and only then, I will take you," he said.

    "Well, it''s been fun chatting with you. I have somewhere to go, a business empire to run, a fortune to grow so that I can fritter it away to get more human slaves, and all that jazz," he said.. He gave her a tiny nod and then he strode off purposefully.

 Chapter 12 - Trapped

    Zi Mei stared at the "storeroom" in awe. This is the first time in her life to see such a "storeroom". It was not even a storeroom, to be exact. Her home was recreated exactly, complete with peeling paint on the walls and her rickety old furniture, in the same exact position in a space as large as her home. There was even a rickety wooden staircase leading upstairs.

    She ran upstairs and there it was, her room. Exactly as it was at home. She went to the windows and looked out. She was looking out at the street, the same street her actual home faces. There were even cars whizzing past the street and she could feel a slight breeze from the window. She is certain it was an illusion but it looked and felt so real.

    She sat comfortably in her rattan chair in her "fake" room. Since the ancient dragon had recreated her home here within his home, she supposed she could stay here instead of going back to that room where they had imprisoned her.

    She must plan a way to escape. There must be a way out of the place. It looked like a huge spacious condo but now she knows it is a magical space created by Thorin. It could probably change and morph every day according to his whims and fancies. She might never find it''s exit too. Maybe that was why they stopped chaining her to the bed and locking her room. She is free to roam and there was no way to leave the place.

    She eyed her old laptop on the table. She wondered if it works or if it was another illusion. She opened it and powered it on. It turned on to her surprise and she realised it was actually her real laptop. Excited, she searched for wifi connection and found "ThorinTheGreat". She rolled her eyes. Really? She tried to connect it. It was not password protected so she connected easily.

    "Yessss!!!" she cried out.

    She quickly opened her email. There were hundreds of unread emails, mostly spam and she saw a few from Darren, Sheena and Jazzmine. They must be so desperate that they had resorted to emailing her.

    Darren''s first email was titled "Where are u?". It was dated early this morning. She clicked on it.

    "Zi Mei, this is unlike you. What is going on? Where are you? I can''t reach you on your phone, so hoping you can check your email."

    His second email was sent a few hours later and titled "Please reply!"

    "Someone came and cleared out your stuffs. I tried to stop them but they were much stronger. I called the cops but the cops said they had documents to prove that you had ordered them to move your things for you. What is going on? Are you in trouble? Please, please, reply."

    His third email titled "Hello" was brief and to the point.

    "If you''re in trouble, hit an empty reply and I will find a way to find you."

    Emails from Sheena and Jazzmine were equally frantic and concerned. They sent her a few emails telling her about Darren''s panic and how he was thrown out of her house for trying to stop the men from clearing her stuffs.

    She hit reply to Darren first. She can''t tell him about Thorin or the contract that she had signed. But, she can still back out of it. It is still not too late. She held on to that hope.

    "I am safe but I am trapped. Don''t worry. I will find a way out," she typed then she clicked sent. The cursor circled and circled.

    "Email was not delivered. Please check your internet connection." popped up.

    She clicked sent again.

    Again, the email could not go through.

    "What the fuck is this!" she cursed. She clicked sent numerous times angrily. Each time, it came up with the same message. She checked the wifi connection and the internet speed. It was running at high speed and there was nothing wrong with the internet.

    She went opened a browser and searched for "dragon shapeshifter". It came up with a Wikipedia entry on shapeshifting and mythology along with a link to online reading platform, Webnovel, with a list of romance books on dragons and shapeshifters, including wolves and vampires.

    She scrolled through various webpages and most of it were on mythology, Eastern myths on dragons, Western myths on dragons, Norse mythology on shapeshifters but nothing about a dragon living as a human and mating with humans to get heirs.

    She googled "Thorin Loong" and immediately dozens of pictures of him in various angles, most of which of him in a business suit, came up. He looked exceedingly good in each photo. His cheekbones sharp and his gaze so intense, it was as if he was staring out of the screen at her. There were a few business news articles about him as the CEO of Loong Group Holdings announcing the annual company revenue hitting $20 billion in 2020.

    However, she couldn''t find anything about his private life except for one article with a photo of him with Jessica and just a caption naming the gorgeous woman as Jessica Xiao, the wife of Thorin Loong.

    Out of curiosity, she googled Jessica Xiao and came up with nothing except for a few photos of her with Thorin in some official functions. Then she went back to googling Thorin. After reading the 10th boring business article about his company and its increase in revenue, she clicked the x and closed the browser.

    There was nothing much about Thorin Loong except for his company. A few articles mentioned him as a young billionaire aged 30 years old and there was one old article that said he had inherited the company and fortune from his father, Loong Tian Shen, who is deceased. Since Thorin is thousands of years old¡­she wondered how old his father would have to be to die. She googled Loong Tian Shen and gasped when pictures of Thorin, looking older, popped up.

    She stared at the picture. It suddenly clicked. It was Thorin. That''s not his father. He had merely disguised himself to look old and faked his death and then he became young again and continued on. That must be how he kept growing his company and fortune from generation to generation¡­it was all along him with different names, different identities.

    She went back to her email and tried to send an email to Darren again. It failed, again. She deleted her email and tried to send an empty email instead. It couldn''t go through either. So, they must have blocked her from sending things out. She tried sending an empty email to Sheena and Jazzmine. It couldn''t go through either. This confirmed her suspicions. She can go online. She can check her emails. She can even google stuffs but she can''t send anything out.

    Then she remembered something. She logged into her phone and click on the "Find my phone" function. The cursor ran and ran and ran and snagged. It came up with "Phone could not be detected. Power must be switched off or it was not connected to a line."

    She blew her breath in frustration. She couldn''t even locate her phone. She is really trapped in here with no way of contacting the outside world. Is she destined to become Thorin Loong''s baby making slave until he released her?

    It sounded like a bleak life. She supposed it will not be as bad as being forced into prostitution. And Thorin is handsome. It would not be so bad to have sex with him, she supposed. She slumped into her chair in defeat. She is trapped for now. Maybe she could get him to let her out once they have "mated", she thought.. Perhaps, he will trust her a bit more if she agreed to mate with him and actually went ahead with it and seal the contract.

 Chapter 13 - Freedom Finally!

    Giving up on trying to find ways to send messages out to Darren or her friends on her laptop, she shut the machine down. She kicked the table leg in frustration. Then she got up and kicked her chair. It fell over with a crash.

    "Auggghhh! Stupid old dragon!" she shouted. She kicked the chair again, imagining it as Thorin''s legs or nuts or any of his body part.

    She left the "storeroom" and went back outside. Her fake home''s "front door" leads back to a warren to passageways and hallways that branch off into different rooms and areas. She walked around aimlessly, opening doors, peeking in and then closing it. It was like a maze and she was sure that the hallways changed and morphed the moment she walked past it.

    Soon, she found that she was lost. She didn''t know how to get back to her fake home the "storeroom". She didn''t know where she was anymore. Everything looked the same. The same white walls. Same marble floor. There were even similar chandeliers in some of the living rooms she walked past.

    Finally, she came back to the living room that she had sat with Thorin earlier. At least it looked like the one they were in. She collapsed on one of the armchairs gratefully to rest her feet. She didn''t know how long she took to explore the place but it felt like hours. She looked out the window, it was still light out though the sky had darkened considerably.

    Storm clouds had gathered in the distance. She guessed it is probably late afternoon or maybe early evening now. She was beginning to feel hungry. All that walking around was one good exercise. She is certain she must have walked more than 10,000 steps from just walking around aimlessly looking for a way out.

    She stared out the window and looked at the storm clouds moving across the sky. It fits her dark mood perfectly. She felt hopeless. She is trapped. She has no way of escaping. She tried to console herself that at least the old dragon is good looking and fit. And he didn''t look a day over 30. She sighed, feeling sorry for herself. Then she heard the click clack of high heels walking towards her.

    She turned around. It was Jessica. The other woman walked to her silently and then handed her something. She looked at it. It was her phone! She grabbed it gratefully.

    "Thank you, thank you!" she gushed. She tapped on it. It worked fine. She noticed there were at least 30 missed calls and hundreds of messages. Her friends must have been worried sick. She looked at Jessica. The woman was studying her with a cold expression.

    "You are free to go but make sure you come back by night time, there is no curfew but you are not allowed to stay overnight anywhere else," she told her.

    Zi Mei gasped. Is she dreaming? They are finally releasing her?

    "Really?" she asked.

    Jessica rolled her eyes and patiently repeated what she said.

    "No, I heard you the first time!" she interrupted. "It''s just that I can''t believe it because Thorin was quite adamant that I was not allowed to go out,"

    "Anyway, a bodyguard will be close behind you as protection but you won''t notice him and if you can''t find your way back, he will bring you back," Jessica said.

    With that, she turned and walked away, her heels click clacking on the smooth marble floor.

    "Wait a minute!" Zi Mei chased after her. "How do I get out of here?" she asked.

    Jessica gestured to her right. Zi Mei noticed an elevator door there for the first time. So, the whole place is magicked.

    "Thanks!" she shouted as she ran to the elevator and jabbed at the button. It''s doors slide open and she went inside. There were no buttons in side. The door slide close and she could them descending, fast. Then it came to a stop and the door slid open. She stepped outside.

    She is back at the street near the cafe where she worked, just a few blocks from her home. Her former home. She turned around. There was nothing behind her. Not tall building. Nothing. It was as if she stepped out of thin air.

    She shrugged. Her entire experience with Thorin and his place was beyond strange so this fits nicely with the whole magical dragon shapeshifter narrative. She skipped to the cafe and called Darren.

    He picked up after a few rings.

    "Hello?" he sounded strange. She wondered if she caught him at a wrong time.

    "Darren! I am so sorry I made you worry," she said. "Come meet me at N Cafe, I have so much to tell you,"

    "Who is this?" came his puzzled voice.

    She looked at the name on the screen. She definitely dialled the right number.It was Darren''s number.

    "Darren! It''s me, Zi Mei!" she said.

    "Sorry¡­I don''t know a Zi Mei," he replied cautiously. "Look, if this is a scam, I am not interested, don''t call me again," then he hung up.

    She stared at her phone in shock. What had just happened? Was Darren pulling her leg? Maybe he''s pranking her.

    She called him back.

    "Darren, okay, fine, you got me¡­" she started to say but he interrupted her with an exasperated "stop this".

    "Look here, Ji Mi, or whatever your name is, I am not interested in what you are selling, please stop calling me," he hung up again.

    What is going on? Is he mad at her for going missing and now it''s pay back time? She decided to call Sheena instead.

    Sheena picked up after a long time. She was panting when she answered the phone.

    "Yes!?" she barked into the phone.

    "Sheena! It''s me, Zi Mei, look, sorry to interrupt your workout but¡­"

    "Look, Vimay, I am not interested, I don''t need insurance or personal loans, thank you," Sheena cut her off and then hang up abruptly.

    She stared at Sheena''s number. It was the right one. She checked her messages. It was the same number as the one where Sheena had sent her numerous messages asking her if she was okay. She checked messages from Darren. It was the same number too. Maybe they were both angry with her and have made a pact to prank and ignore her if she ever calls them back?

    She decided to try Jazzmine. Jazzmine hated pranks and would never be involved in pranking her. Even if Jazzmine got angry, she would not resort to a prank that obviously Darren and Sheena have cooked up.

    Jazzmine picked up on the first ring.

    "Hello, Jazzmine here!" she sounded cheerful.

    "Oh thank god, Jazzmine! I don''t know what''s wrong with Sheena and Darren, they were pretending that they don''t know me," she blurted out.

    There was a brief silence on the line.

    "Er, who is this?" Jazzmine asked warily.

    "For fucks'' sake¡­not you too Jazzy! It''s me, Zi Mei!" she exclaimed, almost shouting.

    "I am sorry¡­I don''t know who you are¡­wait, did Darren and Sheena set me up by asking you to call me?" her friend asked.

    "Ugh. I can''t believe them! Bad enough that they suddenly hooked up and become a couple and now they are pranking me," Jazzmine added.

    "Wait what? Darren and Sheena hooked up?" Zi Mei couldn''t believe it. This has to be the most elaborate prank her friends had ever pulled on her. Darren and Sheena couldn''t stand each other. They were always at each other''s throat and they had only called a truce because of her, Zi Mei.

    "Come on, that can''t be true. I mean, if you guys want to prank me, think of something more believable," she said.

    "Look here, I don''t know who you are but you are really bad at playing the part to prank me," Jazzmine said.

    "Anyway, tell the sappy couple that I did not fall for their elaborate prank, bye!" she added and then she hung up.

    Zi Mei stared at her phone aghast. Did she just fell into an alternate universe where everyone here live different lives? She concluded that her friends must have been so pissed off with her that he decided to ignore her by pretending not to know her. It figures. They probably thought she had ghosted them and now they are doing the same. Although, she didn''t understand the reason why they didn''t just ignore her calls.

    She walked into the cafe. Alfie was at the counter. She waved to him and he waved back. She heaved a sigh of relief. At least Alfie wasn''t in on the prank. She walked up to him.

    "Hey Alfie! It''s been a crazy two days for me," she told him.

    "Oh hello! Sounds like you need some strong coffee, miss. What would you like? A latte? A long black?" he asked her politely.

    No.. It can''t be. Not Alfie too!

 Chapter 14 - Is It An Alternate Universe?

    "So, what would it be, miss? What would you like to order?" Alfie asked her pleasantly. He genuinely looked like he didn''t know her or recognise her at all.

    "You really don''t know me, Alfie?" She asked, just to be sure.

    He looked at her with a puzzled expression and smiled politely.

    "I am sorry if I don''''t recognise you, miss, sometimes we have a lot of customers and I am quite bad at remembering faces," he said apologetically with a rueful smile.

    "Do you remember that you have a female co-worker here?" she asked tentatively.

    He scratched his head, confused.

    "No¡­my co-worker Zambree is a guy," he told her. "Are you looking for someone specifically? Maybe she was a customer and you thought she worked here," he said.

    She shook her head sadly. It was obvious Alfie doesn''t remember her. He acted like he has never seen her before. She has never heard of Zambree before so it looks like she doesn''t have a job anymore.

    "Maybe you confused our cafe with another cafe? Maybe the person you are looking for works in another cafe?" Alfie suggested. He seemed concerned.

    She smiled at him. Just like Alfie to be helpful. At least he hasn''t changed.

    "Thank you Alfie, I guess I better be going, sorry for taking up your time," she told him and then left the cafe.

    Outside, she looked around. Everything looked the same. The same busy street. The same rows of squat heritage buildings leaning against each other interspersed with tall modern buildings. Yet, it felt different. She began to get a suspicion that this is not actually her home. She must be in an alternate universe which looked exactly like where she grew up in. The old dragon must have purposely let her out in an alternate universe where she doesn''t exists.

    "Damn you old dragon!" she cursed angrily under her breath. She stomped down the street to the spot where she had reappeared.

    She looked around. There was no sign or any way of going back to the old dragon''s place. No magical door hanging in the air. No special door appearing out of nowhere. Nothing. She did a 360 degrees about turn.

    Nothing.

    What should she do now? This is obviously not her universe and she has no where to go. She walked aimlessly around and found herself in front of her home. Her old home. No, the house that looked like her home in this alternate universe, she told herself.

    The house looked exactly like how she left it. The exterior walls are still sporting peeling paint. The wooden window shutters on the first floor are also peeling and almost rotten. The same colourful tiles covered the five-foot way. The front door is still the old wooden louvred door painted a reddish brown tint. She wondered if she should go up to it and knock just for the heck of it.

    Shrugging, she walked up to it and knocked. She gasped when a man opened the door and squinted at her from the cool darkness of the sitting area.

    It was her father! He looked healthy and clean. His hair neatly combed and he was wearing a nice dress shirt and proper trousers too. She has never seen him so well dressed.

    "Papa!" she exclaimed when she saw him. He stared at her bewildered.

    "Who are you?" he asked.

    No. No. No. No. It can''t be! She shook her head. Her own father! It can''t be! The old dragon will pay for this! How dare he!

    Then a middle-aged woman came to stand next to him. She has grey hair tied neatly in a bun and she was wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts.

    "Ah Chun, who is this?" she asked as she looked at Zi Mei curiously.

    Her father, no, no, this stranger who looked like her father, shook his head.

    "I have no idea¡­she knocked and then called me ''papa'' but I''ve never seen her before in my life," he told the woman.

    Now she knows for sure that she must be in an alternate universe. That is the only explanation for what is happening now. That is why her own father doesn''t know her and it looked like he is married to some woman. Tears filled her eyes. She doesn''t belong anywhere here.

    "I''m sorry, I¡­I¡­came¡­to the wrong address¡­" she stammered and turned away before the tears rolled down her cheeks. The man who looked like her father closed the door without saying anything.

    The old dragon had ruined her life. He kidnapped her, forced her to sign a contract to become his mistress and now he had thrown her in some alternate universe where she obviously had never existed. She trudged down the street dejectedly.

    What is she to do now? Go back to the old dragon? Not like she had any choice in the matter. She walked for a long time from one street to another, barely noticing her surroundings until she came to a pocket park in the middle of the city. A tiny green oasis amidst the busy bustling city. She sat down on one of the benches that was not occupied. A few homeless people were asleep on the other benches at the park.

    She supposed she is also like them now. Homeless with no where to go. She doesn''t belong anywhere. No family. No friends. Not even loansharks to chase after her to settle a debt she couldn''t afford. It was as if she doesn''t exist at all.

    She is nothing. She took in a shaky breath. What had she ever done to deserve this?

    "Hey, Thorin! Why are you doing this? You might as well continue keeping me in your luxurious prison because this is just the same," she said loudly, hoping he could hear her with his magical powers or something.

    Suddenly, a pale and thin man wearing sunglasses and a black suit appeared next to her.

    "Miss, do you want to go home? I can escort you back now," he said, bowing respectfully.

    She stared at him. He doesn''t look like much of a bodyguard. He is so tall and thin, he could pass off as a lamp post, she thought. Just a push and he could probably fall over. How is he to protect her if someone was to attack her? With the sharp points of his bony hands and elbows?

    "You''re my bodyguard?" she asked him. He nodded in reply.

    "I am Lim," he said.

    "Fine. Lim, take me back to Thorin''s place," she said, refusing to call his place her "home". It is not her home. It is her prison. A prison where she is destined to be his sex and baby making slave.

    "Unless, of course, you have a way to take me back to my real home in my universe," she said hopefully.

    Lim looked puzzled by her request.

    "But, you are in your universe," he said, sounding confused.

    "Ha. Don''t joke. It is obviously not my universe. No one here recognises me. Not even my own father!" she retorted.

    "But Miss Zi Mei, there are no other universe like this one. The other one similar to this is currently nearing the end where half the earth was destroyed and forest fires are spreading to the other half," he said, his tone honest and truthful.

    "No, no, no, this can''t be! If this is not an alternate universe, then why doesn''t anyone remember me? Why even my own father can''t recognise me?" she asked.

    "I don''t know miss. Maybe you can ask Mr Loong when we get back?" he said. He snapped his fingers and gestured to a door that had suddenly appeared at the thick trunk of a tree in the park.

    She huffed in frustration.. She went to the door, opened it and stepped inside.

 Chapter 15 - Human Brain Manipulation

    The door did not even work like an elevator. It opened immediately into a luxurious living room that looked different than when she was in it earlier. Trust the old dragon to have magical doors and a magical home that changes at every moment.

    This is like Hogwarts except it doesn''t have talking paintings or ghosts, just doors leading to different places and rooms and she doesn''t even need to board a train to get here. This here is magic more advanced that the kinds mentioned in the wizarding books.

    Zi Mei stomped into the space looking for the old dragon or Jessica or anyone she could chew out. She need to get her frustration and anger out. But as per is usual, there was no one there and Lim did not follow her in. He was nowhere in sight too. She kicked a chair in frustration.

    "Dammit. Hey! Anyone here? Thorin you stupid old dragon! Where are you?!?" she shouted up into the ceiling. Surely, he can hear her from wherever he is.

    There was no answer and radio silence.

    "Hellllooooo!!!" she shouted again.

    Silence.

    She stomped down one of the wide light-filled corridors with high ceilings and intricate arches, like those you see in palaces and art galleries. Natural light streamed in from french doors that appeared to open out to verdant green gardens.

    She is certain it is another illusion. She tried one of the doors and to her surprise it opened and she stepped out into an actual garden. A beautifully landscaped English garden complete with vines of flowers creeping up a wooden latticework and a manicured lawn with a stone fountain.

    She gaped at the scene around her. It was like she walked into a totally different country. The air was cool and she could feel goosebumps pebbling her skin. This is definitely not tropical weather. The hot humidity was gone. It felt like a nice spring day in some country with four seasons, possible an European country judging from the garden.

    "Oh wow. How impressive," she said sarcastically. "I am not in the least impressed though," she added loudly.

    "You can stop showing off your ridiculous magical powers now, I totally get it, oooo...you are so powerful...so...effing...what...what''s the effing big deal!" she said.

    She walked around and touched the flowers. They were real. She went to the fountain and placed a hand under the rippling water and immediately withdrew it. It was cold and icy. She shivered in the cold. It was getting colder and it cuts through her thin cotton shirt easily.

    She decided to get back inside. She turned around and the french doors are gone. She turned a full circle. She is now trapped in a large garden with tall hedges, like walls, surrounding it. This feels suspiciously like Alice getting lost in Wonderland. She looked around to see if there are bottles of liquid or cake labelled "eat me", just to be sure. But there were none. There was just a plain wooden bench there.

    She rubbed her hands together and hugged herself. It is getting cold and for someone used to the warm and humid tropical weather, this is uncomfortably cold. She shivered and sat on the bench, looking around.

    Is this his way of punishing her for calling him names? Isn''t he like 3,000 years old? Isn''t he supposed to be more mature than a mere mortal like her. She huddled on the bench and curled up to keep warm.

    "Okay, fine, Mr Thorin the Great Dragon, I shouldn''t call you names but this is kinda extreme," she said into the air.

    She looked up. The sky is darkening with big fat grey clouds. It looks like it was about to rain. Now what. He''s going to make it rain too? Why not make it snow while he''s at it? Just let her freeze to death, she thought bitterly.

    "Here¡­thought you needed to cool down a bit," Thorin suddenly appeared and placed a jacket over her shoulders. She quickly grabbed it and pulled it on gratefully.

    "Haha. Funny. Can I go back now?" she asked between chattering teeth. She is really not used to this kind of cold. She was too cold to vent right now or to kick him.

    "You wanted to talk so here I am¡­what is it?" he asked. He sat down next to her on the bench, looking so gorgeous and cavalier, she wanted to hug him and then slap him and then maybe kick him and kiss him.

    She couldn''t make up her mind whether she was angry with him or she is filled with desire for him. These two opposing emotions warred within her.

    The clouds have cleared away like mists in late mornings when the sun is high up. The sky has become a brilliant blue and the temperature has risen to a nice comfortable level. She was no longer cold but the jacket provided much needed comfort so she kept it on.

    She figured since he is able to control the locations at will, he must be in control of the elements too. That was one awesome magical power. That and the Midas touch both. And making her disappear from her world. No, that was not cool.

    She turned to him, getting all riled up again.

    "How dare you! You let me go out but you put me in an alternate universe where no one knows me!" she accused him.

    He was unperturbed.

    "It was not an alternate universe, we are still in the same universe, same world," he replied, matter-of-factly.

    "Liar! If it''s not an alternate universe, why no one remembers me? Even my own father doesn''t know me and he looked different too!" she pointed out.

    He was silent for a moment.

    "I had to make sure you don''t run away and since you don''t like being "trapped" in my home, I erased all of their memories and I¡­how you young people say it¡­reprogrammed your father," he said.

    She spluttered in disbelief. "What?!? Reprogram? What the¡­my father is not a robot or some android or AI you can reprogram¡­that''s bullshit!"

    "Well..you have seen what my powers can do¡­manipulating human memories are the easiest form of magic¡­how else do you think dragon shapeshifters can live among humans for centuries and not be caught or noticed? We have to be able to manipulate human minds and memories to continue on undisturbed and undetected," he explained.

    Manipulate human memories and minds? Does this mean he can do that to her too? She narrowed her eyes at him.

    "So, this means you can do the same to me too?" she asked. Did he manipulate her memories and mind at any point? She wasn''t sure.

    He laughed, a deep sexy sound that send shivers of arousal through her blood and sent her pulse racing.

    "No. You are my perfect match and we cannot manipulate our perfect matches, you have to willingly agree to mate with me," he said. "But I can always manipulate your surroundings to suit my needs," he added.

    She rolled her eyes. Of course. That makes perfect sense. He can''t manipulate her so he manipulate everyone around her. Right. That is so effective.

    NOT.

    "And you think making all my friends and my sole relative forget me is a great way to manipulate me into jumping into your bed eagerly to have your babies? How will that make me desire you more?" she asked.

    "Are you even sure you have lived among humans for centuries and thousands of years because this¡­this is insane. This whole mind manipulation, reprogramming, erasing, whatever you call it, is ridiculously stupid and probably the worst thing you can do,"

    What was the old dragon thinking? How does making her feel like crap make her want to wholeheartedly become his mate and have his babies? What kind of logic is that? It must be some twisted dragon shapeshifter logic because obviously no human in their right mind will find this even remotely a good idea or attractive.

    He merely shrugged. He looked genuinely puzzled that his nefarious brain-erasing/manipulating plan had backfired.

    "How can you even be 3,000 years old and be this¡­..dumb," she said, shaking her head in wonder.

 Chapter 16 - Foreplay & Fingers

    Instead of getting angry at her for calling him dumb, Thorin looked at her contemplatively. He looked genuinely confused and puzzled. He looked like he actually thought his brain manipulation thing will work.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes. This whole situation felt like she is the adult while he is some dumb naive teenager.

    "Look¡­just¡­er¡­restore everything back to how it was, un-reprogramme my father, just get everything back to how it was," she told him patiently, speaking slowly as if to a small child.

    "Ah but I don''t want to. I think Darren and Sheena looked good together and your father is so well behaved now," he said, as if proud of his "handiwork" in manipulating her friends and father.

    Sure, her father was a hopeless gambler who ran away and left her, his daughter, saddled with his huge $500,000 debt. Still. It was not right to have his memories erased and him manipulated. Wait a minute. The debt! The loansharks!

    "So, you got rid of the loansharks too?" she asked.

    He nodded and made a show of studying his nails nonchalantly, putting on an irresistible pose that shows of his handsome side profile, the aristocratic line of his nose and his strong jaws.

    If her heart was not pounding, her pulse was not racing and her stomach was not clenching at the picture perfect pose he was presenting, she would have scoffed and told him off for his unnecessary posing. Such a vain dandy old dragon, she thought.

    Granted, he has the looks and the body for it. Thump, thump, thump, her heart roared in her ears. Stop it, she admonished it silently.

    "So, can you get everything back to normal except for the loansharks?" she asked hopefully, fingers crossed.

    "Nope," he replied, continuing to study his nails.

    "Please? Pretty please?" she half begged.

    "Adding an adjective to the please will not work at all¡­If I have to get everything back to previously, then the loansharks too will be back to previously, they will remember you and your debt," he said.

    She grunted.

    "And you said you are all powerful¡­so it was just all talk¡­jeez¡­what a let down," she said, changing tactics.

    "You can try to manipulate me all you want but it won''t work at all. That''s not how human manipulation works¡­either you exist or you don''t so if you are back in existence, everything resumes as it was, I can''t change just one or two things," he explained to her slowly, mimicking her slow way of speaking as if talking to a child.

    "So, if you want it all back to how it was, I''ll do it now. Are you sure that is what you want?" he asked. He lifted his hand as if to snap his fingers.

    "Wait! What about my dad? Where was he actually?" she asked.

    He start to shrug but noticed her hopeful expression.

    "He was in hiding¡­he went off to another state down south, took a bus there and last I checked, he found a job and was trying to get his act together but then we know¡­some humans don''t change¡­" he said.

    She considered that. Okay, so her father was safely far away. And since this old dragon needs her to produce heirs for him, she supposed she will be safe from the loansharks. In fact, she can easily pay them off after sealing the contract with Thorin.

    All she needed to do was sleep with him. That could be easily done. She just need to undress, lie down and wait for him. That was all. She found herself blushing at the thought of him climbing over her, naked and poking into her with his thing. His smooth and sculpted body covering hers. His thing, probably long, thick and hard, entering her.

    She gulped. She heard it would hurt for the first time. And yet, she felt strangely excited thinking about it. She quickly brushed the thought away. She looked at him and the thought of him entering her, their naked bodies contorted and entwined, joined together, pleasure pulsing between them, came to mind. Her face turned beet red and she raised her hand to fan herself.

    He was looking at her with raised eyebrows. He leaned close to her.

    "Hmmm¡­what are you thinking all of a sudden?" he murmured into her ears. Her senses tingled at his proximity and she gasped.

    "Er¡­nothing. I am not thinking anything!" she denied and stood up from the bench, turning away to hide her blushing face.

    "So, can you just turn everything back now?" she asked, not daring to look at him. He stood up and suddenly his arms came around her from behind, enveloping her in a warm, snug hug, her back against the hard planes of his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

    He bent down to her ear and nibbled at her earlobe. It ignited a fire within her and it raced down her veins straight into the pit of her belly.

    Desire bloomed red and hot within her. She melted into him, leaning back and he pulled her closer, his hands circling her waist to clasp it in front. She felt his entire body imprinted against her back, including a hard bulge against her butt. She gasped, certain that it was his manhood. He sure felt large and considerably aroused.

    "Are you sure?" he asked and continued to nibble at her earlobe. Tiny little moist nibbles that left her breathless and her legs shaky. All rational thoughts had fled her mind.

    "Is it what you want?" he asked and then he trailed kisses down her neck. She moaned and exposed more of her neck to him, revelling in the sensations he left. Hot, tingling pleasure. He stopped at a spot where her pulse was jumping rapidly and licked it.

    Then he sucked the flesh into the warm, moist cavern of his mouth. It was like a direct hotline down to her moist dampening core. She clenched her legs together. She could feel her panties getting wet.

    "Tell me¡­what do you want¡­" he whispered against her hot skin. His hands went under her thin cotton shirt and came up to cup both her large breasts over her simple bra. His fingers pushed the bra cups down and caressed her breasts. He touched her nipples, rubbing and twirling it, causing bursts of pleasure within her.

    Her eyes are now closed and she is moaning, leaning her whole body against his. He suck on another tender spot on her neck and she jerked at the electrifying pleasure shooting through her. Her panties are now soaking wet. She is filled with a desire so strong, she wanted to tear off her clothes, bend down and ask him to take her right then and there. Instead, she rubbed her butt against his hardness.

    "Say it, tell me what you want, and I will give it to you," he whispered and responded by rubbing his arousal against her, his hands continuing with its skilful caresses. Squeezing and caressing, rubbing and twirling. She moaned in between panting. She can''t think. She doesn''t know what he was asking her. Her moist wet core are now throbbing for release. Throbbing for attention. She wriggled against him.

    "I want¡­" she murmured.

    "Yes¡­tell me¡­" he encouraged. He angled her face up and took her lips in his, his slick wet tongue darting into hers. Thrusting into her mouth. Their tongues duelled. Red hot desire burned between them. He released her lips and trailed hot kisses down her neck to her collarbone.

    "I want¡­.my freedom¡­" she finally muttered, still trapped in the red hot haze of passion.

    "Let me take you now and you can have it," he told her. One hand continued to cup her breast while another slide down and found its way into her pants, pushing past the waistband, pushing into her wet panties, finding her wet, throbbing needy core.

    He dipped a finger inside and she moaned loudly, arching her hips into his hands. He pushed her against him, his hard bulge snuggled between the cracks of her butt, and dipped another finger inside her. His thumb pressed on her little nub of flesh at the entrance of her wet passage while his two fingers stretched her passage and she almost scream out in pleasure. Her whole body is on fire.

    Every nerve endings alive and burning. Her wet centre was throbbing and begging for more. Begging for him to fill her with the real thing. Not his fingers. He continued to thrust into her with her fingers. Moving around her. Stretching her out. Sensations filled her, pleasure after pleasure as his fingers plunged into her and caressed her.

    His other hand was still squeezing and twisting her nipples expertly while his lips continued to leave a blazing trail of moist wet kisses. He dry humped her butt with his rock hard arousal, further pushing her arousal up another notch.

    Then suddenly, she was climaxing. A powerful release of crashing over, a burst of bright lights, and the most powerful pulsing and throbbing she has ever felt as she squirted out her juices into his fingers and her panties. She screamed out her release, her whole body convulsing, jerking involuntarily while he held her close. She has never felt this ever before.

    It took a few moments for her to realise that her limp body was slumped fully against him, barely able to stand, and he is holding her up with his strength, holding her tight against him.. His hard arousal is still pressed against her butt.

 Chapter 17 - Back To Normal...for Now

    They are still standing in the garden. Under the bright blue cloudless skies. Zi Mei''s breathing is slowing down, her pulse is also slowing down. She became fully aware of his arousal pressed hard against her behind, his hand still cupping one of her breasts and another still inside her pants. He removed his hands and released her suddenly. She stumbled and caught herself, her legs still weak from her release just moments earlier.

    She blushed at what just happened. She had just let him touch her down there and her breasts too. He just made her come and she came so hard, her legs gave way. She remembered screaming out so loudly.

    Omg. She is so embarrassed. She covered her face in shame. What had gotten into her. If he had not released her, she would have let him pull down her pants and do what he wanted to her, right there, outside in the open. Not that there was anyone around anyway. But still. She was utterly mortified. How was she ever to face him again? She kept her back turned towards him, not daring to turn to face him.

    He sauntered over to face her instead. He peeked through her fingers covering her face.

    "There''s nothing to be ashamed of and I am satisfied that you are truly untouched, your aura fully protected and unsullied by other human males," he said. He lifted his fingers, the ones that had touched her down below and was buried deep inside her just moments earlier, and licked them. He moaned in pleasure. "You are so sweet too, I can''t wait to get a full taste," he said, licking his lips suggestively, his eyes full of primal arousal and desire.

    She gulped. He pulled her hands away from her face.

    "Why so embarrassed? We are doing much more than this sooner or later¡­though I am hoping much, much sooner," he said. He gestured to the large bulge pushing against his pants. "Look at what you did to me," he added.

    She blushed even redder. She looked away. She can''t look him in his eyes and she sure can''t look down there. Not at that thing. That huge bulge. She wondered, again, if it will hurt when he put it inside her. She swallowed nervously. She is so unprepared for this. She is actually quite scared.

    As if sensing her fear, he turned away and walked away from her.

    "Oh well¡­we can continue later then," he said off handedly. "I''ve returned everything as is so you can go out and play with your friends, whatever," he added.

    She lighted up. She can now go back outside and see Darren for real!

    "A word of warning¡­," he turned back to her and looked at her intently. "I already have a taste of your aura¡­if you do anything to change it, I will know," he warned her.

    She rolled her eyes at him and gave him a look.

    "Ya ya ya¡­I am not supposed to go around kissing and sleeping with human males¡­seriously, don''t be such a grandpa with all your nagging," she said.

    She tilted her head as a sudden idea came to mind.

    "So, it is entirely okay if I kiss and sleep with a human female? And what about transgenders?" she asked and smiled innocently at him.

    He frowned at her. She shrugged innocently as if it was a valid question.

    "Well, there is a strong LGBTQ+ movement going on, yay rainbow, so I have to ask to be sure¡­you should put a clause on this in your contract," she said. "Just sayin''," she shrugged again.

    "If you are so inclined, fine, go ahead. Only those with yin energy. No one with any yang energy, regardless of what gender they identify with," he replied.

    Now she is confused. What''s with his yin and yang whatever energy nonsense. Not that she actually wanted to fool around with women. Or men for that matter. She had only wanted to rile him up.

    "Whatever¡­I''ll be off then and I''ll see you much much later," she said. She gave him a salute, push past him at the doorway and found herself back in the brightly lit corridor. He followed close behind her, not in the least in a hurry.

    She didn''t know where to go but she will be damned if she has to turn to ask him how to go out. She will have to figure out how his home works eventually. She headed down the corridor and came back to the living room. She noticed the door she came through was still there so she headed straight for it and opened it.

    It opened straight out into the street. Right back to a few hundred metres away from N Cafe. She is beginning to suspect that this will be the point where she will appear every time she leaves his place. She hurried to the cafe and went inside.

    Alfie looked up from the counter and waved to her. It was like deja vu. She crossed her fingers and hoped this time he will remember her. She went up to him at the counter.

    "Alfie!" she exclaimed.

    "Zee! Why did you resign so suddenly? Did you get a better job?" he asked. She was so relieved she almost jump up and hug him over the counter. Then she realised what he had just said.

    "What? Resign?" she asked him.

    "Ya, boss told me you tendered your resignation yesterday, you even gave a 24-hour notice¡­isn''t it?" he asked, puzzled at her confusion.

    The old dragon must have did that for her. On top of moving out her stuffs. He sure have thought of everything, she thought.

    "Oh, ya, haha, ya, I found a better paying job, you could say that¡­hahah," she lied. No point denying what was already done.

    "So, are you here to get a drink or just to visit me?" he asked.

    "Oh, I thought I wanted to meet my friends here," she quickly come up with another excuse for being there. She gestured to a large table at the corner of the cafe.

    "I''ll sit there first and call them, then we will order our drinks, is that okay?" she asked.

    "Sure, go ahead. Not like we are busy anyways, it''s quite slow today, considering it''s Friday," he said.

    The cafe was deserted. Not even a single table was occupied. Zi Mei made her way to the table and pulled out her phone. She dialled Darren''s number and crossed her fingers.

    He picked up on the first ring.

    "What the hell Mei! Where have you been?? It''s been two days!" he was shouting into the phone. "Where are you now? What happened? Where did you disappear to?? You can''t even send me a blank email to reply? Not even a single text!"

    "Darren! Darren! Stop! Let me talk!" she interrupted him. He paused.

    "Okay, explain," he said.

    "Why don''t you come meet me at N Cafe? I''ll explain everything and I need to call Jazzmine and Sheena too," she said.

    "Ugh. Must Sheena come? Really?" he protested. She stifled a giggle. In Thorin''s manipulated world, Darren was dating Sheena. How different it is in reality.

    Her friends were seated around her at the cafe about an hour later. Darren had arrived merely 10 minutes later while Jazzmine five minutes after him and Sheena, 20 minutes later. She lived on the other side of the island so it took her a while to travel over.

    "So, what gives?" Sheena asked the moment she sat down. Zi Mei had waited for her to arrive before she launched into an explanation for her short disappearance. Darren and Jazzmine were making small talk about the weather and their courses even though she knew they were dying to find out what had happened. She had concocted an elaborate lie and hoped it would be enough to convince her friends.

    "I, er, found a better job but it required me to move in with them," she said. "It was all quite sudden actually. They made me an offer I couldn''t refuse, they pay me really a lot, and I mean a lot, A LOT," she emphasised.

    "So, my phone ran out of battery, I was stuck in their luxurious mansion, er¡­handling an important confidential project, and that was why I couldn''t contact any of you guys but I just completed some of it and I am given time off to come and meet you guys," she quickly said. What she said wasn''t that far from the truth anyway. Just without the scandalous baby making slave details.

    There was silence for a while. Then the questions came. Who are they? Where is the mansion? How much is A LOT? Is it something illegal? What important confidential project? What sort of a job is it? She''s not being dragged into selling drugs is she? Don''t they have a phone charger? Don''t they have internet?

    "It must be something illegal, it sounds so suspicious!" Sheena declared.

    "I agree! Mei, you could have been tricked into something illegal," Darren said.

    Jazzmine nodded along, looking at her with a worried expression.

    It took her almost two hours of explaining, adding on more layers of lies, and reassuring her friends before they stopped questioning her.

    "I don''t know Mei. It sounds suspicious as heck.. Maybe you can take us there and show us the place?" Darren finally said.

 Chapter 18 - When Good Friends Have Your Back

    She has now effectively dug a hole she can''t get out of. What should she do? She can''t possibly bring her friends to Thorin''s ever-changing magical home. No lie can mask the fact that Thorin''s home is magical and not from this realm. And who is to say Thorin or Jessica won''t just tell her friends the truth if she brought them back to Thorin''s place.

    Imagine, either one of them nonchalantly saying "Oh, Zi Mei is here to produce heirs," to her friends. It would be a horrible facepalming moment.

    "It''s not my house. My employers are very private, I can''t be bringing people there," she said, hoping this will be enough to stave them off.

    "At the very least, show us where the place is? We promise, we will not go inside or sneak in or peek inside," Darren said. "Just let us stand outside, heck, even 500 metres away is good enough,"

    She is screaming in frustration internally by now. Why won''t they let up? Maybe they are better off brainwashed and going on with life without remembering her.

    "Like I said¡­it is a very confidential project and my employers are very private people¡­just maybe, let me ask them first?" she said.

    "You won''t even tell us what ''confidential'' project it is and not even show us where it is¡­are you sure you''re not doing something illegal?" Sheena asked, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed into slits.

    "Are you sure you are not in trouble? It''s not the loansharks is it?" Jazzmine asked in her soft voice.

    "The loansharks! They came over this morning and the poor new tenants at your old place got a scare of their lives," Darren said. "Since they are still looking for you¡­it''s not them¡­right? You aren''t working for them, right?" he asked.

    This she can reply honestly.

    "No, of course not! I am now working on repaying the debt, I am sure I will be able to do it very soon," she said.

    This raised even more suspicions.

    "What sort of job pays that much? The loansharks told me your father owed half a million dollars and since he missed a few payments, it''s more than that!" Darren said.

    She wanted to slap herself and her mouth for running away from her. Ugh. Now she has to cover up with more lies.

    "No, I mean¡­I am working on paying the instalment payments¡­not the full amount¡­haha¡­that''s ridiculous," she said.

    "Oh¡­poor Mei¡­I wish I could help you but we are all poor college students," Jazzmine said. She stretched over and gave her a hug. She took out her purse and started digging then she placed a couple hundred dollars on the table.

    "I did save up some of my pocket money so that''s all I had left," she said. "I know it''s not much¡­but hopefully, it helps a bit,"

    Zi Mei is touched. Jazzmine has a heart of gold and is always so kind. She is always the one rescuing stray animals by the street and finding homes for the kittens and puppies she rescued. Sheena too started digging through her purse and she placed a few crumpled fifties on the table.

    "Here, that''s about 300 I think¡­I was saving it up for that designer dress I was eying but hey, who needs a designer dress when I am already so hot," she said. She pushed it towards Zi Mei.

    "Since we are all doing there, here," it is now Darren''s turn. He took out a wad of bills and handed it to her. It has to be a few thousand dollars there. "It''s about 4,000 there¡­I saved up from the part time work I was doing on and off," he said.

    Zi Mei is so touched, tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away quickly. She take back her rash thought of wishing their memories were wiped by Thorin. Her friends are the best. She didn''t know how to tell them that she doesn''t really need money now. Not with the contract she signed with Thorin. After tonight¡­if she can get over her fear of actually doing it with the dragon¡­she will be a millionaire. It would also seem suspicious if she didn''t take the money her friends offered her.

    What should she do now?

    "I can''t¡­I can''t take your money¡­" she said and tried to push the money back to them. "I mean..you saved up the money for something, certainly not to give it to me to pay those loansharks for a debt that was not even mine!"

    All three of them insisted that she must take it.

    "At least, it could help you get them off your back temporarily," Darren said. He took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Look, I am getting another part time job which pays quite well, I will help you with the repayment okay?" he offered sincerely.

    Sheena started making kissing sounds.

    "Oooo¡­.how romantic¡­get a room you two," she said teasingly.

    Darren dropped Zi Mei''s hand immediately and blushed. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

    "Zi Mei needs all the help she could get," he said defensively.

    "Honestly, it is time the two of you get together, don''t you think?" Sheena said. "I mean, look at you, you grew up together and you are so close, you are practically married,"

    She wriggled her eyebrows.

    "Have you two kissed already?" she asked suggestively.

    This time both Zi Mei and Darren blushed in embarrassment. Zi Mei has had a growing crush for Darren in recent months, the thought of kissing him filled her with¡­nothing. She wasn''t even excited at the thought of kissing Darren anymore. She was only embarrassed that Sheena is teasing them about kissing.

    "C''mon, Darren. It is time you tell her how you feel! Be a man, please," Sheena continued.

    Zi Mei looked at Sheena, startled. How does Sheena knows how Darren felt about her? Has Darren been confiding in Sheena? So, could it be that they could eventually develop feelings for each other?

    Sheena saw her expression. She gave her a wink.

    "Don''t worry¡­Darren wasn''t sharing his deep dark secrets with me¡­I sort of guessed¡­just look at his puppy dog eyes whenever he looks at you," she said.

    Darren''s face is now beet red and he was looking everywhere but at the three girls seated with him.

    "Sheena, honestly, don''t embarrass Darren," Jazzmine admonished Sheena.

    Sheena suddenly stood up and grabbed Jazzmine''s hand. She dragged her up.

    "Come, let''s give the lovebirds some room to confess and kiss," she made kissing sounds again and laughed. Then she and Jazzmine were heading out of the cafe. "Call us when you''ve kissed and make out and got a room¡­or before that, whichever," Sheena called just before the door closed behind her.

    They left behind an uncomfortable silence. Zi Mei doesn''t know what to say. She can''t exactly tell Darren she used to have a crush on him but it seemed to have disappeared. Dissipated. When she look at his handsome profile, all she could think of was that he has been a good friend to her all these years. A wonderful supportive friend. A brother she never had. She didn''t harbour any romantic feelings for him. She imagined kissing him and it didn''t make her pulse race or her heart thump.

    Not like when she was with Thorin. At the thought of the gorgeous dragon, her heart thumped and she remembered how he had touched her intimately just a mere hour earlier. She flushed at how she had practically let him touch her at her most private part and get her off so easily. Shaking that thought out of her mind, she looked at Darren again.

    He was looking down and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. She hoped he didn''t really have any feelings for her. She wouldn''t know how to turn him down without hurting him. It would destroy their friendship. Besides, it would be so complicated now. She doesn''t need more complications. Being a mistress and baby making slave to an ancient dragon is enough complication in her life for now.

    "So¡­err¡­Sheena thinks she''s hilarious," he finally said and rolled his eyes. "Told you I don''t like her, she tends to just mess things up," he said.

    Zi Mei was relieved. Glad that Darren wasn''t going to confess after all. It would certainly mess things up and mess up the dynamics of their friendship. As it is, it is hanging on a delicate balance. Then again, she is glad that Sheena had somehow changed the topic and they did not press her to show them where she ''works'' and what sort of ''job'' she does.

    "Well, that''s Sheena for you, haha¡­"she replied. The air is still filled with an uncomfortable silence and tension. She stared at the stacks of money still on the table in front of her.

    "Look, Darren, I really appreciate your help but I really can''t accept this," she pushed his stack of money back to him. "That''s a lot of money and it must have taken you a long time to save this sum, please take it back," she said.

    "No no..take it please Zi Mei, I want to be able to help you," he said and pushed it back to her.

    "No, no, Darren, please, I can''t," she pushed it back.

    "Hmm¡­while this is all very interesting, I think it is time you get back Zi Mei," Thorin was suddenly standing before them, startling both of them.

 Chapter 19 - Thorin Vs Darren

    "Waa¡­what are you doing here?" she asked him, her pulse racing at the sight of him. Thorin had changed out of his formal office attire and is now dressed casually in a shirt with the top few buttons undone and tight jeans. His glossy hair was no longer slicked back but was instead flopping on his forehead in loose waves.

    He looked utterly deliciously gorgeous. Like a model out of the cover of a magazine. She suppressed the urge to reach out and bury her hands in his hair, brush it aside and maybe pull him down to kiss her. She pushed that thought out of her mind.

    Thorin was studying Darren and the young man was studying him in return. Sizing each other up. Thorin pulled out a chair, placed it next to Zi Mei and lounged in it casually.

    "So, what''s with the money and pushing it about?" he asked, looking at both their hands still on the table in the midst of pushing the money to the other. "Is this some sort of new gambling game?" he asked.

    Zi Mei immediately dropped her hand.

    "Who are you? Zi Mei, who is this?" Darren asked, suspicious.

    "So¡­er¡­" she cleared her throat. Should she introduce Thorin as her ''employer''?

    "I''m Thorin Loong," the dragon interrupted and held out his hand to Darren to shake. Darren took it cautiously and shook his hand.

    "I''m Darren Xing," he responded politely. Good upbringing meant he has to be polite to someone who is obviously older and had politely offered his hand to shake.

    "So, I''m Zi Mei''s¡­benefactor, you could call it that," Thorin continued after releasing Darren''s hand. He used the tip of his finger to push the stack of money back to Darren.

    "Obviously she doesn''t need this. I will be settling all her debts," he said.

    Darren''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "What¡­benefactor? What do you do? What do you mean settling all her debts? In return for what?" he asked suspiciously. "And what do you want from Zi Mei?"

    Thorin threw his head back and laughed, his white teeth glinting in the light, the laugh a deep rumbling sound that seem to make Zi Mei''s heart thump and the butterflies in her stomach flutter furiously.

    "That''s a good quality young man. You do care about your friend here but you don''t have to worry, I will take good care of her and maybe, one day we can arrange a nice party at my place and invite you over," Thorin said, a steely glint in his eyes, despite the friendly smile on his face.

    "While it''s been fun, I am afraid Zi Mei has to go back to her¡­er¡­job," he added. He stood up and offered Zi Mei his arm. "Shall we?"

    Flushing slightly, her pulse still racing, she stood up and took his arm. She knew very well what he meant by ''job'' and she was not really looking forward to it. Part of her was dying for him to touch her again while another part was scared and nervous of what was to come.

    "Wait, wait¡­Zi Mei? He is not forcing you into anything is he?" Darren stood up and took hold of her arm. He was looking at her worried.

    "Darren, don''t worry. He''s not forcing me into anything," she replied. She gestured to the money on the table. "Please do return the money to Sheena and Jazzmine for me,"

    "But¡­Zi Mei!" he exclaimed, refusing to let her go.

    She gently extricate his hand and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

    "Don''t worry please, Darren. I am fine and Thorin has been¡­ really kind to me," she said. "Look, I have to go, maybe we will catch up soon? I promise I will stay in touch," she said, smiling.

    Darren reluctantly nodded.

    "You know what to do if you need help," he said. He slid a sideway glance at Thorin. "I will always be on your side, please know that,"

    Thorin made an exasperated sound that sounded like ''fork''.

    "Oh for dragons'' sake¡­she''s not dying or being sacrificed at some altar, really¡­what''s with all this drama? You can still keep in contact with her and like I just said, one of these days, I will arrange a small party and you will be invited. Now can we go?" Thorin said.

    Then he was pulling her away as Darren looked on, still worried. After they stepped out of the cafe, Thorin turned to her.

    "What did you even see in that pathetic human? Really¡­how annoying," he said.

    She got irritated. How dare he call her friend pathetic? Darren has been so good to her and he even offered her his whole savings to help her! She pulled her hand away from Thorin.

    "He is not pathetic! You are pathetic. Darren is the kindest, nicest and most gentle person ever!" she said defensively.

    Thorin gave her a nonchalant shrug.

    "Whatever you say little Zi, he is still pathetic to me and honestly¡­the value you humans place on money is just so amusing," he said. He put his hands in his jeans pockets and strolled along casually. As if they are out on an evening stroll together.

    "That''s easy for you to say¡­you can turn things into gold! Why don''t you give away your whole fortune and try living with only 10 dollars a day without using your magic and then you come and tell me about your lofty ideas of money is not important blablabla," she shot at him.

    "Ahhh¡­..been there done that my dear¡­frankly, it was quite boring," he said. "It was no fun when I can''t throw money at humans and have them at my beck and call," he added mischievously.

    She rolled her eyes at him. She didn''t have a witty respond to that. Thorin snapped his finger and a door appeared on one of the walls of the houses they were walking by.

    "Come, lets go home," he said. "My parents wanted to meet you," he took her hand and dragged her through the door.

    "Your what?" she asked once they are inside.

    "My parents. You can''t honestly think that I don''t have parents, do you? I didn''t just appear out of thin air," he said.

    "I would think you hatched from a rock what with your ''stony'' personality," she mumbled under her breath.

    "What did you say?" he stopped and asked, looking at her.

    "Er¡­nothing," she smiled innocently at him. She followed him down the series of corridors and hallways, that have changed and looked different again, holding his hand and marvelling at the smooth feel of his hand. She is certain his hands are smoother than hers. He probably never washed a single plate or cup in his life. In short, his hand is smoother than a woman''s. He has womanly hands, she thought and almost giggled. He would be offended, even angry, if she told him that.

    They came to an opulent dining room and inside, there seems to be a small dinner party going on. A few people dressed in formal gowns and tuxedoes are mingling about while waiters are going around with trays of wine, champagne and hors d''ouvres. Zi Mei gaped at the sight.

    Then she looked down at her own attire. Her thin worn-looking t-shirt and ratty sweatpants. She looked like what the cat dragged in. No, no, she looked like what the dragon dragged in, literally. She is so underdressed for this, she is sure someone will turn around and tell her to go away somewhere else to beg for alms.

    Except that Thorin is still holding her hand and he is pulling her to a glamorous looking couple at the far end of the room. They looked like they are in their 40s, barely old enough to have a 30-year-old son. Then again, she remembered that they are dragon shapeshifters so obviously they can look whatever age they chose in their human form. His parents must also be thousands of years old too.

    "Wait, wait, wait¡­" she stopped walking and pulled at Thorin. He stopped and turned.

    "What is it? Nervous? Don''t worry, they don''t bite, at least not that I know of," he said.

    She gestured at her attire.

    "I don''t exactly belong, I am so not dressed for this," she said. She noticed a few people have now noticed her and Thorin. A few women are tittering and giggling while pointing at her. She felt so self-conscious now.

    Thorin looked confused for a split second and then realisation dawned. He grinned. Then he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, she is in a gorgeous tight fitting red cheongsam with a slit up to the top of her thighs while he is in a tuxedo.

    "There, problem fixed," he said. He pulled her hand into the crook of his arm.. "Let''s go meet my parents now," he said.

 Chapter 20 - A Dinner Party

    Thorin''s father looked exactly like him up close. Except older and more dignified looking. He is tall and handsome too, with salt and pepper hair. His mother, on the other hand, is fair, very delicate looking with auburn hair, Caucasian features and startling green eyes. Zi Mei was slightly taken back. She noted that Thorin had the same straight narrow nose like his mother. Then she remembered. They are dragon shapeshifters. Of course they can change their looks and look like whoever they want.

    "Hello auntie, uncle," she said respectfully after Thorin introduced her as Tan Zi Mei, the girl her ''found'', to them.

    His mother took her hands and squeezed them. Her green eyes were soft and kind looking.

    "You are the one to give us grandchildren one day, Thorin told us," she said. Her voice is soft and like tinkling music. "Come with me, lets leave the men with their business talk," she said and she pulled Zi Mei with her to an alcove with comfortable seating.

    "Here, sit down, you must be so confused by all this," she said kindly. Zi Mei sat and waited.

    "I''m human¡­well, I was a long time ago," the older woman said. Zi Mei was surprised but didn''t interrupt. She can be a good listener if she wanted and Thorin''s mother, Celestia, obviously wanted to talk.

    "Just like you, Tien found me and asked me to be his wife," she said. "He saved me from being ravished by these group of disgusting men and took me with him. I was scared of him at first, I thought he only wanted the same thing as the those men but he was so gentle and kind. He took care of me and asked me to marry him. I married him a few days later and it has been a few thousand years, we are still so in love. I really hope the same for you and our only son, Thorin," she said.

    It sounded like a classic love story. So, Thorin is an only child and his mother is human. Was human. She must be an immortal now. Does marrying a dragon shapeshifter makes you immortal?

    "But¡­Thorin didn''t ask me to marry him¡­he is already married to Jessica," she told Celestia.

    "He made me sign this contract to become his mistress and to bear him heirs," she added.

    Celestia looked surprised.

    "Oh dear. Thorin didn''t handle this very well. He and Jessica aren''t married. She''s a lower rank young dragon and dragon shapeshifters don''t usually marry each other from the same clan," she said.

    "When Thorin told us about you, I assumed you will be getting married soon¡­I didn''t know he made you sign a contract! That is ridiculous," she said. She looked personally affronted.

    "But, tell me, how do you feel about my son? He can be a handful sometimes and I know, I am his mother so I am biased, but he has a good heart underneath all that arrogance," she said.

    Zi Mei doesn''t know what to say. She has only met Thorin for a few days and this is not some romantic fairy tale where you fall in love after a few days of being kidnapped by a gorgeous man who turned out to be a dragon shapeshifter. She is certainly attracted to him. The sexual tension between them is unmistakable but she can''t talk about this to his mother. It would just be too embarrassing.

    "I don''t know what to say¡­I''ve only just met him," she said honestly.

    "Oh it''s okay dear. Take your time¡­Thorin has wasted a few hundred years, we had all but given up on him ever finding his perfect match and then he found you. I do hope it works out, or he might lose his position in the clan and some of his powers," she said. "Although¡­that''s not a bad thing either,"

    "Whatever you decide, just think over it first¡­and if you want to know more about the clan and the shapeshifters, you can always ask me," she added. Then she got up. The conversation is over.

    The dinner party was a flurry of introductions to a number of people, most of whom are dragons. Most of them are from the Heaven''s Descent clan but there were a few from other clans. There was a couple from the Sea Jade clan, Dashen Long and his human partner, Meera.

    They looked so perfect together, laughing and so obviously in love. While most of the guests were friendly, Zi Mei found herself standing out. She felt so out of place among these shapeshifters and their immortal partners. She is not a shapeshifter nor an immortal nor officially a partner to a dragon. The other humans in the room are immortals who are married to the dragons.

    By the time dinner was over and the crowd was dispersing, she wanted to crawl up to her room, whichever one she is sleeping in and go to sleep. She is exhausted. Who knows pretending to smile and make small talk to a bunch of strangers can be so tiring? It is even more tiring than being a waitress at such an event.

    She had worked a few part time jobs as a waitress at banquet events before and it wasn''t as tiring as this. Who knows talking about the weather, global warming and the latest pandemic to hit the mortal world can be so exhausting?

    After the last of the guests have left, she sink into a chair gratefully. Her feet hurt from standing around talking. Her mouth hurt from smiling too much. Everything hurt. She wanted to lie there and sleep. Thorin came strolling towards her, looking fresh and not in the least worn out. He must have the stamina of dragons, she thought and laughed inwardly at her own stupid joke.

    "You look tired," he remarked.

    She rolled the eyes.

    "Wow. Wonderful deduction Sherlock, I would clap if I''m not so tired," she replied sarcastically.

    "Come, the night is still young," he said and reached down to pull her up. She resisted. She is too exhausted to move.

    "I can''t move¡­you will have to drag me like a caveman to wherever you want me to go," she muttered and closed her eyes.

    Thorin looked at her. Then he bend down, held her waist and in one smooth motion, flung her over his shoulder, with her head hanging down his back and his arm holding her under her butt securely. The slit of her cheongsam slide open, revealing the whole length if her legs.

    She gasped and flailed weakly as blood gushed straight into her head. She was even too exhausted to fight him.

    "What are you doing!" she said.

    "Let''s go then," he said. He patted her butt affectionately and started walking. She continued to flail about, only to work her cheongsam higher up her hips, the slit going higher and higher. Realising what she was doing, she stopped and let him carry her.

    He was whistling cheerfully as he carried her along the corridor and then they entered a large dimly lit room. It is filled with some musky flowery fragrance and she noticed some lighted candles. Then he threw her down on a bed. A large soft springy bed. Her cheongsam flipped up, revealing her legs and her lacy panties underneath.

    She gasped and pulled it down. He began to undress. Slowly. His eyes, dark and filled with desire, held hers intently. She swallowed nervously. Does this mean they will be doing it tonight? Right now? She scrambled back and found her back against the headboard of the bed.

    He has already taken off his shirt and pants, his smooth muscled body gleaming in the candlelight. There was a large bulge underneath his underwear. He climbed onto the bed and crawled towards her on all four.

    "Let me help you,"he said and he reached out to her. He pulled down the side zip of her cheongsam. Then he pulled the silk gown up over her head and off. He threw it on the floor. She crossed her arms to cover her breasts, the creamy mounds of soft flesh partially covered by her sexy lacy bra.

    "I¡­I¡­am ¡­tired," she stammered nervously. "Can¡­can¡­we ¡­er¡­do¡­it¡­another time?"

    "What? After what we did earlier today and you want me to wait?" he asked. He pulled her hands off and held her wrists. He grasped her wrists in on of his hand and placed it on the pillow above her head, effectively making her arch up her breasts to him. He stared at her breasts and licked his lips. She gulped. Her pulse is now racing and her blood thrumming with arousal. She could feel her body yearning for him to touch her. For his hands to cup her breasts. For him to bend down and kiss her.

    "But¡­I am sticky and sweaty¡­can I at least take a shower first?" she scrambled for another excuse. Any excuse to delay this. All her exhaustion is gone but she is still nervous. She is still scared.. This is her first time and he is still little more than a stranger.

 Chapter 21 - Taking A Shower Together

    "You want a shower? Of course, that is the best way to start this¡­come to think of it, I need a shower too," he said.

    He pulled her up to him and kissed her. She sink into his embrace and his kiss. She was filled with desire, her heart thumping loudly, as his lips pressed against hers and his tongue thrusted into her mouth. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra. He pulled it off easily. She gasped under his lips and automatically wanted to cross her arms over her bare breasts but he held her hands.

    "Let''s go take a shower then," he said. He got up and pulled her up with him. She felt so embarrassed, her breasts are swinging free, her pink rosy nipples stood up, hardened like pebbles from arousal. He was looking at her breasts hungrily but made no move to touch her. He pulled her to the adjoining bathroom and placed her inside the shower stall.

    "You need to remove that¡­" he said and then he was pulling her panties down. She crossed her legs and her hand went to cover her private part. He chuckled at her actions and pulled her hand away.

    "Let me see," he said. He gently push her legs apart. She blushed furiously. She has never stood naked in front of a man before. And this gorgeous man is kneeling in front of her, staring at her private part like it was the most desirable thing he has ever seen.

    "You are so pretty even down there," he said and then, he reached down to his hips and pulled off his underwear too. His erection sprang up to attention. It was long, thick and hard.

    She gasped at the length. This is the first time she has seen a man''s part in real life. She has of course seen it on tv and in the internet but this is real life and it is so much more overwhelming. It looked so much bigger and thicker and longer. Is his larger than a normal human''s? She wondered if it can even fit into her. It looked so huge. It might even hurt a lot if he put that monstrous thing inside her.

    "Do you want to touch it?" he asked, amused at the way she was looking at his erection.

    She shook her head mutely and blushed again.

    "Let''s clean up then," he said matter-of-factly and turned on the shower. Soft warm water sluiced down on them. The temperature was perfect, not too cold and not too hot. He took a bar of soap and turned her around.

    "I''ll scrub your back and you scrub mine," he said. He started to slowly caress her back with his soapy hands. Her senses tingled and she gasped as his gentle hands left spots of pleasure down her back.

    He was touching her, soaping her every inch, painstakingly slowly. Rubbing, sliding, moving, leaving trails of fire behind and he is moving down to the swell of her butt. She is now resisting the urge to moan. Her whole body is tingling with pleasure and her moist centre is becoming wet from desire and throbbing with need. He stopped just at the top of her butt and then turned her around.

    "Now, let''s clean your front," he said and then he proceeded to slide the bar of soap over her neck, down to her chests, around her breasts, under the breasts, down to her belly and down to the patch of dark curls there before he stopped. She is now breathing heavily and almost panting with full on arousal.

    He placed the soap back into the container and then he was touching her down there, dipping his fingers inside. She gasped and her hands came up against his chest to hold him.

    "No, you must return the favour," he said, he took her hand and guided it down to close her fingers over his girth. It was silky smooth and hard. It jerked at her touch. "Here, you do this," he said and he showed her how to move up and down while gripping him firmly.

    He is still teasing her wet centre with his fingers and thumb. He was pressing on her throbbing nub with his thumb and thrusting his fingers into her rhythmically.

    She closed her eyes and moved her hips against his fingers, moaning at the bursts of pleasure filling her. If his fingers felt so good, how would it feel if it was his long hard thing inside her, she wondered. She continued to move her hand up and down of his hard rod and he groaned.

    "Yes, that''s it," he said. He is moving his fingers faster and her breath is now coming in short bursts as water continue to sluice down on them. His breath was coming faster too.

    "No, stop, stop," he told her as she sped up the momentum of her hand. He held her hand to stop her. "Not like this," he said. But his fingers are still inside her and he is thrusting them faster and faster into her. Thrusting in, wriggling it and pressing her throbbing nub.

    "But..but..I''m coming," she said, she held on to his waist and gripped it. She arched against him and writhed in pleasure. "Please..please¡­ohhhh¡­" she moaned. She was so near. So very near. Then he removed his fingers. She was throbbing so painfully now, waiting for that release that she grunted in frustration. "No, please, don''t stop!"

    He pulled her close to him, his thick hard rod pushing against her belly. Then he kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue deep into her. She returned his kiss hungrily, her hands groped him and closed over his firm butt. She pulled him to her, feeling his long hard flesh pressing against her belly.

    "I want to taste you," he murmured and then he was kneeling before her and putting his lips on her. The moment his tongue thrusted into her she went over the edge. She grabbed his hair and pushed his head closer to her as she screamed her release while he lapped it all up. He licked and sucked and thrusted his tongue into her while she shuddered and pulsated with release.

    Then he stood up and kissed her again. She can taste her scent as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, pressing himself against her. He is now so painfully hard and erect, she is sure he too wanted his release. She closed a hand over him and he groaned. He pushed her hand away.

    "No, not yet," he muttered. He cupped her breasts and squeezed. She arched into him, pleasure is building up yet again. She couldn''t believe that she is still so aroused and full of desire. The climax did not even slake her desire a tiny bit. He took a nipple in his mouth and suckled while one hand teased the other nipple. She moaned, a haze of red hot arousal filled her vision. If this is how it feels like every time¡­she doesn''t mind doing it every day, she thought lustily. She doesn''t even care anymore if he is large. She is sure it can fit. She wriggled against him. She wants him to take her now. To put it all inside her. Now.

    "Please¡­" she moaned.

    "Tell me, what is it that you want?" he asked.

    "You, I want you, inside me," she moaned.

    "Ah¡­but you are not really ready," he said. He puts a finger inside her and she arched her back.

    "No, you''re wrong, I''m ready, now, I want it now," she gasped as he began his finger her expertly yet again and this time, she climaxed even faster. He need only pressed on her core and move his fingers inside her, pressing on a particular spot inside, and then she was crashing over, screaming again, bucking on his fingers.

    He held her as she sobbed her release, this time more powerful than the first one. It took her a while to realise that the shower is still on, water is still coming down on them and he is still erect, pressing against her even as he held her.

    "But you¡­" she said, she reached down to touch him. He moaned as her fingers closed around him. "Let me¡­" she said tentatively but he stopped her.

    "No, you don''t have to, I want you to watch me," he said.

    She was puzzled. What does he mean. He placed her hands up on his chest and then he reached down and began to play with himself. She gasped. He was pushing and pulling on himself and groaning at each movement. It was oddly thrilling and making her horny.

    "Touch yourself, I want to see you touching yourself too," he commanded. He took her hands and put them on her breasts.

    She blushed. She has never done this before! She cupped her breasts shyly. His eyes darkened and he groaned. He turned off the shower.

    "Kneel down," he told her and she did. Then he was also half kneeling and half bending over her. He placed his turgid flesh in between her breasts. "Hold them together," he told her and she cupped her breasts tightly to sandwich him in between.

    "Yes," then he began to move, up and down, in between her breasts, and moaning. She wondered what he tasted like. Just as he was thrusting up, she released her breasts and bent forward to take him inside her mouth. He was hard and so large, he filled her whole mouth. She tried to take the whole length inside her mouth but she couldn''t.

    He was now groaning and pushing into her, almost down to her throat.

    "Yesssss," he said and he continued to thrust into her mouth. She moved in tandem with him, licking and sucking as she went. It went on for a long time till her mouth was beginning to cramp up and yet he is still hard and long. How long can he last? She thought. She didn''t dare stop and yet her mouth is tiring and cramping.

    As if realising this, he pulled out of her mouth.

    "Let''s go to the room and continue there," he said.

 Chapter 22 - The Almost First Time

    He swept her up and carried her to bed. He placed her gently on top of the bed and stood over her. She is suddenly feeling shy all over again as he stared down at her naked body, still slightly damp from the shower. She crossed her legs close unconsciously and blushed under his intent lusty gaze.

    He lay down next to her, rested his head on an arm and trailed his finger down her body. Her pulse quickened and wherever he touched left a trail of burning hot sensations behind. She shivered in anticipation. He gently cupped one of her breasts and lightly touched her nipples. She arched into his hand, a soft moan escaping her lips. He grinned at her response.

    "Tell me, what do you like and I will pleasure you," he said softly. He raised himself up, straddled her, his long hard rod laying against her belly, and then he took a nipple into his warm moist lips. His hand continued to play with the other breast. She moaned and arched into him. Pleasure is filling her every senses. Red and hot. She writhed under his expert touches.

    "You like this?" he asked and trailed kisses down from her breasts to her flat belly to the apex of curls between her legs. She writhed even more. She wanted him inside her. Not this. But the moment his tongue teased into her wet passageway, she moaned and thrust her hips up to him.

    "Come for me again," he mumbled as he began licking her and thrusting into her with his tongue and fingers. He was so good at it, she could feel the pressure building up again. She is so wet now, he could easily push three fingers inside her. He used his fingers to stretch her, thrusting into her again and again, pressing on a spot within her. She grabbed the bed covers on both sides of her and writhed in pleasure, pushing her hips to him, surrendering to the waves of pleasure building within her.

    "Don''t hold back, come for me," he said. He pressed on her swollen sensitive bud at the entrance and then he sucked on it. She suddenly felt herself falling, crashing over, jerking and arching and pulsing. She was screaming till she was hoarse. She could feel herself squirting her juices out, wetting the bed and his fingers.

    Then he was hovering above her, placing his long thick hard rod at her sopping wet entrance and guiding it into her. She could feel it entering her and she froze. It was much too large. Way too large. She could feel herself stretching for him but it was bordering on pain.

    She grunted and gasped at the pain. He was pushing in very slowly now but the pain was too much. He was too thick, too big and too hard. Only his tip was inside her and she felt stretched and on the verge of tearing. It was as if he has spikes on his thing too.

    "No! Please, stop! No, it hurts!" she cried out and he stopped. Tears are sliding down her cheeks. She never expected it to be so painful. Not after the bouts of ecstasy he gave her. She was so wet too. It should have been easier and smoother. But it was not.

    "Look¡­I''m sorry but it will hurt the first time," he said. "I will be very slow," he said.

    "No, no, no, it''s too painful,"she shook her head. She can''t take it. "You are too big! There''s no way you can fit in!" she said.

    He started easing into her again and she gasped. She could feel herself tearing apart at every inch. She gritted her teeth to stop herself from screaming in pain but she couldn''t help herself.

    "Please, stop!" she screamed.

    He stopped and suddenly withdrew from her, leaving a void within her. He flopped down on his back next to her silently. She quickly wiped her tears away in relief. She sneaked a glance at his profile. He appeared frustrated but not angry. She looked down and gasped. His thing is not only huge and erect, it was silver in colour and it has tiny little spikes all over it.

    She sat up and stared at it. She was certain it didn''t look like that earlier in the bathroom.

    "What¡­that was why it hurts!!!" she said, glaring at him and pointing at his weird silver spiked erection. "Can''t you at least be human or that part be human when you, when we, when you¡­you know," she demanded.

    He sat up, his erection still standing tall and hard, and looked at her.

    "No, I can''t be human while we are doing it! If I wanted heirs, that part of me has to be my original dragon form," he said.

    "But¡­but¡­you have SPIKES!" she exclaimed. "I mean I don''t know about other women and other dragons but spikes down there are instruments of torture, not pleasure!" she added indignantly.

    "Look. I can''t help it okay? I was too aroused and I got out of control so when that happened, I get spiky¡­" he replied defensively.

    "Well, can''t you, like get back in control now?" she asked. She looked down. Nope. He is still not in control. Still silver. Still erect. Still SPIKY.

    He crossed his arms angrily.

    "Forget it! You had your release and your fun, I will just fly and cool this off," he said. He transformed into his silver dragon form and then disappeared.

    She stared at the empty space he left behind in surprise. Does this mean he will not try to have sex with her again tonight? Or will he come back and try again? She touched her wet centre to see if she was bleeding.

    She was not. It was all just her juices from coming so hard earlier. So, if he doesn''t come back, did him entering partially mean they have mated? Or it does not count? At what point does it count as having mated? When he enters her fully and comes inside her? She doesn''t remember reading any details on that in the contract. So, have they sealed the contract or have they not?

    Whatever it is, she is not going to lay there and wait for him like some sex slave. She went to the cupboard to search for clothes to wear and found some sexy silk see-through obscenely short nightgown that is her size.

    It was obviously part of her baby making sex slave attire, she thought. She slipped it on. It barely covered anything. She might as well not be wearing anything, she thought. She found some decent panties too and chose plain cotton ones. Comfort first.

    She was exhausted and her body, relaxed and satiated. She decided to go to sleep first and if he comes back and wanted to ''mate'', he can wake her up. She put out all the candles and lie down on the bed. She immediately fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

    Thorin never came back that night. When she woke up, it was late morning and her stomach was growling. The room was bright with sunlight streaming in the windows. She stretched luxuriously. She was sore almost everywhere, even down there.

    He barely even entered her and yet it felt as if she had crazy wild sex with 10 different very well endowed men. She groaned as she got up. Ugh. The pain was from just his tip inside her¡­it would have been much worst if he had entered her fully.

    She thought back to the thick silver spiky thing between his legs. That was scary. Nightmarish even. She could probably still accept it if it''s silver but not the spikes. She doubt any woman will accept having spikes thrusting inside them. It would lacerate them into ribbons.

    She shuddered at the horrid thought. What if he loses control while inside her? She gasped, winced and crossed her legs automatically at the thought.

    She shook her head to clear her thoughts of the night before. She is hungry so she should go look for breakfast. She doesn''t want to see Thorin and hoped he won''t appear anytime soon. She just could not get the thought of his silver spiky thing out of her mind. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth.

    She took a quick shower and changed into a short low cut dress. The only decent one she can find. The whole cupboard is full of sexy, suggestive clothing that makes her look like a prostitute. Honestly, she needs to talk to whoever bought those clothes and put it there for her. She may be a mistress but surely, she doesn''t have to dress like one all the time!

    She went outside and Lim was waiting outside the door. He bowed at her respectfully.

    "Oh you are finally awake.. Boss told me to take you to him," he said.

 Chapter 23 - Making It Official

    "Can''t this wait?" she asked Lim. "I am hungry and I need to eat,"

    He shrugged.

    "Sorry, miss, I have to follow orders from the boss," he said and blocked her way.

    She glared at him.

    "C''mon. Can I just eat first?" she pleaded. She was so hungry, she felt faint.

    He continued to block her way.

    "No can do. I am only following orders," he said and gestured for her to follow him.

    She rolled her eyes at him and then looked around. The corridor has changed yet again. She doesn''t even know where she is now. She might as well follow him. It was not as if she could find her way to the dining room or kitchen or wherever they serve breakfast around here.

    As if confident that she will follow meekly, Lim turned and started walking without waiting for her. She followed him while still looking around. The corridor is bright with sunlight streaming in from both sides of the glass walls. It is like they are in a glass house. There are verdant landscaped gardens filled with profusions of flowers in carefully arranged flower beds, on both sides. She wondered what ''country'' they are in now.

    The gardens didn''t look very tropical. The advantage of living with an ancient dragon, their house changes according to the dragon''s whims and fancies. If she could draw, she could probably produce a book titled "The many facets of an old dragon''s house".

    Her stomach continued to growl as she followed Lim. She hoped Thorin has some food with him. She is now so ravenous, she will eat anything. She didn''t know all that extra ''activities'' last night could leave one so hungry the next morning.

    Lim came to a stop and opened a French door into another garden, this time, it is a different sort of garden, with weeping willows and stone paths and ponds. It looks like an eastern-themed garden. What''s with Thorin and his gardens? She hoped maybe it is a breakfast picnic in some foreign garden. That would be nice.

    Her hopes was dashed when she saw Jessica and Thorin sitting in some sort of a gazebo overlooking a large lily pond. It was like a scene straight out from some historical Chinese drama. Thorin and Jessica need only wear some period costume and it would be perfect. Except they weren''t in costumes. They are wearing the usual modern-day wear. How boring.

    Lim stood aside to let her out into the garden. It looked like he is not going with her. She thanked him and went outside. Her stomach growled loudly again. "Quiet stomach. I am working on getting us food," she told her stomach as she marched up to the couple.

    From afar, they looked like a perfectly matched couple. Him, tall and imposingly handsome, and she, gorgeous, fair with impossibly long legs that go straight up to her neck. They looked like a couple of models on some fashion magazine. Next to them, she felt like a short and frumpy troll.

    The perfect looking couple turned in unison when she walked towards them. Both of them looked grim. Her heart dropped. It didn''t look like good news. More importantly, there was no sight of any food around. Her stomach growled insistently and she clutched at it as she walked to the gazebo.

    "Whatever it is, can either one of you conjure up some food? I am so hungry, I swear I''m gonna faint right here," she declared the moment she reached them, before any of them could say anything.

    Thorin looked at Jessica and she nodded. Then she disappeared. Zi Mei doesn''t understand it. If she can teleport, or whatever you call the disappearing in and out, couldn''t she just conjure the food here? Isn''t that easier? She shrugged. Leave it to the mystical magical dragons to complicate things. It was just so inefficient.

    "So, old¡­I mean, Thorin¡­what is so urgent that I was summoned here without even being given a chance to eat?" she asked him. He was standing there, looking all handsome and dashing. As if he was posing. She studied his side profile and pose. She narrowed her eyes. Wait-a-minute¡­he is definitely posing.

    "Also¡­what''s with the posing? Is there some hidden camera somewhere? Are we in the middle of a photoshoot?" she looked around earnestly. Trust Thorin to have a photoshoot in this obvious eastern-style garden.

    He frowned at her suggestion.

    "What are you talking about? This is how I stand," he said, perplexed. Then he continued to stand as if posing.

    She swallowed a laugh and tried very hard not to roll her eyes. Oh, the vanity of the old dragon. He should be called Vain Loong¡­not Thorin. She smiled secretly at her own joke.

    "Look, I hate to interrupt your posing session¡­it is all so impressive but really¡­Can we get to the part where you tell me something angrily and then I retort back at you angrily and then I stuff my face with food finally?" she asked.

    "Angrily? Why would I be angry?" he asked, surprised.

    She shrugged.

    "Well, you and Jessica looked grim when you saw me so I assumed you are either pissed off or constipated, or maybe both, I don''t know, you have to tell me," she shrugged again. Her stomach growled again.

    "Constipated? I''ll have you know that I am a perfectly healthy and virile 3,000 year old dragon with no health issues nor any¡­err¡­intestinal issues, I don''t have constipation!" he said, annoyed.

    "Whatever¡­so can we just get to whatever it is you want to tell me already?" she said.

    He cleared his throat.

    "So, last night, there were some minor hiccups in our mating," he started.

    "You mean silver spikes? You could have torn me into pieces¡­I wouldn''t call that minor," she interrupted sardonically.

    "Alright, alright. You don''t have to be so dramatic here," and he had the nerve to roll his eyes at her.

    "Dramatic? Excuse me, you try having spikes being poked into your private parts and you tell me if I''m being dramatic!" she spluttered.

    "Will you let me continue? At this rate, you won''t get to eat and we will be here all day and you might just faint or starve to death," he responded.

    She opened her mouth to retort but thought better of it. She closed her mouth and made a gesture for him to continue. Might as well let him talk and get it done and over with.

    "Like I said, the mating last night did not go as planned. So, our contract is not sealed and you can still back out if you want to," he told her.

    She was not exactly surprised but she felt sort of cheated. Yes sure, he did not exactly enter her fully but he did all sorts of things to her. If anything, they had oral sex, that surely counted for something. She sucked and licked his large hard thing for so long that her mouth almost cramped. Even prostitutes get paid for oral sex. It wasn''t her fault that he didn''t climax and that he suddenly developed silver spikes.

    "But¡­that''s not fair¡­you did all sorts of things to me¡­several times over. I''ve never did those things before with anyone in my life and honestly, I''ve never kissed anyone before too!" she said.

    "Even prostitutes get paid for the things I let you do and that I did last night," she added.

    "So, you''re equating yourself to a prostitute?" he asked.

    "No! No¡­well¡­oh hell. I mean I already signed a sex slave contract so how different is that from being a prostitute? I practically gave you my body for money," she reasoned, mostly to herself.

    It sounded bad but it was the truth after all. She did sign the contract to get paid to sleep with him and have his babies.

    "So, I am your personal paid whore and baby making machine¡­.that''s a fact I can''t change anyway," she added matter-of-factly.

    If there''s anything she can learn from this, it is to roll with the punches. Her life was already at its worst point before being kidnapped by Thorin. The contract with Thorin wasn''t all that bad anyway. It is still a better bet than becoming an actual prostitute to serve tons of different men every night.

    She is only serving Thorin alone so it is a rather good bargain. Aside from the spikes, the oral sex was downright good too. She felt a delicious tingle under her dress at the thought of the things Thorin did with his fingers and tongue. She can definitely live with being his sex slave, again, without the spikes.

    "So, you want the contract to be official? Once it''s official, there is no turning back," he warned.

    She shrugged.

    "I mean, you did enter me with your fingers and tongue countless times and that should count somewhat and your tip did enter me slightly too," she pointed out.

    She sounded like she is discussing the benefits of a pyramid scheme business.

    "I would like the $5 million now, but you don''t have to pay it all in advance, just $1 million for now so that I can pay off those pesky loansharks first," she said.

    "I will only pay you after we have mated!" Thorin said.

    She considered him for a while. She is going to do something so outrageous, she would have blushed at the thought but today, she is suddenly filled with a strange courage and confidence. She wondered if losing a little bit of her virginity did that to her. Does his tip entering her a bit count as losing a tiny bit of her virginity? She doesn''t know but it should count as that, in her books.

    She reached under her short dress and pulled down her panties. Sexy lacy thongs. She kicked it off.

    Then, she sashayed over to Thorin, pulled him to her, unzipped his pants and pulled out his manhood. It was laying there soft and limp but she gave it a few squeezes and tugs and it was already rising to the occasion.

    Thorin held her wrists to stop her.

    "What are you doing?" he asked, but his face is filled with desire.

    She turned around and bend over, pushing her ass near to him and placing him just at her entrance, after making sure there are no spikes in sight.

    "Here, let''s do it now to make it official," she said.

 Chapter 24 - No Spikes But...

    Thorin gripped her bare ass and she could hear him breathing heavily. Just the thought of him pushing into her in this position, outside in this garden in a gazebo, was enough to make her wet. The short dress do come in convenient after all.

    She didn''t even know what came into her to make her do something so daring. So scandalous. So out of character. Whatever happened to her virginal shyness? Did just one night with this sexy dragon change that? Can a person change from just one night of deeply satisfying oral sex with a hot, sexy dragon disguised as a human male?

    Thorin was not moving to enter her. He was still poised at her entrance. She turned to look at him and he was just standing there transfixed, staring down at her bare round ass, sticking up against him. He has an unreadable expression on his face and raw desire in his dark eyes that are glinting with a silvery hint. She wriggled her ass slightly against him feeling his silken hot hard rod just waiting there. He is now so erect and hard, he is double the size of when she first took it out of his pants.

    "You know you want it and I want it too, so let''s get to it," she murmured huskily, licking her lips in anticipation.

    He seemed to snap out of his daze and then he was slowly pushing into her. She gasped. The pain was excruciating. She turned to look but there were no spikes. It wasn''t even silver like last night. But it was huge. And thick. And long. And hard. She could feel him stretching her but the pain, oh the pain, it was as if he was tearing her apart. Even without the spikes. Was it supposed to be so painful?

    "Stop! Stop! No! Pain!" she gasped and he stopped, holding a tight control on himself. He pulled out almost immediately and then he was keeping his monstrous manhood back into his pants and zipping back up.

    "I think you''re still not ready despite your earlier bravado," he said coolly. He gave her bare ass a pat, like petting a kitten. "Let''s continue another time," he paused. "Maybe later,"

    She blushed deep red and stood up, pushing the short dress back down. His cool rejection stung more than the pain down there.

    "I am ready! It''s just that you are too big for me," she said.

    He came near and pulled her to him then he reached down and touched her. She is still naked down there, her panties discarded somewhere else. She gasped at the feel of his fingers dipping into her. He had immediately set her senses on fire with one touch. He removed and raised his fingers, showing it to her.

    "See? You''re not wet. Not enough anyway," he said while rubbing his fingers together matter-of-factly to prove his point. His fingers were not even damp.

    She was both embarrassed and irritated. Her stomach took that opportune moment to growl its protest. It is nearing noon and she has not eaten a morsel since last night. Thorin had the nerve to grin.

    "Looks like you are hungrier for food more than for my dick," he quipped.

    She rolled her eyes.

    "Haha. Funny. Hilarious. Go be a stand-up comedian, why don''t you," she retorted and started searching around for the lacy thong she had just discarded.

    She found it on the ground not far off the gazebo, snagged it up and quickly pulled it up. Again, she was glad for the short dress, makes it so easy to discard and put back her panties. So maybe that''s the whole point of why the cupboard was full of short, sexy prostitute-like attire. To make it easier for her to undress and just let her ride Thorin till they both tire out. Except that she has not been able to do that.

    She looked around. Jessica is taking an awfully long time to conjure up some food. What is the point of having magical powers if they can''t even conjure up food, like, immediately?

    "Where is Jessica anyway? How long does it take to magically conjure up food? And why does she have to go to wherever it is to pick up the food and bring it here?" she asked, annoyed. She is ravenous and annoyed. A hungry woman does not make a nice woman.

    Thorin snapped his fingers and a table filled with heaps of food appeared. Toasts. Eggs. Noodles. Fried Rice. Roast chicken. Salad. Pasta. Nasi lemak. Smoked ham. It was an East meets West buffet! She gasped.

    "Well, you could have done that earlier! So, where did Jessica go anyway?" she asked. She sat down and started helping herself to everything she fancied, which is a little bit of something from each plate. One must not miss out a single dish in a buffet, that was her motto.

    "Jessica doesn''t have to be here for us to talk, she was here talking to me about something else," he told her. He was looking at her fondly as she tucked into her food.

    "You sure do have a huge appetite," he remarked. He took a seat across from her and observed her eating.

    She ignored him. Food is more important at this moment. It is more like brunch for her now.

    "So, what is it that you like to do usually?" he asked casually.

    She shrugged. She scooped a heap of rice and shoved it into her mouth, chewing it reverently. Wherever he conjured it up from, this here is some good fried rice. Not the greasy soggy kind. Nice fluffy rice, perfectly seasoned and fried with a ton of wonderful ingredients too.

    "I don''t have much time to do anything, usually, except to work, get food, avoid loansharks, sleep, you know, the daily grind," she said after swallowing the rice. "Sometimes, I do hang out with my friends and we talk and joke and vent," she added.

    "Hmmm¡­" he considered her, his eyes thoughtful.

    "How about we go on a date? What would you like to do?" he asked.

    She choked on her food and started coughing. He went over to her and patted her back.

    "That''s quite a reaction," he remarked.

    She wiped her mouth and the tears in her eyes from the choking.

    "Are you serious?" she looked up at him.

    He is now lounging casually against the arm of her chair. So near her, she can smell his powerful musky heady scent. It made her want to reach out and do things to him. Naughty sexy things.

    "Yes, of course. I believe you''re closing up against me because you don''t know me, that was why our mating sessions have failed, twice," he said.

    "I don''t want to be a brute to force myself onto you, it must hurt a lot judging from the way you reacted earlier, maybe we take some time to date and get to know each other, it might work," he suggested.

    He was not wrong there. Except that last night he had spikes so that doesn''t count! It doesn''t hurt to get to know him better anyway.

    "I agree to dating¡­and like the sexual thing, I''ve not done this before too," she admitted. She had lived such a lame innocent life up till now. Suddenly she was kidnaped, became some old dragon''s almost-mistress, had fantastic oral sex with him and now, he is asking her for a date. The order seems wrong somewhere, she thought but then this whole situation was already out-of-the-norm anyway.

    "Jessica was saying that maybe we go out for a movie and a dinner, she said that''s what humans typically do on dates," he said.

    Wait. A. Minute. That sounded as if he has not dated before either.

    "I thought you''ve lived among humans for thousands of years¡­how is it possible that you have not dated before?" she asked, surprised. Shocked even. He is not a bad looking human. In fact, he is downright gorgeous. And HOT. No mortal female could withstand his charms. She is certain of that.

    "I don''t see the need to date when I can have any woman I wanted in my bed without indulging in the usual small talk,"he shrugged nonchalantly.

    She cringed at his arrogance. Honestly, does his arrogance knows no bounds?

    "So you just jump into bed with any woman and then move on after that?" she asked.

    He nodded.

    "Sometimes with multiple women," he winked. "But after a while, it got boring and tiresome, I mean all these mortal women are the same, they ended up wanting one thing from me," he paused. "They wanted love and I can''t give it to them," he said.

    She raised an eyebrow. When mothers and grandmothers warned their daughters and granddaughters that men only wanted one thing, she was certain they were not referring to love. Here was a man, a dragon man, complaining about women wanting that one thing from him, love. Like it was something dirty from the way he spat the word out.

    "What''s wrong with love? I mean, don''t dragons have hearts to love too?" she asked.

    "Of course we have hearts. As for love¡­it is very subjective," he said. He studied her.

    "You are my perfect human match, the only one whom I can spend an eternity with, but there was no guarantee that there will be love between us," he said. "That was why there was a clause in the contract for you to leave, after giving me heirs,"

    That sounded kind of¡­sad. Does that mean he will be alone for all of eternity if she left? Wait, what does it mean all of eternity? She is mortal. She doesn''t have eternity.

    "Well¡­I am mortal so even if we do fall in love, it doesn''t mean we can be together for all of eternity or was that just an euphemism?" she asked.

    "Oh, don''t you know?" he asked her in return.

    "What? It''s not like you told me much about your dragon rules," she responded.

    He inhaled patiently.

 Chapter 25 - The Deal About Immortality

    Then he exhaled.

    He looked like he was about to tell her the deepest secrets of the universe. Will she be getting superpowers like him? That would be so cool. It would be so cool to conjure up food and things and summon things at will, she thought.

    "If I want you to stay with me forever, I can make you immortal," he told her.

    That''s it? The big secret of the universe that he was pausing so dramatically to tell her? Sure, immortality is great and all, but surely, it wasn''t that big of a deal, was it? For someone who is only 21 years old¡­the idea of immortality is not something she would be wishing for. At least not right now. She still has her whole life ahead of her.

    "And¡­?" she asked, expecting more.

    He looked surprised.

    "Immortality wasn''t enough? It means you will live forever, you will never die," he said.

    "And I''m supposed to be impressed? Really? But, wouldn''t spending all of eternity with someone, like literally, be kinda¡­I don''t know, boring after the first few hundred years?" she asked.

    "Look at the marriages of most people nowadays. They can''t even last 10 years, let''s not even talk about hundreds of years and all of eternity," she pointed out. "I mean¡­even if we are in love and all that, we might get bored after a few decades, let''s not even talk about centuries or thousands of years or forever¡­that''s just¡­" she shrugged.

    Then she perked up.

    "So, if I''m immortal, does that mean I get magical powers like you too?" she asked excitedly.

    He rolled his eyes.

    "No, it doesn''t work like that," he said.

    "Damn. Then what''s the point of living forever when I don''t even get a tiny little spark of magic? Maybe to summon things?" she looked at him expectantly.

    He shook his head in reply.

    "Move things with my mind?" another shake to say no.

    "How about conjuring up food?" another no.

    "Not even a little cupcake?" No.

    "Okay, how about conjuring up sweets? Tiny sweets? One sweet?" she asked.

    "No, no, no, no¡­you won''t get magical powers, not even to summon an ant," he just about exploded, annoyed.

    This is her turn to roll her eyes at him.

    "Honestly, chill it Drags. I was just asking¡­I mean, it just doesn''t make sense at all you know, immortality should have some perks, otherwise, who would wanna be immortal?" she said.

    "Don''t call me Drags. Thorin is fine," he said, still sounding irritated.

    "Thorin is such a stuck up name. Drags is so much cooler¡­sort of like Drac¡­you know, for Dracula, except its Drag, short for Dragon, and adding the s just sort of makes it cooler," she explained. She intentionally didn''t mention that it could also be short for the attire of drag queens.

    He huffed and looked like he was trying to control his temper.

    "We have digressed so far¡­all I did was asked you on a date," he said evenly.

    Right. Then they started talking about his non-dating habits and then the immortality bit. And here they are. She grinned at him. It was kind of fun annoying him. The way his brows furrowed into annoyance can be so adorable.

    "Yes, right, let''s plan our date then," she replied. "But movie and dinner sounds kinda boring,"

    "Okay, so what do you want to do?" he asked.

    He is a dragon for dragons'' sake. Surely there are more interesting things to do than movie and dinner. Like flying through the sky and travel the world that way while looking down at the countries they passed by.

    She suggested that to him. He raised an eyebrow.

    "You know, you humans have an invention for that¡­it''s called airplanes," he replied sardonically.

    She made an exasperated sound.

    "Yes, but you can''t swoop up and down freely on airplanes and you can''t like fly everywhere according to your whims and fancies," she explained patiently.

    "Because of the presence of airplanes and the fact that the airspace in most countries are closely monitored, even with magical powers, we are not allowed to do that according to our whims and fancies," he replied, equally patiently.

    Ugh. There''s that then.

    "Fine, then what do you suggest?" she gave up. Let him decide then.

    "Like I said, maybe a movie and dinner?" he repeated.

    She wanted to tear out her hair. It would seem that ancient dragons can be boring old men too. Or wait, they are both the same. Ancient dragon = old man. Why didn''t she realise that? That means she is now the mistress to an old man. She steal a glance at him. Okay, so he doesn''t look like an old man but he sure thinks like an old man.

    "Fine, Drags, we go for a movie and dinner¡­when?" she conceded. Give the old man a chance.

    "I said to call me Thorin, look, fine, okay, Drags then," he rubbed his forehead, as if she is giving him a headache. "We can go this evening if you''re not otherwise occupied," he said.

    She laughed.

    "Drags. You kidnapped me and made me stay here with you, you resigned from my job on my behalf, moved my things here for me, what would I be occupied with other than being your sex slave and baby making machine?" she asked.

    "Hmmm¡­fine, we will go for the 7 o''clock show then," he said, obviously ignoring her whole quip about kidnapping, sex slave and baby making.

    "Okay, you pick the movie, it can even be an action movie, I don''t mind," she shrugged. She has not been to the movies in ages. Being poor meant that you never get to go to the movies. You get to hear about it from your friends though.

    "Good. That''s settled then. I have to settle some things with my office and I will see you later," he said. He got up and strolled away languidly.

    She finished her brunch in peace. Jessica never made a reappearance. Then she went back inside and got lost in Thorin''s confounding ever-changing maze of corridors and hallways. Yet again. Giving up after about an hour of wandering around, she called for Lim.

    He appeared out of nowhere, almost immediately.

    "Yes, how can I help you?" he asked, always polite. He is not just a bodyguard, he is like a butler, she thought.

    "How do I get anywhere here?" she asked him.

    "Where is it that you want to go?" he asked her.

    She shrugged. She didn''t even know where she wanted to go. She was actually wandering around aimlessly. Looking for something to do. Somewhere to go. What do people who don''t work do anyway? She doesn''t even have a hobby since all she ever did was work and before that, she went to school and did the house chores and worked part time to get extra income. There was hardly any time to pick up any hobbies.

    "I don''t know¡­I have no where to go and I don''t know what to do," she finally said.

    "Can you suggest something for me? For the first time in my short life, I have plenty of time to burn and I don''t know what to do with it," she said.

    Lim merely looked at her without any expression. What is he? An emotionless robot?

    Maybe it is time she get a hobby. What is it that she likes to do? She honestly doesn''t know. Is she such a boring person that she doesn''t have any interests whatsoever? She looked at Lim who is still standing there waiting.

    "Is there a library here somewhere maybe?" she asked tentatively. She does like to read sometimes. Maybe she can get some inspiration on what to do from the books in the library. She will need a ton of hobbies to pass her time if she is trapped in here for years and years¡­producing babies. Ugh. The thought of getting pregnant and having children scares her. She hoped Thorin will hire nannies to take care of his precious heirs because she is not sure if she is good mother material. She doesn''t believe that she is all that maternal.

    Lim showed her to a library. It was just a few doors away from where they were standing earlier.

    "Miss, you need only envision where you want to go and you will be able to find it," he told her. "Boss designed this home in a way to make it convenient for those living in it to go anywhere they wanted this way," he explained.

    So. That''s how this confusing magical house works. It can read your mind! No wonder she couldn''t find any useful room or space because she was not focused on one thing and she was just wandering around aimlessly. Even the house was confused by her confusion.. What a web of confusion.

 Chapter 26 - The First Date

    The first date with Thorin was boring. In normal human terms, it would be called a total disaster. He took her to some boring drama movie in which she fell asleep halfway through. She never slept when watching tv but maybe the cinema was too comfortable, the couple seat he had gotten them was so soft and large and roomy. She stretched herself on it and before she knew it, she was already fast asleep.

    By the time Thorin was shaking her awake, the credits on the screen were already finished and the lights are back on.

    "Honestly, how could you sleep through that?" he asked, looking slightly miffed.

    She realised she must have drooled a bit in her sleep and quickly wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She smiled up apologetically at him.

    "I must be tired¡­you know from our failed mating attempts, especially the one with spikes because some people lost control," she said cheekily.

    He scowled at her but nevertheless, still took her hand and walked at her pace as they left the cinema.

    "Will you never stop mentioning the spikes?" he asked under his breath.

    She merely shrugged and put on an innocent face.

    "Don''t worry Drags¡­no one would ever know what we are talking about," she replied. "Although, they might think we are in some weird BDSM shiz," she added.

    "So, enough about your spikes, where to next?" she asked.

    "Next will be dinner, I picked a really popular restaurant, it was highly rated and there were long queues to get in so I made a booking for us, we do not have to queue," he told her.

    She was intrigued. A popular restaurant with long queues. The food must be good. She can''t wait. Being poor meant she loves to eat whenever she gets the opportunity. Especially when she''s not paying for it. For someone who survived mostly on white rice and instant noodles, any food in any restaurant is bound to be good.

    Except for the one Thorin took her to.

    She never knew anyone could screw up a simple hotpot meal. It was some trending hotpot restaurant that offered free massages and free flowers and free manicures, all of which she turned down. She doesn''t like massages because she''s squeamish and she never saw the point of flowers because it is a waste of money when you could use the said money to buy food and her nails were broken and some bitten down to the quick so it doesn''t make sense to get a manicure.

    Aside from the extra perks, the hotpot was horrible. Even her instant cup noodles tasted better than the soup and ingredients in the hotpot. It was oily, tasteless, soggy and mushy. The spicy mala side of the hotpot was just spicy. And oily. She was already nauseous from all that oil after a few mouthfuls and had to pretend that she was full. Her stomach roiled and she was barely holding it together by the time they left the restaurant after their time was up. They were given 2 hours to eat and she was glad it was not longer. She probably wouldn''t be able to take more hours trying to force down food worse than instant noodles. Her typical Asian upbringing made sure she didn''t voice up her displeasure over the food. It is not polite to say the food taste horrible in front of the restaurant workers and Thorin who is paying for it.

    By the time they were outside the restaurant, which was in a mall, she made a run for the nearest women''s room. It all came back out in a stream. And then more. By the time she was done retching, her stomach ached and her throat was raw. She rinsed out her mouth before leaving the wash room.

    "Zi, are you okay?" Thorin was concerned. She nodded weakly. Her stomach is now empty and though she is still hungry, she has loss all appetite. Horrible tasteless oily hotpot does that to you.

    "Can we go back now? I don''t feel very well," she said, clutching her flat stomach. Thorin actually looked very concerned. He held her gently as they walked to the car. He had already called his driver ahead and had the car waiting for them.

    Just as they were about to get into the car, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. No. It can''t be.

    "Mei! Mei!" It was Darren. And he is with his group of college friends. She quickly tried to move away from Thorin but she was too late. Darren already saw Thorin holding her with one of his arm around her waist intimately. He was looking at Thorin suspiciously.

    "Mei, are you okay?" he looked concerned, worried even.

    She had no choice but to pretend to be sick. She clutched her stomach theatrically and hang onto Thorin''s arm, as if she didn''t have the energy to stand on her own.

    "Oh, I think I had food poisoning, I could barely walk and Dra¡­I mean, Tho¡­I mean, Mr Loong is taking me to the doctor now," she stumbled over Thorin''s name. What did she call him in front of Darren? She can''t remember.

    Thorin obviously knew she was faking it but had kept silent thankfully. He let her hang on to her and watched the two friends quizzically. Darren looked even more worried. He moved towards Zi Mei and offered to take her.

    "Here, I will take you instead, it''s not nice to bother your employer like this," he said. He tried to pull Zi Mei towards him but Thorin will not have it. No one has a right to interrupt their date.

    "It is alright. I can do that, I am paying for all of her expenses anyway, thank you young man," he said and nodded superciliously. He turned to lead Zi Mei to the waiting car but Darren will not give up that easily.

    "Wait¡­Mei?" a question hangs in the air. She knows he is silently asking her if she is in trouble and she needed help. It was their silent signal. Her heart warmed at his deep concern. Darren is such a good friend. He would probably fight the old dragon if he thought he was a danger to Zi Mei. Even though Thorin is a whole head taller and much larger and more well built. Not to mention his special powers.

    She gave Darren a reassuring nod.

    "I will call you okay Darren? I feel really bad now, I need to go," she said and she let Thorin help her into the car, pretending to clutch at her stomach and wincing and groaning loudly.

    As the car pulled away, she looked out and saw Darren looking forlorn as he stared at them. His lone figure stood there staring after them for a long time. She felt a twinge of guilt for doing this to Darren, for lying to her best friend. At one point, she even thought she might have feelings for him. Now, that seemed like centuries ago. All she felt for Darren was a fuzzy warm feeling of friendship. Nothing more. The romantic feelings she thought she had for him seem to have fizzled out after Thorin kidnapped her and made her his mistress. Almost-mistress.

    In the car, Thorin was looking at her speculatively.

    "What is it Drags? If you have something to say, say it out," she said after a few minutes of him studying her silently.

    "Were you two in love?" he asked. She would have choked if she had been drinking or eating anything. Except that her mouth was dry from the heaving and puking earlier. There was nothing to choke on. She settled with a loud snort.

    "No! We are good friends," she replied.

    "Hmmm¡­it didn''t look like it," he said. He thought about it for a moment. "He looked utterly besotted with you and you¡­it looked like you reciprocated his feelings," he said.

    She didn''t know how to respond. Darren had feelings for her? How could that be? He had always behaved like her best friend and no once has he made a move to ask her out on a date. Thorin must be mistaken.

    "Are you jealous if we were?" she countered instead.

    He laughed.

    "Why would I be jealous? Our contract clearly stated you as a mistress to bear me heirs, there''s nothing to be jealous about," he scoffed.

    "So I can actually date Darren and you wouldn''t mind?" she goaded him. This time, he growled, his eyes glinting silver.

    "Did you forget? Your body is mine until I release you from the contract!" he hissed.

    "Okay, okay, chill¡­it''s not like I am about to go jumping into bed with Darren or anyone..jeez, can''t you take a joke old¡­Drags," she said defensively. Honestly, why can''t he even take a joke.

    He calmed down.

    "It''s not funny. But if you really want, you can date him after you''ve given me heirs, preferably three," he said.

    She rolled her eyes at him. After three babies, she would be in her late 20s and she would be a mother of three. Darren would probably run a mile before going near her. Who would want a single mother of three children even though she doesn''t get custody of her children? They still live in a deeply traditional society who frowned upon single unmarried mothers. Imagine if she were to tell him she''s a mistress to some billionaire. She doesn''t even have to mention the dragon part and Darren would immediately recoil in shock.

    "Whatever¡­anyways, this date is a bust, can we get home and you conjure up some proper food for me?" she said, changing the subject.

 Chapter 27 - Cuddles And Kisses

    After they got back, Thorin conjured her some dry crackers and a cup of hot cocoa to settle her stomach. Nothing like crunchy crackers dipped in hot cocoa for a comforting snacks. It tasted much better than that overrated hotpot restaurant, she thought, but opted not to say it out loud. It might hurt the old dragon''s feelings. He was already quite miffed that she fell asleep at the movies.

    "Hmmm¡­this is good, I feel so much better now," she told him after finishing the last of the crackers. He was watching her eat silently. They are in one of his many gardens. It was sort of like a picnic under the moonlight. It would have been romantic if not for her busily stuffing her face while he sat there silently looking at her eat.

    "Was the food that bad at the restaurant? I thought it''s supposed to be good," he asked.

    She glanced at him to gauge his feelings. He merely looked curious. Okay, so maybe he''s not that sensitive after all.

    "Don''t you dragons have taste buds? I mean it was pretty bland and horrible," she replied.

    He shrugged.

    "I don''t really focus much on the taste of human food, it''s not what we really need to sustain ourselves," he told her.

    "Oh? So dragons don''t have to eat? That''s¡­.sad¡­I mean food is the best enjoyment ever, the tastes, the flavours, the aroma, the satisfaction," she said. "So, what do you do to err, sustain yourselves then?"

    "We have other ways to sustain ourselves," he replied mysteriously. She rolled her eyes at him openly. Yes, sure, keep the mysterious act, dragons are oh so full of mystery, she thought sarcastically.

    "Is it some big dragon secret then?" she asked insolently.

    He raised an eyebrow at her tone.

    "It''s not exactly a secret, it''s just not something humans would understand," he said. Again, mysteriously.

    "Well, try me, I believed that you are a dragon shapeshifter and you can be Midas too, so I can believe anything!" she said.

    He sighed and studied her. She was smiling at him innocently.

    "It has to do with the balance of powers in this world, we dragons are entrusted to ensure there is a balance between light and dark, good and chaos, and of course, we control the five elements of wood, fire, air, metal and water," he said.

    Whoa. That''s some heavy fantasy story plot line right there, she thought. If he didn''t look so serious, she would probably think he''s joking.

    "And the sustenance comes from?" she asked.

    "The balance of the elements, without a balance, we can lose our powers and eventually die," he said.

    She is confused. How can a "balance of elements" be sustenance? Don''t they have to actually eat or absorb power or something to stay alive?

    Noticing the confusion marring her expression, he exhaled patiently.

    "Look, I told you it''s something hard to understand. Think of it this way, you need water and food to stay alive, for us, we need the five elements in this world to be balanced to survive," he said.

    "Which doesn''t involve you consuming or absorbing the wood, fire, metal, water, air and¡­what''s the last one¡­yeah, fire elements, right?" she asked.

    He nodded in exasperation.

    "There was no consuming involved. We exists and stay in existence because of the elements but we are also the ones to maintain a balance of the elements," he said.

    She couldn''t wrap her head around this whole thing. They don''t eat but they need the elements but they don''t consume or absorb the elements. And then they are the ones to maintain the balance of the elements? This is turning out to be a chicken and egg thing. She gave up trying to figure it out. The whole point of this conversation was that he doesn''t need to eat.

    "But, don''t you have taste buds? I mean can''t you taste food, you know, like sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy?" she asked.

    "Of course I can taste food¡­I was just not picky and I don''t really eat human food that much, other dragons do find enjoyment in human food, I just don''t," he said.

    "Awww¡­that''s so sad actually¡­food is one of the best enjoyment that we can partake in," she said.

    "So, are you done? We have to get started with our mating," he said plainly.

    How could he be so casual about something like that? She thought. Do couples do that? They talk about food and then suddenly jump to "let''s get with the mating" casually? There was definitely no such thing in the few rom-coms she watched on TV. The male protagonists on TV definitely do not expect to "get to mating" on the first date either.

    "But what if I am not ready?" she asked.

    She is suddenly filled with trepidation. And she was nervous. Her bravado from this morning has disappeared. Evaporated into thin air. She didn''t even know what possessed her to do what she did this morning. She felt her face reddenning just thinking about her bending over in front of him and telling him to take her.

    "If you''re not ready, then I have to get you ready, don''t I?" he responded impassively.

    She gulped. Her heart is pounding loudly now. He noticed her nervousness. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.

    "Don''t overthink it¡­we almost did it a couple times before, so, consider it as a continuation of where we left off," he said, trying to sound reassuring.

    She supposed he was right. In a way. It was not as if he has never seen her naked. And it wasn''t as if she has never seen him naked. They did have oral sex anyway. It should be fine, she told herself and tried to calm her nerves. It''s not like she hasn''t seen his humongous part before. Let''s not forget the silver spikes either.

    "The spikes¡­can you make sure there won''t be spikes involved please?" she uttered.

    This time he looked slightly sheepish.

    "I promise, no spikes," he said. "Dragon''s oath,"

    She nodded. He took her hand and they left the garden. She let him lead her back to their room. Her pulse was racing by the time they reached the room. She could feel a panic attack coming on. Despite his reassurances, she is still nervous. Not only because of the spikes but because they are actually going to do it this time. She might even get pregnant from this night. She is not even ready to think about being pregnant and becoming a mother. She is only 21 years old!

    "Can we, er, postpone it? Maybe tomorrow?" she asked meekly. She doesn''t think she can do it.

    He studied her pale and nervous expression. Then he enclosed her in a warm embrace, holding her close to him. She felt his arms going around her, circling her in a comforting way. He rubbed her back reassuringly. She sink into his embrace. It felt warm and safe and secure. Her heart continued to thump erratically. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the calming steady thump of his heart.

    Thorin wouldn''t hurt her, she knows with conviction now. Despite his hot-cold temperament, occasional arrogance and obvious vanity, he can be sweet and caring. He had never forced himself on her. Not once. Maybe he did seduce her but he had stopped each time she told him to. Even when he was fully aroused. Painfully aroused.

    "Look, if you are really scared, maybe we don''t do anything tonight," he murmured. "Let''s just cuddle and kiss, and we will see where it goes," he suggested.

    She nodded. She doesn''t mind cuddling and kissing. He released her and started undressing. Her breath caught as she looked at his lean muscled physique. Her blood thrummed and she quickly averted her eyes.

    "Er, do we have to be naked?" she asked shyly.

    He looked surprised. He was in the midst of pulling off his pants, revealing his tight underwear that didn''t leave room for imagination on what''s underneath.

    "No, of course not, I am just going to take a shower and change into more comfortable suitable clothes," he said. He walked into the bathroom and soon she could hear the water running.

    She blushed. What was she thinking? She was acting all nervous and scared just moments earlier and now suddenly she''s already thinking about getting naked. She need to make up her mind already. Either she wants it now or she doesn''t. She doesn''t even know what she wants anymore.

    "You can change into your night gowns or pyjamas too," he told her when he came out, fully naked, his body gleaming from the shower. She gasped at the sight and tried not to stare at his large appendage. The thing that will be going into her, if not today, tomorrow or the nights after that. She gulped at the thought.

    He walked to the closet and started pulling on a pair of satin pyjamas.

    Suddenly feeling shy about undressing in front of him, she went to her side of the closet and grabbed the first piece of clothing on the pyjamas rack. Then she went into the bathroom to take a quick shower and change. After brushing her teeth and applying night cream, she quietly went out. Her heart in her throat. She is still nervous. And scared.

    Thorin was lounging casually on the bed, looking like he was posing for a Stylish Bedroom magazine cover. Or maybe a steamy novel cover. She rolled her eyes despite her nervousness. Really, the old dragon and his multitude of magazine poses can be annoying and yet somehow endearing. His vanity knows no bounds, she thought. It also somehow relaxed her.

    She walked to the bed and slide in next to him, not touching him. Her pulse is racing yet again.. He reached over and drew her into an embrace, then he kissed her.

 Chapter 28 - The Next Morning

    They fell asleep in each other''s arms. Zi Mei resting in his arms, secure and safe. After he kissed her, he held her close and she settled in. It felt good to snuggle close to him. He smelled of soap and something mysteriously strong yet enticing. She drifted into a deep dreamless sleep almost immediately. Thorin held her and laid there awake, pondering over something for a long time before finally closing his eyes.

    Zi Mei woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and fully rested. She has not had such a peaceful sleep in a long time. She used to wake up in the middle of the night, her heart pounding, her worries about their lack of money for food and rent crowding her mind. For the first time in her two decades of life, she no longer has to worry about money. Ever. Again. She looked over to the other side of the bed. Thorin was sleeping peacefully. His face smooth and fair. His dark lashes fanning his cheeks. He looked so innocent and yet so dashingly gorgeous, she was tempted to kiss him. Tempted. She dared not reach over. Instead, she stared at him. Marvelling at his bone structure. His sharp cheekbones. His perfectly shaped brows. His thick luxuriant hair. Then her gaze moved down his lithe muscular body. His broad shoulders straining against his satin pyjamas that tapered down to narrow hips. She quickly skipped through the bulge on his crotch and admired his long powerful legs.

    "You may need to pay a fee if you keep staring at me any longer," he suddenly murmured. Zi Mei blushed. She didn''t expect him to wake up. She quickly averted her eyes and looked everywhere but him.

    "I wasn''t staring," she replied after clearing her throat.

    Thorin sat up and raised an eyebrow.

    "Oh really? Hmmm¡­I could feel your gaze sliding down my whole body. Do you like what you saw?" he drawled.

    She rolled her eyes. Here is the old dragon obviously begging for compliments.

    "If I say yes, does it mean I have to pay a fee?" she asked cheekily.

    "Why of course, you have to pay a fee just for staring without my permission, it is all about consent, nowadays isn''t it?" he said.

    Then he pounced on her, pushing her down before he hovered above her, his hands resting on both sides of her while his body was barely touching her, his eyes staring deep into hers. Her breath catch in her throat and her pulse quickened. Her blood thrilled and red hot desire suddenly snaked down her body to the apex between her legs, leaving her throbbing and wanting. She swallowed hard.

    "I¡­er¡­" she stammered. She can''t remember what she was about to say anymore. Her brain is blank. She could not think while staring up at his gorgeous face above her with his luscious lips hovering just inches away from hers.

    "Well¡­I give you full permission to stare¡­do you give me permission to do this?" he asked and kissed her lightly on her lips. Sensations bursts inside her and desire bloomed within her like flowers in spring. She couldn''t answer. She was filled with this strong desire to grab him and make him slake her needs. Like, right now.

    When he lifted his head to gazed down at her enquiringly, she gulped and nodded.

    "What about more than that? Are you ready?" he asked, lightly tracing a finger down her side, lighting a fire within her and she knew only he can slake.

    It was inevitable that she gave in to him so she nodded shyly. His lips crushed against hers almost immediately, his tongue sliding in, sending her into a red haze of lust. He used his free hand to unbutton his pyjamas and then he was pulling it off and throwing it aside, baring his muscled chest. She reached out and touched his chest tentatively and his drew in his breath sharply, making her withdraw in panic.

    "No, don''t stop, touch me, I like it," he murmured against her lips. She resumed touching his chest, then his back, exploring each plane, each curve, each sinew in wonder. His body is both soft and yet hard underneath her touch, his skin a hot silken smoothness.

    "Can I touch you?" he asked. She nodded silently, moaning at the assault of his tongue and lips against hers. His hands moved over her body and pushed aside the bodice of her ridiculously low cut and short nightgown. He cupped her breasts and she arched into his hands, urging him to do more.

    "If you don''t stop me now, there may be no turning back," he told her as he slide his lips down her neck, down her chest, to the erogenous centre of her breasts. She moaned as he captured a nipple and suckled. Sensations are now exploding within her, driving her desire notches higher. Another hand explored her body, going underneath her flimsy nightgown, caressing her every inch, leaving trails of fire behind. She couldn''t think, couldn''t talk, she couldn''t even register what he told her.

    "Do I stop now?" he asked again. One hand slid into her panties and into her moist wet centre, touching it ever so slightly. She arched her hips against his touch.

    "No, don''t stop! I want this!" she moaned.

    Then he was dipping his fingers into her, driving her crazy with need. He stopped for a brief moment to pull off his pants, releasing his taut large and long erection. Then he was pulling off her panties, she lifting her hips for him to do so.

    "One last chance for you to say no," he said. She shook her head.

    "No, don''t stop, don''t stop!!!" she breathed.

    She is too far gone now. Waves of pleasure are assaulting her every senses as his hands touched and caressed her, his lips leaving moist kisses everywhere. The pressure is building up and she needed release. Now.

    He slid down, placed his warm lips on her moist wet centre and licked her throbbing nub. It was enough to push her over the edge and she found herself shuddering in release, screaming and thrashing about. He didn''t stop. He dipped his fingers into her and thrusted his fingers into her repeatedly as she throbbed and thrashed.

    "Oh dragons, you tasted so good and you feel so tight," he groaned. "I can''t wait anymore," he said.

    He slide up, positioned himself and thrusted into her in one smooth movement. There was one blinding sharp pain and Zi Mei gasped.

    "I''m sorry, it has to be done," Thorin murmured and kissed her gently. Tears welled in her eyes. It stings.

    He did not move within her, letting her get used to the feel of his long and thick member buried deep inside her. Letting her adjust and expand and wrap herself around him like a second skin. He caressed her breasts and trailed kisses on her neck and chest, restraining himself from moving within her.

    The pain slowly subsided and she began to feel the heavy pressure of him inside her. It was giving her a different sensation now, one of pleasure and a feeling of deep fullness. It was as if he filled a void she never knew existed within her.

    "Is it okay to start moving now?" he asked, as if sensing her getting used to him inside her. She nodded silently. Then he was moving within her and she gasped. This time it was not merely waves but strong whirlpool of pleasure started deep inside her, swirling and building.

    Thorin was gentle as he withdrew and thrusted, each movement slow and measured, careful not to hurt her. It was driving her crazy. She grabbed his narrow hips and urged him to go deeper when he withdrew.

    "Please¡­I need more," she gasped, her head thrashing side to side, her eyes closed from the pleasurable sensations assaulting her every nerve endings.

    "Are you sure?" he grunted with the effort of his control and slow, measured movements.

    "Yes, please, harder and faster!" she moaned in reply.

    Then it was as if he lost control (and not the silver spikes kind of lost control) because he was pounding into her, thrusting deep into her hard and fast. Their breaths are now loud and ragged mixed with moans, sweat slicking their bodies and his movements making a wet, thwacking sound.

    It was not long before she went over the edge again, screaming again, shuddering and pulsating around him, stars bursting in her vision, the most powerful release she has ever had while he continued to thrust into her, again and again. Then he too was climaxing, he grunted gutturally and kept pushing into her, emptying deep into her, his face one of pure ecstasy, her name on his lips. He collapsed on her while balancing part of his weight with an arm but did not withdraw from her. There are still joined together and despite him emptying into her just seconds earlier, he was still hard and erect within her. He rested his forehead against hers and kissed her gently.

    "You are now mine, my little Zi, don''t forget that," he murmured.

    She was still pulsing with pleasure, her body abuzz with the sensations wrought by Thorin and when he shifted his body, she felt desire building within her again. He shifted slightly and then she was again wet and filled with need. Her eyes widened in shock and she looked at him. He grinned back.

    "Let''s do it again," he said and then he was moving again.. All thoughts left her mind and she give in to the pleasure of their mating, yet again.

 Chapter 29 - The Curse

    After that first time, it was as if they became newlyweds on their honeymoon. Thorin couldn''t get enough of her and she couldn''t get enough of him. He explored every inch of her body and she returned the favour. They tried out different positions. Standing. Seated. Lying down. Her on top. Side by side. From the front. From the back.

    And in different locations. In the space that resembled her old home. In the living room. In the variety of gardens. Even in the elevator. Sometimes the lovemaking was slow and gentle, especially in their room. Sometimes, it was fast and furious, especially in places where people could walk in, like the elevator. Each time they did it in a seemingly public space, it gave her a slight thrill from the fear of someone walking in to discover them humping like dogs on heat. Of course, no one had ever walked in on them. Thorin made sure of that.

    The days went by this way. Zi Mei spending some time at the library before Thorin sought her out. Then clothes will be flung everywhere while moans and the wet sound of skin slapping against skin filled the air. Sometimes, they don''t even make it out of the library, Thorin pushing her against the bookshelf and entering her from behind. The silver spikes never made an appearance again, much to Zi Mei''s relief. Sometimes, they would go on dates too and Zi Mei would be the one planning the dates, picking the activities they do, such as Wine & Paint where they had a hilarious two hours painting ridiculous looking artworks while sipping wine or the time they went for a go-cart race and she won, much to Thorin''s displeasure and bruised ego.

    Zi Mei was beginning to look forward to the time Thorin come looking for her. They had settled into a routine of catching each other up on the day and then they would either fall into a fast and hot mating session or they would go for a companionable date. More often that not, the date nights would end with them making love in their room. On some days, Thorin would be late and appeared stressed and tired so they would cuddle and hold each other instead.

    She could feel herself longing to see him and be with him all the time every day. He is no longer her kidnapper. He is not merely her saviour. He is now truly and in all honesty, her lover. Her boyfriend. And she is his mistress through and through.

    The days turned into weeks and one day, she woke up to painful cramps. She gasped in pain, clutched her stomach and ran to the bathroom. Blood gushed down her legs before she reached the bathroom and she stared down at the amount of blood running down her legs in horror. It pooled around her feet like some terrible murder scene in a horror movie. She had forgotten to track her period but this was an inordinate amount of blood to be just her period. She think back to the date that Thorin kidnapped her. It was on May 8. She last had her period in the middle of April. It is now middle of June. She had missed her period and she did not even realised it. She was so engrossed with Thorin that she didn''t even know how much time had passed.

    Realisation dawned but the cramps in her belly became worse, squeezing so painfully, she felt as if she was about to pass out. She groaned in pain and her legs gave way. She collapsed unceremoniously in her own pool of blood.

    Thorin sat up at the sound of her groaning and collapsing. He jumped up and went to her. Noticing the blood and her pale face which was wrought with pain, he drew her close and kissed her forehead. He scooped her up in his arms, ignoring the blood staining his clothes and still dripping from her.

    "I am so sorry¡­sometimes, the first one is not viable enough to survive¡­" he murmured to her. He carried her to the bed and placed her gently on it. The bed sheets underneath her turned a bright scarlet from her blood. He didn''t care. Instead, he placed a warm hand on her belly and soon, the pain subsided into a dull nagging ache. Blood is still dripping from her, the scarlet stain on the bedsheet spreading wider.

    "What''s going on¡­the pain¡­" she asked weakly. She could feel tears filling her eyes. Deep in her heart, she knew what happened, she just could not admit it to herself.

    "My little Zi, I am so sorry¡­" he held her and kissed her forehead again. "It is my fault¡­it is the curse of the dragon shapeshifters," he said. He placed his hands on the bed and the blood disappeared. She felt a pad appeared between her legs. The squeezing roiling pain was now gone but a dull ache remain and a void. It was as if she had lost something.

    "What do you mean¡­a curse?" she asked.

    "We just lost our first child¡­the curse made sure of it and this could happen again¡­with the second one," he said sadly.

    Her heart twisted. She was filled with loss and grief for the child she never even realised she carried inside her.

    "What curse was that and why didn''t you tell me that," she asked.

    She is now sobbing openly. Her heart felt as if someone had stabbed her with a serrated knife and twisted it at every beat of her heart. She was so nervous about getting pregnant and yet here she was, she lost a baby she never knew she was carrying and it is breaking her heart.

    "I am so sorry my little Zi, I¡­I thought the curse might skip me but it looked like it doesn''t skip a single generation," he sighed.

    He told her that every clan leader of the Heaven''s Descent Clan is cursed to lose their first and second child before the child is born. Only the third child will survive to be born but not the fourth. The fifth child have a 50/50 chance of survival and only from the sixth child onwards, will all children survive through the whole pregnancy and be born healthy. This was why Thorin was an only child. His mother could not take it anymore and stopped having more chldren after he was born. It was also why the dragon shapeshifters in the clan have few offsprings.

    Zi Mei was both upset and disturbed. This meant that she had to get pregnant again and again and suffer this devastating loss at least two more times. She doesn''t even know if she could take such heartbreak repeatedly.

    Thorin held her silently, stroking her hair gently.

    "Please tell me, what can I do to make you feel better," he murmured.

    "I don''t know if I can do this again¡­this is much too painful¡­" she sobbed. She cried for the child who never even get a chance to see the world and it was gone. She knows it is probably just a cluster of cells at this stage but still, it could have grown into a child. A child she and Thorin made. A child that could resemble Thorin''s dashing good looks or a mixture of both hers and Thorin''s features.

    Thorin released a heavy breath and tightened his embrace.

    "My heart break just as much as you¡­we could have a little girl who looks just like you¡­" his voice shook slightly.

    "I can''t imagine getting pregnant again, knowing that this will happen¡­Thorin, I really can''t," she sobbed into his chest. He held her without saying anything, stroking her back reassuringly.

    "Let''s not think about the future, let''s just grief for our number one for now," he murmured eventually. She nodded and continued to sob into his chest, her shoulders shaking.

    "Do you need me to get you anything? Warm water?" he asked her as her sobs slowly subsided. He handed her a handkerchief and she took it to wipe her eyes before blowing her nose.

    "Don''t I need to see the doctor?" she asked him. Shouldn''t she at least get checked?

    "Don''t worry, as a clan leader, I have healing powers, I have repaired whatever that needed repair, you just need to let nature takes its course," he said.

    He asked if she felt any pain. She shook her head in response. The dull ache is now so mild, she could barely feel it anymore. The only sign of her miscarriage was the wetness between her legs, dampening the pad. She is still bleeding profusely.

    "I am still bleeding¡­is that normal?" she asked him. He nodded.

    "It will take a while to shed all the lining and you will expel¡­um..the cells naturally," he said, pausing slightly at the word ''cells''. She immediately knew what he meant. She will have to let their child pass out of her naturally.

    The thought brought on a new wave of tears and then she was sobbing again. He continued to hold her, patting and stroking her reassuringly, murmuring comforting words.

    "Let it all out, it is okay to feel this way, just remember that it is never your fault," he said.

    Zi Mei didn''t know how long she stayed in his arms crying but she fell asleep while still clutching him close to her while she bawled over the loss of their first child.

 Chapter 30 - Grieving The Loss

    The next two weeks went by in a blur. Zi Mei was grieving over the child they could have had. She is also filled with apprehension over future miscarriages due to the curse. Thorin tried his best to help her. He held her. Served her. Gave her warm massages. Conjured up her favourite food. Nothing worked to bring her out of her slump. The pain had gone and the bleeding had stopped.

    At her insistence, Thorin took her to a human ob-gyn to check her condition. The doctor told her what Thorin had said. She was in her early stages of pregnancy but had a miscarriage, possibly because it was not viable. The doctor couldn''t give any reasons for the miscarriage. He said some miscarriages happen because the foetus had stopped growing. This could be her case. She already knew the reason so she didn''t push for more answers from the doctor. The doctor had reassured her that she seemed strong and she is young enough to try for more.

    "Just give your body a rest first, at the very least six months, before you try again," the doctor had said.

    She was glad for the reprieve. Six months is a nice period for her to resolve her mixed feelings about this contract with Thorin now. She knew she can''t back out of the contract. They had made love so many times. Numerous times in numerous positions which led to her conceiving without even knowing. He had given her the sum mentioned in the contract and she had immediately paid off the loansharks. There was so much leftover, she even bought a house in the city. A small little place she can call her own.

    Wallowing in her deep depression, she thought of her friends. She didn''t know she could face them. She felt like an absolute failure. She had slept with a man (or dragon) to pay off her debts and she couldn''t even keep her side of the bargain to deliver a baby.

    Her rational brain knew that it was not her fault that she had a miscarriage, Thorin had said as much that it was a curse, but still, her heart refused to accept this reason. She kept blaming herself irrationally. She also developed an aversion to Thorin coming too close to her. Even though her blood thrummed, her heart skipped and her core throbbed with desire for him, she shrank away from him, refusing to let him touch her.

    Thorin had gallantly respected her wishes. He had kept his distance but sometimes, she can see the sadness in his eyes, the pain of her rejection apparent. Yet, she couldn''t bring herself to make love with him again. The thought of accidentally conceiving and then suffering another miscarriage lingered heavily in her mind. The thought of it pierced her heart and made it hard to breathe.

    By the end of the second week, Thorin decided to take matters in his own hands to get her out of her depression. He asker her friends over for a small dinner function to cheer her up. Much as he doesn''t like the looks of Darren, he knows Zi Mei now needs her friends the most. She has withdrawn so much into herself, staying curled in bed for days on end, that it wasn''t helping nor doing her any good.

    "Little Zi, I have invited your friends over for dinner tonight so I think you should get up, shower and make yourself presentable at least," he told her the morning of the event.

    She was hiding under the blankets in the nice dark and cool air conditioned room but when she heard him say that, she sat up, her hair wild, her face tear stained and the silk pyjamas top she stole from Thorin crumpled and stained.

    "What?!?!? I am in no condition to see them!!!" she exclaimed in a panic.

    "Exactly. So you have one whole day to get ready," he told her. He sat on the bed and she instinctively shrank back. He noticed her aversion but did not say anything. He peered at her face without touching her.

    "Look at the bags under your eyes and the dark circles¡­they might think I made you work day and night without letting you rest at all," he remarked.

    She clutched her face and rubbed her swollen eyes.

    "No, cancel it! I can''t see them now, I can''t!" she bawled. She flopped back down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her head again.

    He pulled it off and threw it aside. She was laying face up. She stared up at the ceiling unblinkingly.

    "Little Zi¡­come on¡­it is time you rejoin the living world," he prodded gently.

    "No," she muttered.

    "Come on¡­I know you are sad¡­I am too¡­just meet with your friends, I promise it will be fun,"

    "No,"

    "Sheena will be coming, Jazzmine will be coming, Darren will be coming and even your friend at the cafe, Alfie Lee, will be coming,"

    She scrambled to sit up at the names he mentioned and glared at him.

    "You have no right!"

    "Look, you''ve not seen or talked to them for weeks..maybe even a month or so, shouldn''t you at least meet with them tonight?"

    He was right. She was so engrossed and smitten by Thorin that she had spent weeks on end with him and pining for him when he was not around, she barely contacted her friends. She had texted them a few times. Chatted on the phone a few times. And each time, she would give the excuse that she had a lot of work so she had to cut it short. She has not met them in months. A tiny sliver of guilt rose within her. Sheena, Jazzmine and Darren had pooled their savings and gave it all to her to help her and here she was, living a life of luxury and not even bothering to contact them or share her wealth.

    Some friend she is. The least she could do was to invite them over to her new little heritage house in the heritage city of George Town. It was exorbitantly expensive but she had grown up in these kind of houses in the inner city so it felt like home. She had even hired restoration architects and interior designers to have it nicely restored and beautifully decorated. It looked like a showhouse with elements of heritage underscored by contemporary lines.

    Thorin is right. It is time she meet her friends. Maybe they will take her mind off the loss of her baby. But the dinner function should not be here! It should be held at her new house.

    "I prefer it to be held at my new place," she told the old dragon.

    He didn''t look surprised.

    "If that is what you want, it can certainly be arranged," he said.

    She nodded. Then she noticed her reflection in the mirror at the vanity facing the bed and gasped. She looked like death warmed over. No, scratch that. She looked like death that was dragged in by the cat during a heavy thunderstorm and had dried while scrunched up in a garbage bin. She tried to smoothen her hair but it continued to stick up in all directions.

    "Looks like you better take a nice proper shower, wash your hair and select an outfit while I go get Jessica to help with the preparations," Thorin said.

    She got up from the bed, ignoring him entirely and went to stare at the smudges under her eyes. She was certain she didn''t use any eyeliner or mascara over the last few days or any day actually and yet it looked like eyeliner was smeared under her eyes. She rubbed the smudges but it remained there. She licked her thumb and rubbed the smudges again. It remained there.

    "Er¡­those are your dark circles¡­I doubt rubbing it will remove it," Thorin said quietly behind her.

    "What?? I can''t meet my friends with dark circles worse than a panda''s! I look like a dead racoon, not even a panda,"

    Thorin laughed. He told her that he can help her right after she takes a shower and get some food in.

    "You''ve barely eaten and I think the last time you showered was a week ago¡­I may even have to burn that pyjamas top you stole," he said disdainfully.

    She looked down at the large silk pyjamas top that had belonged to Thorin. It was long and large, burying her small frame in it. She had pulled it out of his side of the cupboard to wear one night because she was sick of the sexy lacy nightgowns on her side. She also liked the smell of the pyjamas. It smelled like Thorin and wearing it felt like him hugging her, without him being physically there to hug her. She wanted to be close to him, to have him hold her and yet she doesn''t want the physical contact. It was a dilemma that she felt was solved by wearing his clothes.

    "If you can get Jessica or whoever does the clothes shopping to get me decent clothes instead of prostitute clothes, I won''t have to steal yours to wear," she responded.

    Then, she went into the bathroom to take a shower and wash her hair for the first time in a week.

 Chapter 31 - Climbing Out Of Depression

    The small dinner party with her friends turned out to be what she needed to crawl out of the deep dark thoughts in her head. They were loud, they were noisy and they were relentless in their questioning of what she had been doing for weeks and months. Their relentless questioning kept her on her toes and didn''t leave room for her to wallow in her depression and go back into that deep dark corner of her mind.

    Thorin and Jessica had discreetly left after greeting her friends. They didn''t even notice them leaving. They were too busy catching up and hugging and laughing.

    "Has your boss kept you locked up in a closet?" Jazzmine had asked the moment they sat down together in the dining room of her new house.

    "Did you take advantage of you?" Sheena asked. "Although, I wouldn''t mind taking advantage of him in various ways," she added suggestively.

    The two women laughed. Jazzmine agreed.

    "He is so handsome, I don''t know how you work with him every day and not fall in love with him," Jazzmine said.

    "Well, he is vain to a fault and tends to strike a pose as if he''s in a magazine shoot¡­that''s kinda annoying sometimes," Zi Mei pointed out.

    "Well, if I look like that with that body, I would be posing and showing off too," Sheena responded.

    Darren cleared his throat.

    "He''s okay¡­not that good looking, I think his face is a bit too narrow, like a weasel," he remarked.

    The three woman looked at him with narrowed eyes.

    "Are you jealous? You sounded jealous!" Sheena teased.

    He blushed and tried to deny it but turned even redder as Sheena and Jazzmine continued to tease him. Zi Mei was quiet for a while, basking in the company of her friends. It took her mind off things and keep her grounded.

    "You look tired, Mei, are you sure you are okay?" Darren quickly changed the topic, his voice filled with concern.

    She nodded quietly.

    Then her female friends started talking about an upcoming movie and how they were so excited to watch it.

    "I''ve been waiting for The Last Romance for so long! The main actor is so handsome," Sheena sighed longingly.

    Jazzmine agreed.

    "He is so tall and so good looking, I don''t even care what the movie is about, just lets go watch it and ogle at him,"

    They turned to Zi Mei expectantly.

    "I am sure you get time off¡­do you want to join us? Our treat!" Sheena said. Jazzmine nodded.

    Her friends are forever conscious of her financial situation and they had treated her to movies so many times in the past that she had to turn them down many times, not wanting to take advantage of them. This time, the situation has changed and she could not tell them anything.

    She wished she could have told them the truth but she knew she couldn''t. It was part of the contract. Also, there was this strong compulsion stopping her from even talking about shapeshifters and dragons. But, she would love to confide in Sheena and Jazzmine about her miscarriage. It would feel much better to have another woman to talk to.

    When she fell into a deep grieving slump, Thorin had sent Jessica to talk to her but Jessica was brusque and not in the least reassuring. She had stood there like a lump of rock and told Zi Mei that it was fated anyway. She made things worse rather than helping her. Ended up, she had bawled even louder and told Jessica to leave her alone.

    Zi Mei looked fondly at her friends as they continued to chat about the handsome actor while Darren joined them to point out that he is a horrible actor.

    "The movie will be a snooze-party for sure," he said.

    "You''re just jealous!" Sheena said again.

    "Am not! Why would I be jealous of some actor far away who can''t even act but rely on his looks to become famous?"

    Sheena rolled her eyes.

    "Talk about insecure! Darren, you don''t have to compete with an international star¡­we are your friends,"

    And so they continued bantering among themselves and Zi Mei let it wash all over her. It gave her a nice warm glow. The bantering with her friends. The joshing between Sheena and Darren that sometimes, not often, leads to heated arguments.

    Then her friends turned to her and became serious.

    "What is it that you do? Can you tell us now?" they asked.

    She and Thorin had come up with a reasonable story to tell her friends about her job. She is his personal assistant and she practically has to follow him around to schedule his appointments, to order coffee for him, to arrange meetings and to make sure he doesn''t miss his appointments.

    Basically, she is pretending to be Jessica. Jessica is the one who is Thorin''s personal assistant, doing everything that he asked. While she is playing the role of his spouse, waiting at home for him and making babies. Except that she lost one. She bit her lips to stop her mind from going back there again.

    She is only 21! Surely she doesn''t really want babies, she admonished herself. It is time that she get over it. Being among her college-going friends pressed home the point that she is still young with her whole life ahead of her. Why is she pining over a loss child that she does not even know about until it was gone?

    "But why the secrecy earlier? It''s as if you were involve in espionage or something," Sheena asked, breaking her train of thoughts.

    They had also come up with a reasonable story about that. She told them that one of Thorin''s company was being listed and since she is helping him as his assistant, he didn''t want her to accidentally blurt it out. It could jeopardise the listing and they could get arrested for insider trading. Her friends seemed to believe her.

    She also assured her friends that Thorin was not overworking her and then she lied to them that the Thorin had let her use this house they are in as her own. They were suitably impressed.

    "Wow. This is a beautifully restored heritage house¡­so, he''s letting you live here for free?" Sheena asked.

    Come to think of it, this is her new house. It is technically her home. She should be allowed to live in it.

    "Yes, I am moving in soon and we can have more ''makan'' and ''lepak'' sessions here," she said.

    "Yay!! We are definitely gonna have sleepovers, I don''t mind staying here with you on weekends when things get lonely," Jazzmine said.

    "Hey! I want to join in too!" Sheena interjected.

    They turned to look at Darren.

    "We can include you too¡­you can sleep in the room downstairs," they told him.

    He shrugged.

    "Hey, I don''t mind¡­I would rather not join you on your girls'' night¡­I don''t have hair for you to braid and I don''t want face mud masks or whatever goo you use on your faces," he said.

    They giggled. Zi Mei has an idea now. It would be so good to finally go back to the human world, the actual world where humans reside and live and laugh, instead of being stuck like a prisoner in Thorin''s ever-changing home.

    "So, do you need help moving in?" Darren asked her.

    She turned him down. It would not be easy to navigate her relationship with Darren now. Somehow there was this strange awkwardness there. She didn''t know how to act with him anymore. They used to have this camaraderie but it was gone. Did absence from each other''s company do that? Or was it due to the chance encounter when she went on that horrible date with Thorin?

    Darren must have suspected something was going on between her and Thorin but he was discreetly not saying anything. Maybe he didn''t want to say anything unless she mentions it first. When they finished eating, they moved on to the living room, which was lushly furnished with comfortable stuffed sofas and lounge chairs for relaxation and a large flat screen TV. There was wine and snacks on the coffee table. Zi Mei has to put it to Thorin. He really thought of everything. The dinner was scrumptious and now, he even prepared wine and tidbits for them, knowing that they will be spending hours talking till late night.

    He told her that he was not even expecting her to go back that night.

    "Just enjoy yourself and spend time with your friends, take your mind off things for tonight," he told her. Her heart softened at his thoughtfulness. The old dragon can be so vain and sometimes annoying but he can also be sweet.

    She hoped that he will accept her proposal when she gets back tomorrow. She plans to tell him that she wants to move out and live among the humans like a normal human being. She wanted a life outside of being his mistress.

    She wanted to go to college.

 Chapter 32 - Moving On

    Thorin was surprisingly understanding when Zi Mei told him that she wanted to move into her new house and start going to college. In fact, he instructed Jessica and Lim to help her move into her new house. Jessica used her powers to transfer all of Zi Mei''s personal items to the house while Lim stood around waiting for orders from her. Eventually, she told him to get her some groceries but Jessica had already filled her fridge and pantry with a variety of food.

    After she was done moving in to her house, which only involved her walking in and sitting there while Jessica did everything, both Jessica and Lim left her alone. She sat on the chaise lounge in her living room and looked at the sunlight streaming in from the skylight and the small courtyard under the skylight. She still find it hard to believe that she is a home owner now and in a gorgeous home at that too. Maybe she should get a dog or a cat, she would love to have a pet. Also, she would need to think about the type of courses she would like to take in college.

    While she sat there thinking, Thorin appeared in the courtyard, making an entrance like that actor in Terminator. She rolled her eyes.

    What is with Thorin and his poses.

    The old dragon, wearing a tailored white shirt and fitted black pants as usual, sauntered towards her. He didn''t go near her but chose an armchair to sit down.

    "So, are you feeling better?" he asked.

    She nodded. The night spent with her friends were therapeutic. It somehow gave her strength to go on. It also gave her a resolve to get through this dark time in her life. She knew she has the strength to get over it and live with it. It will just take time.

    "That''s good," Thorin said. He studied her for a while.

    "I have decided to give you a reprieve, sort of like a vacation, from our contract, you need the rest anyway," he said.

    She looked at him, amazed. He was so insistent on her staying with him and giving him babies when he first kidnapped her but suddenly, he is so patient and sweet. He sounded sincere without any ulterior motive.

    "Thank you," she replied politely.

    "So, have you decided on what to study in college?"

    She shook her head.

    "Not really¡­I don''t have any particular interest so I need to look around a bit more," she said.

    He nodded in understanding.

    "How long of a reprieve are you giving me? A week? Two weeks?" she asked before he starts to say something else.

    "As long as I feel that you need, probably six months, and I think it will take a while for you to heal entirely," he said.

    Her eyes widened in shock. He is willingly giving her six months? That is so generous of him!

    "Honestly? You''re not pulling my leg??"

    He shrugged matter-of-factly.

    "Six months is a very short period of time for us dragons so I can afford to give it to you and even longer, if you feel the need to," he said.

    "So, I can live here alone on my own throughout the six months?" she had to be sure.

    He nodded, smiling in amusement at her reaction and disbelief.

    "I am a dragon, not a monster," he told her.

    She jumped up and went to hug him. She literally threw herself on him, straddling him on the chair, her head resting on his chest and her arms behind his neck.

    "Thank you Drags!" she murmured gratefully. His arms came around her and held her gently. He patted her back softly.

    "I put you through a lot, it was the least I could do," he murmured.

    She inhaled and take in his familiar scent. She had missed him and the feel of his warm strong body. She missed the feel of his arms around her, holding her securely and keeping her safe. She snuggled against his muscular chest and felt him hardened underneath her. A thrill of desire within her responded almost immediately to his arousal.

    "Ahem¡­you better get off before something happens," he said.

    She shook her head.

    "No, please, let''s just remain like this for a while longer," she pleaded.

    He sighed but didn''t say anything. He made no move to seduce her although she could feel him straining so hard against her. He merely held her and patted her back softly. They stayed that way for a few minutes more and then she clambered off him reluctantly and went back to the chaise lounge.

    "Thank you, I needed that hug," she said.

    He merely nodded and shifted his position. She noticed the large bulge. She had made him so hard, it was straining against his pants. She gulped at the desire and fear warring within her. She wanted him too but yet, she has this fear of mating with him again. A fear of being impregnated again.

    "Maybe you should major in seduction with a minor in blue balls," Thorin said sardonically, shifting yet again in his seat.

    She reddened slightly. It was not fair for her to get him so aroused and leave him like this and yet, she couldn''t bring herself to do anything to relieve his arousal.

    "I''m sorry¡­I just can''t," she said.

    "Hey¡­hey¡­don''t worry, I was teasing you," he said reassuringly.

    He shifted in his seat again.

    "I''ll get over it, don''t worry," he added.

    She looked unsure.

    "Maybe I shouldn''t have hugged you¡­"

    "Look, Little Zi, you can hug me anytime you want, I will be here for you and like I''ve told you so many times, I won''t force myself on you," he said.

    She nodded silently.

    "So, do you want me to stay here with you or you prefer to be alone?"

    She looked at him in surprise. She had never thought of whether she wanted Thorin here or not. She had always assumed she would be living alone. She wasn''t sure if she wanted him here with her or if she could handle living alone again.

    "I don''t know," she replied honestly.

    He shrugged as if it didn''t really matter.

    "Okay, I assume you prefer to be alone so I won''t move in here, I will try to visit you to check in on you every once in a while, is that okay?"

    She agreed to that. She would want to see him every once in a while too. Thorin has become a part of her life in these past few weeks, it would be strange not to see him daily anymore.

    "That''s settled then, just remember that I will always be there for you, you only need to call for me or for Lim," he said.

    With that, he got up and left through the front door like a regular person. She wondered if he had made it so that when he opens that door, it leads straight into his home. She went to the door and opened it. It opened out to the narrow street her house is on.

    Thorin is no where in sight.

    So, this marks the beginning of another chapter in her life, as an independent woman living on her own and soon-to-be a college student!

 Chapter 33 - First Day Of Independence

    The first night alone in her own home was not what she thought it would be like.

    It was lonely.

    It was scary.

    Though she no longer has to worry about loansharks banging on her door, she still has this niggling fear of someone breaking into her house. She got up a few times to check her doors. Since she bought a heritage building in the city, she had kept the double wooden doors. The first louvred wooden door with its metal bolt and the second inner door made of thick heavy timbre with two large and thick heavy timbre wooden bolts. She had made sure to turn the lock, latched the metal bolt and closed the inner door and pull the timbre wooden bolts across to lock it. She also checked the back door to make sure it is latched and securely locked. She had made a custom back door with a louvred peep hole so that she can look out to check the back lane, if ever she needs to do that. Even the skylight, which traditionally is an open space in middle of the house for ventilation and for sunlight to enter its centre courtyard, has grille bars across it to make sure no one can climb into the house from the roof. Her house is secure in every sense against any outsiders. She had even installed security alarms.

    Yet, all these safety features meant nothing to her anxious brain. She paced the upstairs and the downstairs, checking on the front and back doors repeatedly, then checking on the windows. She had installed decorative metal grille on the windows too. Although it may not look it, her house felt more like a prison than Thorin''s place. Actually, she felt worse here alone with her own thoughts. She kept thinking about her miscarriage. And when she tried not to think about it, thoughts about burglars and robbers breaking in while she sleeps enter her mind.

    The first night was a sleepless one for her. Her bed was made up of top of the range mattress with the softest pillows and with the highest thread count ever, up to 1,000 thread count to be exact, bedsheets. There was even a two-horse power air conditioner fitted in her room and every room in the house. The eternal balmy tropical weather of George Town meant that air conditioner is almost a requirement in most houses in the city. She should be able to sleep comfortably but that was not the case at all. She tossed and turned. She thought of the many nights she spent cuddled in Thorin''s arms on their bed. She missed that. She knew she could call on him and he would come but she didn''t want to. Pride stopped her.

    She would look like a total failure to immediately call him to spend the night with her on the first night. Also, she wasn''t ready for any intimacy with him. She wasn''t sure if she will ever be ready. The deep ache of the loss is still there within her. She buried that thought deep within her and try not to think of it again.

    Then she went down to check the doors and windows, yet again. She had installed automatic movement sensor lights throughout the house so these kept blinking on as she moved around the house.

    Finally, she gave up even trying to pretend to sleep. She went back to her living room, lie down on the chaise lounge and turned on the TV. When all else fails, there is always TV for her to stream channels to watch. She found some silly comedies and settled in to watch.

    When orange streaks begin to fill the sky and she noticed the pale cold light of dawn from the skylight, she stretched and yawned. She shifted her position to lie down comfortably on the lounge chair. The TV is still on, playing another comedy. She fell asleep, her hands under her cheek, as warm buttery sunlight streams in through the skylight.

    She woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She sat up and stretched. There were kinks in her neck and her shoulder from lying on one side for too long. She search around for her phone and found it had fell and slid underneath her lounge chair. She picked it up. The ringing had stopped. It was Darren. She smiled. He is probably checking on her. She had told her friends that she is moving in on the weekends and today is Saturday. He is probably checking to see if she needed any help. She looked at the time. It was 10am. At least he didn''t call her at some ungodly hour. She is still tired from the lack of sleep last night. More like she didn''t sleep til dawn which was just a few hours ago.

    She called back Darren. He picked up on the first ring.

    "Were you asleep? What time are you moving in? I can help with the carrying and unpacking," he said without pause.

    "Hold up! You don''t have to do anything but maybe bring hot coffee and breakfast," she told him. She stifled another yawn. She is so sleepy. Maybe she should tell Darren to come over later. Somehow, in the bright day light, she felt safer and now all she wanted to do was to go to sleep.

    "What time are the movers coming? Are you at your new place now?"

    She smiled. Darren is like an excited puppy.

    "I am already living here, moved her yesterday with Thorin''s help¡­he¡­errr..instructed his workers to help so it''s all settled and done, they even unpacked for me," she told him.

    "Oh¡­" Darren sounded disappointed.

    "Look, I barely slept a wink last night¡­maybe we catch up later? Around lunch time? I need you and the girls'' input on what I should study in college,"

    "College???You are going to college?? What about your job?" Darren was surprised.

    Oh right. She has not told her friends and she has not even come up with a plausible story to tell them yet.

    She stifled another yawn. She is too exhausted to think right now.

    "Look, Darren, I am so sleepy now¡­can we talk later?" she asked.

    Darren reluctantly let her off. He promised to call her later, after noon.

    After hanging up, she climbed the wooden staircase upstairs to her room. She collapsed on her fluffy soft bed and fell immediately asleep. It was the sleep of the dead because when she finally woke up, it was almost late afternoon. Her phone was ringing incessantly downstairs where she left it. She felt so much more refreshed from her long nap. She made her way downstairs and picked up her phone. It was already 3 o''clock. There were at least 20 missed calls from Darren and more from Sheena and Jazzmine. And dozens of messages from all three too.

    "Oh no, they are gonna kill me if I told them I overslept," she muttered.

    She dialled Darren''s number. He picked it up even before the first ring.

    "Mei! Are you alright???" his panicked voice rang over the phone.

    She felt so bad for making her friends worry and panic over her yet again.

    "I went to you house and knocked but there was no answer. I went to the back door and tried to look in but couldn''t see anything since the louvre was designed in a way to make sure I can''t see anything!" he said.

    "Sorry, Darren¡­I overslept¡­I was so tired¡­and I forgot to install a doorbell, I totally forgot about that!"

    "What do you mean you forgot to install a doorbell? Isn''t that your boss'' house? Shouldn''t he have installed it?"

    She really has to be careful when talking to Darren or any of her friends.

    "Oh, he didn''t have it installed and I noticed it but forgot to ask him to install one," she quickly come up with a lie.

    "I''ll go wash my face and get changed and then we can meet at N Cafe," she told him.

    "Actually, all of us are outside your house, right now," Darren told her.

    What?!?

    She went to her window and looked down. Darren, Sheena and Jazzmine stood on the street and waved at her. She waved back, smiling.

    No matter what happens, at least she can be sure that her friends will always have her back. She signalled for them to wait and then she bounded down the staircase. She unbolted the heavy wooden door, pulled it open, unlatched the first door and then unlocked it before opening it.

    Darren, Sheena and Jazzmine stood there waiting for her, although Darren was smiling at her, the two girls were scowling at her.

    "Honestly Zi Mei!"

    "Really Zi Mei!"

    "We thought you were kidnapped or unconscious or something!"

    "We thought the loansharks took you!"

    "How could you do this to us again!"

    "We thought you were in an accident!"

    They bombarded her with admonishments before hugging her in relieve. Darren merely stood aside and walked with them to the inner sanctum of her living room.

    After all of them settled down, as if out of habit, Zi Mei walked back to the front door to make sure it is locked and bolted. She didn''t pull the inner door closed. With her friends here and it is broad daylight, she didn''t see the need to do that.

    She went back inside and sat with them.

 Chapter 34 - Zi Mei Makes A Choice

    It was not easy looking for a college and a course she actually likes. She had spent so much of her time in the library in Thorin''s place poring over all sorts of books but without any actual focus. She still didn''t really know what she liked or what she was good at. Her grades in school were mediocre, she wasn''t a particularly excellent student but she wasn''t exactly failing out of everything either. She had cruised through it all with reasonable grades, all Bs, and Cs, maybe a couple As. Nothing exceptional.

    Honestly, she barely remembered the subjects she studied in school. She only remembered the times she spent with her friends in school and the tiny little escape it gave her from home and their dire financial situation. In school, at least she gets to eat cheap canteen food. Food that she can afford. Sometimes, the canteen remains open till late and she''d buy extras for lunch and keep some for dinner.

    Now, sitting with her friends and brainstorming over what she should study, she realised sadly that she didn''t have any particular talent or interest. It was highly demoralising.

    "Maybe I should just take some generic course like business management or something," she suggested.

    "Well, it can be a useful course," Jazzmine said.

    "Oh c''mon. That''s boring. I am sure you have an interest in something, anything¡­"Sheena said.

    Zi Mei looked at Darren, hoping he will suggest something. Darren is closest to her and knows her more than Jazzmine and Sheena. Surely, he would know what she likes.

    "I remember you once said you want to be a princess with a pet dragon¡­" Darren said, grinning cheekily.

    She rolled her eyes.

    "Yes, I am sure there must be a course somewhere to study on how to become a princess and another course on how to catch and tame a pet dragon," she replied sarcastically.

    The thought of pet dragon brought up images of Thorin with a pet collar and sitting like a dog begging for treats. She suppressed a giggle at the thought.

    Sheena threw a pen at Darren and he dodged easily.

    "Hey, stop throwing things," Zi Mei said, picking up the pen.

    "Please help me figure out what I should study," she said.

    She stared at the sheafs of colourful brochures and flyers spread out on the table before them. They had collected tons of promotional materials from every single college and university they could visit in two hours. They had went college-hopping as Sheena called it since 3 o''clock and made it back to her home by 5 o''clock. Thanks to living on a small island, it was pretty easy and fast to visit the few colleges and universities that are nearby.

    Sheena sorted through the stacks of glossy paper and picked one out.

    "How about this one?" she handed it to her.

    It was a course for art and animation. She looked at it. She has always been pretty good at drawing in school. Not exceptionally good but good enough to earn her As most of the time.

    Darren craned his neck to look at it and he nodded in agreement.

    "Yup, that suits you," he said.

    "Art? Really?" she asked. She looked at Jazzmine for her opinion.

    "I agree, you have always been good in art, it was so natural for you," she said.

    "But my drawings weren''t exactly all that great," Zi Mei pointed out.

    "That could be because you don''t have the supplies and equipment¡­besides, you were always rushing off to your part time job, you didn''t even have time to cultivate it," Darren said.

    He was right. She couldn''t afford to spend money on art equipment so usually for art class, she would borrow some paint and brushes from her friends, usually Darren.

    "Look, they have other minors, here''s one on manga drawing, you can even be a manga artist," Jazzmine said excitedly. Jazzmine is a huge manga and webcomic fan.

    Zi Mei has dabbled a bit in drawing manga characters but she wasn''t very good at it.

    "I''m not exactly all that good in drawing," she said.

    "Well, if cost is not an issue, why not try?" Sheena said.

    Zi Mei had lied to her friends that Thorin is sponsoring her education and letting her take time off to study because of the successful listing of his company. It was to be her ''bonus''. They were happy for her and they were glad that she finally get to live like a young adult instead of having to struggle to make ends meet.

    "Yes, Mei, you are very good actually, you should try this course, unless you have a better idea," Darren said.

    Zi Mei stared at the brochure. It does look interesting. She does rather enjoy drawing and learning to draw and animate what she drew will be quite fun. It was not as if she needed a career but having an interest and a way to pass her time is good. She could even create her own comics and series.

    "Okay, now that I think about it, I think it will be fun," she said finally.

    "Yay! Let''s celebrate this new part of your life as a fellow college student!" Sheena said. She dragged Zi Mei and Jazzmine up.

    "Let''s go out to celebrate! Dinner and drinks and we can all crash back here!"

    Zi Mei agreed and so they all linked arms and went out together with Darren trailing behind them. They chose some fancy Italian restaurant for dinner because Zi Mei said she had a rather large bonus and she could afford it.

    After dinner, they went on to a pub and started a night of revelry with Sheena drinking mug after mug without any breaks. It was not long before Sheena was drunk and muttering unintelligibly, resting her head on the table.

    "What''s wrong with Sheena? Why is she drinking like she''s in depression¡­that didn''t look like a celebration," Zi Mei asked Jazzmine and Darren.

    Darren shrugged. He is not very close to Sheena so he didn''t know. Jazzmine glanced at Sheena and the other girl is still has her head on the table, her eyes closed.

    "I think she broke up with her boyfriend," Jazzmine said in a low tone.

    "I didn''t break up with him! That douchebag ghosted me!" Sheena suddenly shouted before putting her head down again.

    Zi Mei felt so bad. She should have noticed that Sheena was sad and broken hearted. Instead, she was so wrapped up in her own drama and her own sadness over the loss of the baby that she didn''t even bother to check on her friends and how they have been.

    "What happened?" she asked Jazzmine.

    "Turns out that the guy was cheating on her with another girl and when she found out, she threw up a huge fuss and after that, he ghosted her,"

    "Wrong! I didn''t threw a huge fuss!" Sheena raised her head, her eyes are bloodshot. "I merely went to confront him and that douchebag had the guts to lie about it!"

    "Ugh¡­well, good riddance!" Zi Mei said. She never liked Sheena''s ex boyfriend anyway. She always felt he has this oily slimy character that give her the shivers.

    "I know he''s a douchebag and I deserve better but it hurts okay? I don''t like being dumped!" Sheena said.

    Zi Mei patted her back.

    "I am sorry I wasn''t around for you to vent," she apologised.

    "Bah! Don''t apologise! It is all the men''s fault, every single one of them are douchebags!" Sheena said. She pointed at Darren, "Even you!"

    "Hey! What did I do?! I am sitting here minding my own business!" he protested.

    "You have a huge thing for Zi Mei here and you don''t even want to admit it! That''s a douche move!" Sheena accused him.

    Zi Mei looked at Darren. He blushed a bright tomato red.

    "Er..don''t listen to her¡­she''s drunk!" he said.

    "C''mon! I saw the way you look at her, like a lost puppy dog, just admit it already," Sheena said. She glared at Darren.

    "I am sure you just can''t wait to get in her pants! Just go ahead and do it already, the two of you please and put us out of our misery," she slurred.

    "Sheena!" Darren exclaimed. He turned to Zi Mei, looking utterly mortified. "Look¡­she''s just drunk, don''t listen to her, she doesn''t know anything," he said.

    Zi Mei doesn''t know what to think. She has known Darren from young and it was obvious that he is now lying. Could Sheena have hit the nail on the spot? If it''s true, it will be awkward between her and Darren if she turned him down. She turned to Jazzmine and was surprised to find Jazzmine looking at Darren with strong longing shining in her eyes.

    What a terrible mess they are in! Jazzmine has a crush on Darren and she didn''t even realise it until now. When Jazzmine noticed her looking, she quickly turned away and looked at Sheena who has again laid her head on the table.

    "Come, Sheen, lets get out of here, you can crash at my place, you are too drunk to get home safely," she said instead. She didn''t want to deal with Darren or Jazzmine''s feelings. She knows she can never return Darren''s feelings now.. Maybe before Thorin, she might have had some feelings but now, she is sure she no longer felt the same way about Darren.

 Chapter 35 - When You Miss Someone

    Sheena refused to follow Zi Mei back to her place. She called for an e-hailing ride home instead, muttering something about her parents killing her if she didn''t go back yet again. When her ride came, Jazzmine hopped into it with her even though they don''t like in the same district.

    "I''ll see her home and maybe stay over at her place, good night," Jazzmine said, waving to Zi Mei and Darren, smiling sadly at them.

    Zi Mei realised Jazzmine is giving her and Darren some private time alone. Dear Jazzmine who obviously has a crush on Darren. She is giving way to Zi Mei. Zi Mei suddenly felt awkward with Darren. They''ve been friends since forever but suddenly she didn''t know how to act with him.

    "Look, I''ll accompany you home and then I''ll get back home too, it''s late, I can''t let you go home alone," he said.

    She merely nodded. She couldn''t tell him that she has her own personal bodyguard, Lim, who is invisible or hidden somewhere most of the time. She knows she is safe with him around. Besides, she has been kidnapped by strangers, seduced by a stranger and forced into a strange contract with a stranger. Been there, done that. No big deal.

    They shared a ride back to her home. When they reached her home, she told Darren not to get down but to take it back to his home.

    "I can get back inside safely on my own," she assured him.

    He made the driver wait for her to get inside and lock her doors before they drove off. She locked both the outer and inner doors. Then she checked her back door and all of her windows. Everything is secured and locked. She flooded the whole house with lights. Somehow, she felt spooked by the dark corners and dark shadows. She doesn''t believe in ghosts but the urban legend that scared her the most was the one about an intruder hiding in an obscure corner after murdering a woman''s roommate. The urban legend has it that the intruder was waiting for the woman to get back and she went back only to grab something and left immediately before he could stab her. That story had kept her awake on many nights and made her neurotic about locking the door and her room door. For many years, she would check every possible hiding space in her house every night, while holding a knife. Her father saw her doing that once and was so scornful that she stopped doing it. He had snatched the knife from her and in the process, slashed her arm. She deduced that if every time she comes home and her father was not lying in a pool of his own blood, it must mean that there was no intruder. He had become her intruder indicator.

    Now, there is no father around to be her indicator. She had asked Thorin to look for him for her and he had merely told her that her father is now working in a proper job and living in another city. She didn''t ask if her father had looked for her. He had abandoned her with his huge debt, surely he doesn''t care about her. Thorin did ask her if she wanted to visit her father and she had declined. She didn''t know how she would feel if she sees him again. The years spent with him were mostly torturous nights of going to sleep hungry and waking up worrying about scraping enough money to buy food and pay rent. He never took care of her. She had taken care of herself. Darren and his family had taken care of her.

    Zi Mei went through the whole ritual of checking everything one final time before going up to take a shower and change into comfortable satin pyjamas. She is so glad she no longer needs to wear skimpy lacy see-through nightgowns like some prostitute. She climbed into bed and despite feeling exhausted, she couldn''t sleep. She tossed and turned. She stared at the empty space next to her. Not for the first time, she wished Thorin was here.

    She does miss him. She miss having him next to her. The warm comfort of his presence. Even the weeks she spent in mourning over their lost child, he had been a source of comfort, always there for her, always ready to give her a shoulder to cry on, his chiseled face patient and caring.

    Without realising it, tears are slipping from her eyes, wetting her cheeks. She is slipping back into her depression and her dark thoughts about what could have been. She wiped the tears away and squared her shoulders. It is time she stopped waddling in this depression party. She is beginning to feel like a normal person again, with hopes and dreams and a college to attend soon. She will not let her dark thoughts ruin everything. This will be be promise to the child who was never born.

    "I promise to be strong for you," she whispered, touching her flat stomach for a brief moment. She must get through this and take this one day at a time. She gave up on going to sleep. She sat up and got our of bed. She padded downstairs to the chaise lounge and lay there.

    She turned on the TV and begin scrolling again. Time to Netflix without the chill. She chose a comedy and settled in to watch it. For the next two hours, she laughed and forgot all about her neurotic thoughts. So, when a hand clasped her shoulder, she jumped almost a mile high screaming at the top of her voice. She flailed and tried to hit whoever had grabbed her.

    "Hey, hey, cool it, it''s me," Thorin shifted to avoid her flailing hands. He was laughing down at her in amusement.

    Her heart was beating so fast from the shock and she was breathing hard too. She glared at the handsome dragon. How dare he gave her such a shock in her own home too!

    "Ever heard of knocking? It''s where you knock on the door before entering someone''s private space," she said, after getting her senses back and calming her heart. Her pulse continued racing. Although it was racing for an entirely different reason now. He was looking so debonair in his perfectly tailored suit, his hair slightly tousled and he has a nice glowing tan too.

    Wait, dragons can get a tan?

    She glowered at him. Here she was missing him and he has a nice tan. Probably went to get some sun at the beach. She wondered, a bit jealously, who he went to the beach with.

    "I didn''t mean to scare you¡­ but you did call for me so here I am," he said and spread his hands with a flourish before striking a pose. His famous model pose.

    She rolled her eyes. Maybe he should name his pose something like ''the silver dragon'' or ''the dragon stance'' or something.

    "I didn''t call for you¡­I was sitting here, watching a movie," she said, perplexed. She didn''t even say the word ''Thorin'' at any time throughout the night. Or did she?

    "Yes you did, I clearly heard you saying ''I miss you, Thorin''," he drawled.

    She blushed. She did think it when she was trying to sleep but she didn''t say it out loud! Can he read her mind?

    Oh.. My. Gawd! CAN HE READ HER MIND???

 Chapter 36 - Is He Confessing?

    "I did not call out for you at all!" she protested. "I did not even mention your name, how is that even possible? Okay, so I admit that I did think of you but only for a moment! Wait, does that mean you can read minds?"

    As it turns out, no, he can''t read her mind. He explained that he had merely felt her strong longing for him so he came over to check on her. He didn''t want to send Lim as it was late night, actually early morning, and it''s not appropriate for Lim to come in when she''s sleeping.

    "I was only teasing when I said I heard you, little Zi, obviously you missed me," he said.

    She exhaled in relief. For a moment, she thought he could read her mind. All the things she had thought, all the insults she had secretly hurled at him in her mind. It would be absolutely mortifying.

    He frowned at her.

    "Why are you sitting here watching a movie? It''s 3am, you should be sleeping," he said.

    She shrugged. She didn''t want to tell him that she couldn''t sleep and that she missed having him beside her.

    "Did you miss me so much that you can''t sleep without me?" he asked. It was uncanny. It was as if he just read her mind again. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

    "Don''t flatter yourself, I am not used to this house, it''s new after all," she said flippantly.

    He shrugged and continued to lean casually against the back of the lounge, his tall lean frame relaxed and so enticingly close to her.

    "Okay, if you say so¡­I''ll go then, you better get to sleep, it''s not good to stay up so late watching¡­" he looked at the TV and at that moment, the couple on the screen are tearing each other''s clothes off, kissing, fumbling on to the bed and moaning loudly.

    Thorin turned to her and lifted an eyebrow.

    "You know¡­we can always do that¡­you don''t have to watch others fake doing it on some lame film," he said.

    She quickly turned off the TV, feeling her face reddening. Damn the show. It was all talking and tears and crying earlier and suddenly the couple made up and are going at it when Thorin is here. Perfect timing you stupid show, she thought.

    "Ahemmm¡­I''ll go up to bed now," she said, getting up and smoothing her pyjamas self-consciously.

    "Do you want me to come along?" he asked, grinning lasciviously.

    She scowled at him.

    "No. I am going to sleep, ALONE," she said, stressing the word alone.

    He merely shrugged.

    "Okay fine. I''ll walk you to your room and accompany you till you fall asleep¡­is that okay?"

    She nodded.

    She was touched by the offer.And also secretly glad for the offer. She was actually dreading going back to her room alone and lying on her large bed alone. With Thorin here, she did not have the urge to check on all her doors and windows.

    She felt safe.

    Once in her room, she left the door open and climbed up into bed. Thorin came in and closed the door behind him. He flicked a finger and the air conditioner cranked on, blasting out cool air.

    He sat down on the empty side of her bed and put his feet up.

    "I''ll sit here till you fall asleep, I promise I won''t touch you if you don''t want me to," he said.

    She turned to her side, facing him. He was lying down now, his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. It was comforting to have him here.

    "Thank you Drags¡­" she murmured and yawned. Her eyelids drew shut and soon she has floated off into a deep sleep.

    Thorin lay there for a long time, watching her sleep. He stretched out and touched her cheek briefly.

    "My sweet little Zi, sleep well," he whispered.

    Then he was gone.

    Zi Mei didn''t even stir. She slept till late morning and woke up to the sound of a doorbell ringing. That was strange. She had not installed a doorbell yet. She had forgotten to install one. She sat up blearily. Whose doorbell is ringing if she doesn''t have one? It sounded strangely like it was coming from inside her house.

    She turned to look at the clock. It was almost eleven in the morning. Another hour to noon. She stretched. She felt well rested. She had not slept so deeply since¡­she averted her thoughts. She doesn''t want to think about the passionate nights with Thorin which led to¡­she quickly push this thought into a box, locked it, shove it into the dark recesses of her mind and promptly forget about it.

    She went downstairs to investigate the sound. It was even louder downstairs. So it seems she now has a doorbell. It must be Thorin, she thought. She hurried to the door and pulled open the inner door to see Darren''s face through the louvres of the outer door. When he saw her, he stopped pressing on the doorbell.

    "About time! I thought you told me to come over so that we can go to the college together so that you can apply for the course you wanted," he said.

    She unlocked the door and opened it.

    "Sorry, I overslept¡­again," she said. She stood aside and let him in. He entered and she closed it, locking it before turning to him.

    He is looking at her oddly. Scratch that. He is looking at her chest and then he blushed and turned away.

    She suddenly realised she is still in her pyjamas. Her thin satin pyjamas in which her nipples are protruding clearly. She sleeps braless. She crossed her arms on her chest.

    "I er, better get a shower and change first, just make yourself at home," she said. She quickly ran upstairs without waiting for his response. She really didn''t want to give him the wrong idea. It would not do to lead Darren on. He is her oldest friend and since they can never be together, she has to make sure he knows that.

    After she has showered and changed, she hopped down stairs. Darren is sitting at the living room, watching TV. He looked up when she came down.

    "Let''s go, it''s almost lunch time," he said.

    She smiled at him. This sounds like her old friend Darren.

    "Sorry, let''s go," she said.

    She walked past him but suddenly he reached out and held her hand.

    "Zi Mei," he said.

    She turned to him, surprised. She looked at their linked hands. He didn''t let go but held her hand tighter.

    "I have something to tell you," he said nervously.

 Chapter 37 - Darrens Confession

    "Look, Darren, stop!" she exclaimed before he continued. She gently removed her hand from his. She placed a hand on his shoulder and faced him.

    "Just don''t say whatever that you want to say, I really treasure our friendship and let''s keep it that way," she said.

    "I really don''t want things to get awkward between us," she added. "So, let''s just remain as best friends, okay?"

    He looked puzzled.

    "Why would it be awkward? How do you know what I wanted to tell you?"

    "Well¡­I sort of guessed and it will be awkward if I turned you down, things will never be the same," she replied.

    How could it not be awkward? If he confessed to her and she turned him down, they might not even remain as friends anymore. She liked Darren. He is her best friend after all.

    "Turned me down? Why would you turn me down?" he is looking more confused now.

    Wait¡­wasn''t he about to confess? Now she is confused.

    "Did you think I wanted to ask you to do something?" he asked.

    Okay, so, now it didn''t sound like he wanted to confess. Shit. She got it all wrong.

    "Ermm¡­ya¡­I thought¡­" she trailed off. This is too embarrassing. She can''t tell him that she had jumped to conclusions thinking he is about to confess to her.

    "You said you have something to tell me¡­so what is it??" she asked.

    "Wait, what did you think I wanted to ask you?"

    "Err¡­nothing¡­I misunderstood," she said. What a mess. She is such a klutz. How can she assume he is about to confess? Just because he held her hand? He has held her hand a number of times before. She wanted to slap herself and felt her face blushing from her embarrassment. This is so mortifying.

    He looked at her, studying her reddening face.

    "Wait¡­what were you thinking? Why are you blushing?" he asked. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

    "Out with it¡­what were you thinking?"

    "Uh-uh¡­nope..I wasn''t thinking anything," she denied. She will never admit to thinking that he is confessing to her. No way. That is too embarrassing.

    "You tell me what you were about to tell me!" she changed the topic.

    "Wait, were you thinking what I think you are thinking?" he asked.

    She took a deep breath to clear her red face and hoped her face is no longer red.

    "You are confusing me¡­I think you think I think¡­whatever¡­I''m hungry, let''s go eat," she said. She turned to go out but he held her arm.

    "No, I really need to tell you this first," he said earnestly.

    She turned around. What''s with his drama now? She crossed her arms on her chest and looked up at him. Darren can be quite good looking now that she is looking at him closely. He has a nice bigh nose, velvety warm dark eyes, adorable dimples and straight white teeth. She could understand why she had a crush on him before she met Thorin.

    "I dropped out of college," he said in a rush.

    "What???? Why????" she exclaimed. Darren was a good student and an obedient son. His parents are so proud of him!

    "I just don''t like the course¡­I have been lagging behind a lot¡­actually, I wanted to take art like you¡­I am not sure if my parents will allow it, you know how they are," he said.

    "But I thought you have always wanted to be an engineer," she said. This is the first she''s heard of Darren doing something against his parents'' wishes.

    "Please, if you see my parents, don''t tell them or accidentally reveal it to them," he said.

    "But¡­eventually they will find out¡­you should tell them," she said.

    He shook his head. He needed more time to think it over.

    "When did you drop out actually?" she asked. Why didn''t she know about this?

    "Several months ago actually and I''ve been working instead of going to college actually," he confessed.

    So, that''s how he has the thousands of savings to give to her. He has been working all along. He had dropped out even before she was kidnapped by Thorin. Why didn''t she notice anything?

    "Why did you keep it a secret for so long?"

    He shrugged.

    "You have problems of your own and I didn''t want to burden you with mine," he told her.

    She felt ashamed. What a horrible best friend she turned out to be. He was having problems and he couldn''t even confide in her because she was too wrapped up in her own personal hell. She had not been there for Darren like how he has been there for her.

    "Oh Darren, I am so sorry," she said. She hugged him. "I have been such a bad friend, I wasn''t even there for you,"

    His hands went up to hold her waist and he hugged her back.

    "It''s not your fault Mei, it''s my own problem and I can handle it," he said.

    Realising their proximity and Thorin''s warning not to get too close to another man and smear her yin or whatever blablabla¡­she released Darren and took a step back.

    "So, why don''t you sign up for the same course as me?" she asked him.

    "Since you said you like art too¡­we can be college mates!"

    It would be so nice to have a friend going to the same college and attending the same course as her. It will be fun!

    "Maybe I will," he agreed. "I will sign up and not tell my parents till much later," he said with resolve.

    "Yes, Darren, we can do it! Now, can we go eat?" her stomach is growling. She is so hungry.

    Darren laughed. "Sure, let''s go," he led the way out of her house. He waited for her as she locked her door. They walked down the street together companionably.

    "So are Sheena and Jazzmine coming too?" he asked.

    "Nahhh¡­both of them have classes today it seems," she said. "So, it''s only two of us,"

    "Oh," he replied. He sounded disappointed. Did she get it all wrong after all? Maybe he had a crush on one of her girlfriends. She hoped it''s Jazzmine since Jazzmine clearly has a crush on him.

    "Why? Do you want to see either one of them? Is there something I should know?" she teased.

    "What? No! Please!" he protested.

    "Is it Jazzmine? She is really pretty and she''s smart too¡­I know you like a girl who''s smart," she continued.

    "Mei," he said, a warning tone in his voice.

    "Maybe it''s Sheena¡­they do say hate and love are two sides of the same coin¡­" she teased.

    "Hey!" he protested.

    "Maybe you like someone hot and sexy like Sheena," she continued and then ran off when he made to attack her.

    She stuck her tongue out at him. "You''ll never catch me, bleh," she said and ran off. Darren laughed and gave chase.

    "Hah! I am a track champion at school!" he shouted.

 Chapter 38 - Student Life Is Lonely

    Zi Mei had thought that once she starts college, she will get busy and won''t have time to dwell too much over her miscarriage and being alone at home. But no such luck. Classes end in the late afternoon and usually, she will go hang out with her friends for a couple hours until they have to go home for dinner. All of her friends still lived with their parents so they still get home cooked food daily.

    She, on the other hand, has to go home to her large, lonely house and prepare her own dinner. Sometimes she will takeaway from food from a nearby coffee shop and sometimes, she will just order delivery. Most of the time, she will stay in and cook a simple meal for herself. It was a lonely existence. One that she had not expected at all. Previously, she had to work round the clock and get a second job, just to make ends meet. She never realised how much it had taken up most of her time. She remembered getting home late most nights and crashing into bed utterly exhausted, not bothering to check if her father was home or out somewhere gambling all their money away.

    Now, she gets home by evening, gets dinner prepared and she has all the time in the world till she goes to sleep at 10 o''clock. Or try to sleep. Most nights she would toss and turn till three o''clock before she falls asleep. The hours between dinner time and bed time seemed to stretch endlessly. Sometimes she will have homework and she would get it done within an hour or a couple hours. After that, she will just sit and watch TV or try to read. She wondered what other single people do alone at home in the evenings. While she enjoyed the solitude initially, she got over it really fast. That was when sometimes her thoughts would be filled with the ''what if'' and she would stroke her flat belly. Then tears would threatened to escape her eyes and she will fight against it and think of something else.

    A few times she contemplated calling for Thorin but changed her mind. He had not turned up since the last time appeared here in the middle of the night. That was weeks ago. Or was it a month? She couldn''t remember. The days seemed to pass by really fast and each day bleed into the other without her realising it. She realised only one thing. She missed Thorin. She missed him so much, it ached. It was like she has a gaping hole in her heart that only Thorin could fill. Yet, she didn''t want to call to him. Her heart longed for him, longed for his touch, longed for his embrace but her mind is still wary. Her mind is still wary of what might happen if they were to make love again. The longing and her wariness warred within her for days and weeks, with neither side giving in. She decided to ignore both and not call for Thorin at all. After all, he had agreed to give her time to recover.

    "Lim, are you here?" she called out. Sometimes she would call for him and he will appear, always polite and always solicitous.

    "Yes, Miss? What can I get you this time?" he appeared next to her.

    She shrugged. She had only wanted company. Today, she felt particularly lonely.

    "I don''t know¡­maybe get me, say, a sakura chocolate from Japan," she said.

    Lim nodded respectfully.

    "Sure, I will be right back," he said. He disappeared and appeared about 15 minutes later. He handed her an array of chocolates. She took them. She wondered if they tasted weird?

    "Lim, sit down and talk to me, tell me about yourself," she said.

    Lim shook his head.

    "Sorry, I am not allowed to do that, my orders are specific, I am supposed to protect you and come whenever you call to help you in anything," he replied.

    "Well, you are helping by talking to me," she said.

    "I apologise miss, I can''t do that, if there''s nothing else, I will go now," Lim said and then disappeared.

    Ugh. Lim is such a stickler for rules. She only wanted someone to talk to. Darren had some family dinner thing and both Sheena and Jazzmine pleaded for time to finish their assignments on the last minute. It would seem they both have some 20-page report to complete in a couple days. She can''t even call any of them to talk.

    "Thorin..if only you are here," she whispered, leaning back on her lounge chair. Then she clapped her hands over her mouth. What did she just do??

    True enough. As if heeding a siren''s call, Thorin came striding towards her. How did he even hear her? She merely whispered that out.

    "So, how have you been my little Zi? Enjoying college life?" he asked as he sat down on one of her armchairs and arranged himself into a pose.

    Well, at least Thorin and his propensity to strike a pose, not matter the situation or location, didn''t change, she thought.

    "Why do you always have to look like a model posing for a photograph in any situation?" she blurted out, not for the first time.

    He grinned at her, his white teeth gleaming. A silvery glow emanated from his dark eyes.

    "What are you talking about? What pose? I naturally look like this," he replied, feigning innocence.

    "Thorin¡­look at how you sit, that''s obviously posing like you are being photographed," she gestured to his sitting position. He was sitting upright, his right leg resting lightly on his left leg, his elbow on the arm of the chair and his chin rested lightly on his hand.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about, this is how I sit," he said. "So, did you miss me?" he asked, leaning forward to her, now resting both his elbows on his thighs, forming a bridge with his hands and resting his chin on it.

    "Not really¡­I was quite busy actually," she said, not wanting to admit it. She missed him dearly. She so wanted to fling herself on him and hug him.

    "Well, I missed having you in my bed, that''s for sure," he said. He got up and gathered her in his arms, embracing her. Her heart thumped and her pulse raced at his closeness. Her throat dried up.

    "I am just waiting for you to recover to come back to me," he murmured against her head. He kissed her forehead gently. She gulped. She couldn''t talk. She so wanted this. She sank into his embrace, revelling in his warmth and his arms around her.

    He shifted to recline on her chaise lounge and held her to him, tightly, in his arms.. He kissed her lips and she opened up, letting him in, welcoming the taste of Thorin that she had missed so much.

 Chapter 39 - Is He Her Lover, Boyfriend, Kidnapper Or Sex Slave Owner?

    As much as Zi Mei missed Thorin, she still could not bring herself to make love with him. Their kiss ended as just that, a kiss. The moment the started touching her body, pushing his hands into her blouse, she pulled away in a panic.

    "I¡­I really can''t do it, Drags¡­I¡­" she hangs her head. She doesn''t understand why she is like this. It has been a few months. She should be ready to accept Thorin back into her life and her bed and yet she isn''t.

    Thorin stopped the moment he noticed her panic and fear. He pulled her into his embrace and tucked her head under his neck.

    "Don''t worry about it my lil Zi," he murmured. He patted her back gently. "Some wounds take longer to heal and it is only natural that you need more time to heal,"

    She felt tears brimming in her eyes. The old dragon is such a big softie despite his severely stern expression. Of course she won''t tell him that''s what she thought about him. He would definitely take offence to being called a big old sweet and soft old dragon.

    "Let''s just spend some time together like this, I have missed holding you, you have no idea how much," Thorin told her. He gathered her close to him and they both leaned back on the lounge together.

    "Are you sleepy? I''ll carry you up¡­I promise, I won''t do anything that you are uncomfortable with," he said.

    She nodded. Now that he is here, she felt warm and fuzzy and sleepy. She lets him gather her up in his arms like she weighs nothing and he made his way easily up the staircase. This is one of the perks of having a dragon boyfriend (or is it boss-lover? Kidnapper?), they can easily carry you anywhere without even a tiny bit of exertion. All thanks to their tremendous power.

    He set her on the bed and arranged the blankets over her. Then he got in and lay down next to her. She cuddled next to him and he held her close.

    "You must be so tired, go to sleep, I won''t disturb you," he said. He kissed her forehead gently and stroked her arm. She yawned. Sleep is a cloying darkness that came upon her almost immediately. Soon, she was deep in sleep while Thorin watches over her.

    He sighed.

    "Perhaps you are a little too young¡­what should I do with you?" he murmured. Sadness filled his eyes. It would seem he has a decision to make.

    ****

    The next morning, Zi Mei rolled over on her bed and stretched luxuriously. She had a really good sleep last night. For the first time in weeks, she doesn''t feel exhausted. She had literally slept like the dead. She turned to the other side of the bed. It was empty.

    "Thorin?" she called, her morning voice croaking slightly.

    There was no answer. Strange.

    She got up and walked over to the ensuite bathroom. It is empty. Could the old dragon have left early in the morning? Disappointment rose within her. She had hoped to see him a bit longer. Seeing him again only made her realise how much she actually missed him. Now that he''s gone again, she wished she is back in his house living with him. Despite his weird idiosyncrasies and his vain tendencies, the old dragon has been nothing but nice to her. Caring even. As for love¡­this she is not sure. She is beginning to think that she might be in love with him from the way she pines after him. Or it could just be a crush. She sorely needed to confide in someone about this. Someone other than the cold, unfeeling Jessica.

    She brushed her teeth, took a quick shower and changed. Feeling fresh, shiny and brand new from the good rest and the shower, she hopped down the stairs cheerfully. Maybe she should give Darren a call to see if he has any classes today. She almost miss a step and fell when she saw Thorin lounging casually on her sofa, staring at her widescreen TV. He looks so engrossed, he didn''t even notice her coming down the stairs. She stole a look at the screen. It was a romance film. She stifled a chuckle and walked quietly over to him.

    "I never take you for a romance kind of guy," she said to him before jumping on his lap and hugging him while simultaneously kissing his cheek. To say he was startled was an understatement. She could feel his muscles tense and his hands had grasped her hard for a fraction of a second before he realised it was her and he loosened his hold.

    "Looks like you are feeling much better and not so tired," he drawled, smiling at her. He planted a kiss on her lips. "It''s good to see you so cheerful early in the morning," he said.

    She grinned at him. It felt so right to be sitting on his lap and snuggling close to him. She buried her face in his muscly chest and inhaled his scent. She missed his fresh minty scent too.

    "If you keep wriggling like that, we might end up with a problem that you can''t solve for me," he told her, shifting his position slightly. She could already feel him hardening under her butt. She wriggled again teasingly.

    "I do miss you Drags¡­" she said.

    He tightened his hold on her to stop her from moving.

    "Really, Zi, don''t start something you can''t finish," he growled his warning.

    She kissed him on his lips and pressed herself against him. He groaned and pulled her close. Then she pulled away and jumped up.

    "Oh boy, now I am hungry, lets go get breakfast," she said.

    Thorin scowled at her. He stood up and she noticed the huge bulge on his crotch.

    "Maybe¡­we can finish this later tonight?" she suggested.

    She hoped she will be ready by tonight. It took a lot of her willpower to tear herself from him just moments ago. Her body is definitely craving for him. Like an addict craving for their next fix. Thorin is her addiction. One that she knows she will never get rid of.

    "Don''t rush lil Zi, I can wait, there are other ways to relieve my problem," he said suggestively.

    "What do you mean?" she feigned innocence. Surely, he can''t expect her to give him either a hand job or a blow job? She remembered the first time she gave him a blow job¡­it took so long that her mouth was sore and he was still hard as steel.

    "Women fall all over my feet all the time, I can have my pick of any of them whenever I want," he said haughtily.

    That rankled her.

    "What?? Other women? But¡­"

    Then she remembered. Who is she? She is merely his mistress. His contracted baby making slave. Nothing more. She is not his girlfriend and definitely, she is not his wife either. She has no right to be jealous of who he sleeps with when he''s not with her. Still, thought of him naked and making love with other women pains her. It drove a cold shard of ice into her heart. Her cheery mood crashed. Thorin doesn''t love her and he doesn''t really need her except to have his babies. Since she''s ''out of commission'' for a few more months until the doctor says they can try again, he can go around sleeping with countless women to his liking.

    Thorin noticed her downcast expression. "Hey¡­hey¡­I was just kidding,"

    He went to her and gathered her close to him.

    "Let me tell you a secret, once a dragon finds his perfect match, he can never sleep with any other woman again, except for a few, er, other conditions, but generally, we are tied to our match for life," he said.

    "Really?" her heart lifted at this. She narrowed her eyes. "What ''other conditions''?" she asked suspiciously.

    "Er¡­nothing¡­" he avoided the topic.. "I thought you said you are hungry, let''s go get food and I believe Darren is at the door right this moment," he said just a few seconds before the doorbell rang.

 Chapter 40 - Evil Mistress In A TV Drama

    Darren was surprised to see Thorin with her so early in the morning. It was not even nine o''clock yet. He eyed Thorin suspiciously and then looked at Zi Mei questioningly. She merely grinned at him.

    "We are just about to go get breakfast, let''s go," she told him, pretending not to notice the questions in Darren''s eyes. She threaded her hand through Thorin''s arm casually and dragged him with her. Darren''s eyes widened but he did not say anything.

    "Where are we going for breakfast?" he asked instead, opting not to ask them if they are dating or Zi Mei was just being extra friendly with her boss.

    "We are thinking that new dimsum place that just opened¡­what do you think? Old drags¡­I mean, Thorin here loves dimsum," she said.

    Thorin gave her a sideway glance at the ''old drags'' she accidentally let slip. She grinned sheepishly. Darren was bewildered. He didn''t understand what''s going on. Noticing his confusion, Zi Mei decided to tell him the truth¡­or the partial truth¡­.or the embellished truth.

    "Thorin and I are dating," she told him without preamble. Darren almost stumbled and Thorin actually tripped but due to his fast reflex, he didn''t fall, he caught himself nicely without dragging Zi Mei down. He cleared his throat in warning. Zi Mei ignored him and tightened her hold on his arm, squeezing it as if to signal to him to play along and hoping that he will play along.

    "But¡­aren''t you married?" Darren asked Thorin and then he looked at Zi Mei. "Mei?"

    "Oh, he''s separated," she chipped in before Thorin could reply.

    "But still¡­Mei¡­come here, I need to talk to you privately," Darren gestured to her to go to the corner of the street with him. She shook her head.

    "It''s alright, Darren, don''t be such a worry wart," she said flippantly.

    She has decided to make Thorin her boyfriend to make sure that Darren doesn''t have any hopes of becoming her boyfriend, if he really has feelings for her. Also, it is easier to explain Thorin''s presence at her house if any of her friends were to visit her and sees him there.

    All the time.

    She plans to get him to come live with her. She has decided that living alone is not all that fun. She wants Thorin with her. She will just have to find a way to get over the aversion of making love with him, somehow, one way or other.

    Darren would not let it go easily.

    "Mei, please," he said, urgently. She rolled her eyes. She looked at Thorin and the old dragon, being the confident egoistic dragon that he is, merely lifted an eyebrow as if to say ''what''s the big deal anyway?''.

    "Just a moment, honey," she said sweetly to him and reached up to kiss him on his cheek. She followed Darren to the street corner.

    "Mei! How could you be dating a married man!!!" he has no qualms stating the obvious. Zi Mei couldn''t explain the whole fake marriage, dragon whatever rules thing to Darren.

    "Like he said, separated," she replied.

    "He didn''t say it! You did! What if he''s lying? What if he''s using you??" he said, glancing back at Thorin to make sure the other man is not near enough to hear him.

    "Darren, I have no money, I have nothing for him to cheat me of¡­" she replied.

    "Mei, you are being naive¡­it''s obvious what he wants¡­what all men wants¡­he wants to have sex with you!" Darren hissed in return. He now sounds like some old lady lecturing her teenage daughter. Zi Mei decided to go for the shock factor.

    "Well, we have already had sex¡­numerous times¡­so¡­" she said matter-of-factly as it if meant nothing.

    "What??? Mei!!!" Darren was shocked. He stared at her wide-eyed.

    "Look Darren, don''t be such a prude¡­I am sure you''ve had sex with your previous girlfriends before," she said.

    "Mei, we are not talking about me here," he replied, blushing at her inference. So, it was true. He did sleep with his previous girlfriends. He gestured at Thorin who now looks exceedingly bored.

    "He is married. It is just wrong Mei!" Darren said.

    "Look, Darren, I understand where you are coming from, but honestly, I am not the third party to his marriage, it''s already over before I came along," she told him. She sounded like some evil mistress in a TV drama who insisted on stealing someone''s husband.

    "It still doesn''t make it right," Darren said. Now, he sounded like an affronted mother worried over her daughter''s affair with a married man.

    "Don''t worry Darren, okay? I promise, I am fine, Thorin is good to me," she tried to assure him.

    He spluttered angrily.

    "Of course he''s good to you! You''re his young side piece¡­what happens when he gets bored with you? What happens if he gets you pregnant??"

    "All the better, I have always wanted children," Thorin replied. He had somehow walked over to them. He stood next to Zi Mei and sniffed haughtily. Darren jumped back, startled.

    "Honestly, you are just her friend, maybe stay out of who she sees and sleeps with?" Thorin added. He took Zi Mei''s hand and lifted it to his lips. He kissed it then linked their fingers.

    "If it''s any consolation to you, I do care for little Zi, I am not some callous uncaring man out for fun," he added.

    "Now, shall we go for breakfast? Lil Zi must be hungry and you have classes to attend in an hour or so, no?" he started walking casually down the street, heading to the dimsum place which is quite near.

    Darren didn''t reply. He merely trudged along behind the couple. Zi Mei turned to give him a reassuring smile.

    "It''s okay Darren, don''t overthink it," she told him.

    He didn''t smile back at her. He looked away. He looked concerned. She only hope he was not heartbroken as well. He didn''t look it so maybe he doesn''t have a crush on her after all. He barely spoke a word during breakfast.

    Instead, Thorin was the life of the party. He regaled Zi Mei with stories of his workers at his company and how they would come up with weird excuses when they failed to meet their work deadlines.

    "Do you know, one man came up to me to tell me that his dog peed on his computer so his project was lost?" he said, chuckling. Zi Mei laughed along.

    "That''s a whole new version of the ''dog ate my homework'' excuse," she said. She turned to Darren, trying to engage him in the conversation. "Don''t you think so?"

    He merely grunted. He tucked into his food quietly. Then he suddenly stood up.

    "I''ve got to go," he mumbled. He dug out some money from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Here''s my share, I''ll see you later Mei," he said. He turned and walked away without turning back.

    "That boy is besotted with you," Thorin remarked, watching Darren disappear down the street, his shoulders hunched as he walked. "That''s a really clean cut you made there,"

    "I didn''t cut anything¡­we are still friends," she said.

    "Well, I could have sworn you sliced his heart into ribbons the way you announced my relationship with you and telling him that we''ve slept together," he said.

    She shrugged. It has to be done. Darren is her oldest and closest friend. She can''t give him false hopes. It would be more cruel to lead him on. Better to make a clean cut now. She told Thorin that.

    "Hmmm¡­next time you want to use me as an excuse, do tell me earlier, I have told you before, I can''t read your mind," he drawled.

    "But¡­we are sort of in a relationship, aren''t we?" she asked, uncertainty bloomed within her.

    He smiled his mysterious smile.

    "If you call our contract a relationship, yes, of course,"

    Trust him not to say what she wants him to say. Is it so hard for him to admit to being her boyfriend or lover or at the very least, sex partner?

 Chapter 41 - Why Now?

    After Thorin dropped her off at college, Zi Mei stomped in. She is in an inexplicable bad mood. Actually, it wasn''t all that inexplicable. It was all due to the old dragon''s reluctance to admit that they have a relationship. She had pushed him on it and he had insisted they only have a contract.She scowled at the thought.

    Will it kill him to say that they are lovers? She stormed into class and could barely pay attention. This was her favourite class too but her mind was elsewhere. Having Thorin stay over last night had distracted her. She didn''t even realise her lecturer was calling on her until a classmate tapped her on her shoulder.

    She quickly apologised but couldn''t answer the question the lecturer had directed at her. She didn''t even know what the lecturer had asked. He looked at her in disappointment and moved on. She hangs her head in shame. Maybe she should not be thinking about Thorin. Not while in class. But tried as she might, the rest of her day was ruined. She couldn''t get the old dragon out of her mind. The worst part of it was that Darren was also avoiding her. They didn''t have the same classes that day but during lunch break, she couldn''t find him anywhere. They usually hang out during lunch and chatted while they eat. This time she sat alone and ate alone. She has made a few friends in college but she was in a bad mood so she didn''t seek her new friends.

    By the time classes are over, Zi Mei trudged back home, still in a foul mood. She has had a whole day mulling over the non-relationship she has with Thorin. So, she''s just his contractual baby maker. She has to come to terms with that. They are not in any relationship. He may be sweet and caring and even loving sometimes, but now she is certain that it is all a show. He is just using her to have his children. As stated in the contract she signed. She is nothing but a contracted baby maker.

    When she entered her house, she could feel something was amiss. Something was different but she couldn''t put her finger on it. Everything looked the same. The furniture are in its usual place. Her house is as neat as she had left it this morning. But something is different about it. She went around her living room, checking on everything but couldn''t find it. She suddenly felt creeped out. Little hairs on her back and arms stood up.

    "Lim? Are you here?" she called. The man didn''t appear. What''s going on? Isn''t he supposed to answer to her call?

    "Lim??" she called louder. She rubbed her arms. She is now shivering. Fear snaked down her back. She dared not go upstairs to check. What if someone is lurking upstairs waiting for her? She waited a moment more but Lim did not appear.

    "That''s it, I am getting out of here," she mumbled. She picked up her handbag and quickly walked out the door, closing it behind her.

    Now what? She''s scared of being inside her own home. It just felt so wrong inside. All her sixth sense was screaming at her to leave.

    "Thorin? Please come!" she called as she hurriedly walked as far away from her house as possible.

    "Thorin! I really need you!" she said louder. People walking pass her turned to look at her but she ignored them. Even though it''s broad daylight, she is still scared. She didn''t know where to go. She took out her phone and called Sheena. She didn''t pick up. She tried Jazzmine. She didn''t pick up either. She braced herself and called Darren. He picked up after a few rings.

    "What is it Mei? I have nothing to say to you," he said.

    "No, Darren, I''m scared, I think someone broke into my house," she swallowed her pride and told him.

    "What? Where are you?"

    "I''m outside, I left immediately, I''m walking around on my own down my street," she said.

    "Just get to somewhere with people and call the police," Darren told her. "Where''s Thorin? Why didn''t you call him?"

    She wanted to slap herself. She has Thorin''s number. She has Jessica''s number. She could have tried calling them on their phone. She was so used to calling on Lim and him appearing immediately that she forgot about using the phone to call them.

    "I tried¡­he didn''t answer," she lied.

    "Well, get to somewhere with crowd, maybe a cafe or something and I''ll meet you there," he told her. Darren was pissed at her earlier today but he still cared enough to be there for her. She was glad for that.

    She wondered where was Lim and Thorin. Why didn''t they answer her?

    After she ended the call with Darren, she dialled Thorin''s number. There was no answer. Then she tried Jessica. There was no answer too.

    What was going on? Where is everyone?

    She found a crowded cafe and entered it. She found an empty table and sat down. Then she texted Darren the cafe''s name and waited. It took him about 20 minutes to arrive. He appeared flustered when he entered and search for her among the crowd. When he spotted her, he went over to her.

    "So, have you called the police?" he asked.

    "No, I¡­I''m not sure if there really are people inside my house, it was just a feeling," she said.

    "A feeling?" Darren looked confused.

    "You know, sort of like a sixth sense¡­I felt something off about my house the moment I entered it so I practically ran out," she told him.

    "So, you didn''t see or hear anything? Was everything a mess?"

    "No, everything was neat and tidy just like the way it was when I left this morning," she said.

    Darren looked concerned and confused now.

    "Mei, are you alright?" he asked.

    "No, I am not, I am freaking out as you would have noticed!" she replied.

    "No, I mean¡­not about the supposed break in, I mean, you, are you okay? Did you have a fight with Thorin?" he asked.

    A tear slid down her cheek. They didn''t have a fight but the fact that Thorin didn''t even acknowledge their connection hurts her. It felt like he had stabbed her. Sliced open her heart.

    "Not exactly a fight¡­" she mumbled.

    "What did he do to you? Did he break up with you?"

    "No, no¡­he¡­we¡­it''s complicated," she finally said. She didn''t even know how to start or what to confide in Darren. She couldn''t talk about the contract.

    Darren sighed.

    "Mei¡­he''s a married man¡­maybe you should reconsider your relationship with him," he said.

    "No, it''s not that, Darren, it''s¡­I don''t know how to say this¡­it''s like, he doesn''t have any feelings for me," she blurted out.

    "Then why are you with him? Leave him," Darren said.

    He took her hands.

    "I don''t care about your debts or that you slept with him, but I can take care of you Mei, just give me a chance," he said.

    Zi Mei pulled her hands free.. What has she done?!? What has Darren done?!? Why did he have to choose this moment to confess? Her heart is already in too much of a turmoil at this moment.

 Chapter 42 - Hopelessly In Love

    "Darren¡­I am so touched but I can''t be with you," Zi Mei told him. She has to be brutally honest. She can''t lead him on and give him hope. She only hoped they can remain as friends after this.

    "But why? Are you in love with Thorin? He''s a married man!" he exclaimed just as there was a lull in the cafe. A few people turned to stare at them. Zi Mei could feel her face reddening from all that attention.

    "It''s complicated¡­it''s hard to explain," she replied, lowering her voice.

    "What''s so complicated about it? He is married. You are single. You are only 21, you have a whole life ahead of you, why waste your youth on an older married man," he tried to reason with her.

    "Look, you don''t have to be with me, we can remain as friends, but I just don''t think he is right for you," he added.

    She doesn''t know how to explain her situation to Darren. Telling him that she signed a contract to have babies for Thorin was just too scandalous. Besides, the contract specifically said she is not allowed to tell any human about it.

    "I''m in love with him Darren," she finally said. It felt true. It is probably the truth. She can''t deny it anymore. She is thoroughly and absolutely in love with Thorin but the dragon is obviously only using her as a baby making machine. A tear slid down her cheek.

    "What am I gonna do Darren? I don''t think he loves me," she muttered sadly.

    Darren sighed. His expression was a mix of anger, concern and worry.

    "Why him Mei? What is it about him that makes you fall in love with him?"

    She shrugged. How do you know that you love someone? What makes one so sure of their love for someone?

    "I miss him so much now that I am no longer staying at his place and I yearn for him, it''s as if I have a huge chasm in my heart that only he could fill, you know?"

    "But why? You just met him a few months ago! How could you fall in love with someone so easily?" Darren sounded exasperated.

    Zi Mei can almost hear the unspoken words in between the lines. How could she fall in love with a total stranger within months and yet, she''s known Darren for years but she doesn''t feel the same for him. Who''s to say how one''s heart works? It is a mystery to her.

    "It''s the way he sometimes poses like a model, it was both annoying and yet so adorable¡­or the way he can be so caring about how I feel and how I am coping¡­with some things¡­or how our first date was such a disaster and yet, I still find him endearing," she said. She realised she said too much when she saw Darren''s hurt expression.

    "Darren¡­I think of you as my best friend, like a brother I never had¡­I..I am so sorry I can''t reciprocate your feelings," she said.

    He looked down at the table for a long moment. Then he took a deep breath.

    "It''s not your fault that I feel this way about you¡­for a moment, before Thorin came into your life, I had thought we had something," he said.

    Before Thorin. That was like a lifetime ago. Zi Mei can''t even remember the days from before she was kidnapped by the vain dragon. She has to admit that there was a budding romance between Darren and her. She was beginning to feel something for him. Maybe a crush. Maybe something more. She will never know now. She doesn''t feel the same about Darren anymore.

    "I will not force you to like me and I will not make you choose between him or me¡­if you want to remain as friends, I will continue to be here for you as your friend," he said.

    She teared up at that. She is so grateful and touched. Darren is indeed a good friend. Things would have been less complicated if she had fallen for him instead of for the old dragon. Of course, then, she would still have to contend with the loansharks. And struggle to make ends meet. She is now a millionaire and yet, she felt empty. Maybe being rich isn''t all that great anyway. Money is nothing if she doesn''t have the love of the person, or dragon, whom she loves.

    "As a friend, I seriously advise you to leave him and forget about him, no matter what he says, he is still a married man," Darren said.

    "If only it was that simple¡­I can''t Darren, I wish I can but I can''t," she replied mysteriously.

    "Why? Is he holding something against you? Did he have compromising photos of you? Is he blackmailing you?"

    "No! No! Don''t! Thorin is as honourable as they go¡­.it''s just that¡­.I don''t think I can live without him in my life," she said.

    It was the truth. She now knows that she is hopelessly in love with Thorin. What will become of her once she gave him children and he no longer has any need for her anymore? It was under condition number 10 of the contract. "She will have to leave, without taking any of the heirs, if Thorin Loong no longer needs her services." It meant that she only has at most five years with Thorin. She has been with him for only a few months and she is already pining for him like some lovesick puppy. Staying with him for another five years, having children with him, it could destroy her.

    She is suddenly afraid. Afraid of Thorin breaking her heart. It will be much worse than losing their first child. It will be like losing a part of her forever. Maybe she should talk to him about breaking the contract. She knows condition number 18 stated that she can''t cancel the contract once they''ve mated. Maybe, just maybe, Thorin could release her from the contract.

    "Mei?" Darren was looking at her in consternation. She was so deep in thoughts, she didn''t even hear him talking to her.

    "I am sorry¡­I was a bit distracted, what did you say?"

    "I am saying, maybe you should try to take in one day at a time, away from him and slowly break up with him, that''s the only way," Darren said.

    Slowly break up with Thorin? The very thought of not seeing him again pains her. It was like having her heart being ripped out of her chest and sliced slowly. But Darren has a point, Maybe it is time she slowly get rid of her dependence on Thorin.

    "By the way, what are we going to do about the intruders in my house?" she suddenly remembered the reason why she is sitting in this crowded cafe with Darren.

    "I''ll go over to check it, give me your keys and you wait here, I''ll call you when it''s all clear," Darren offered.

    "But, it''s dangerous, I don''t think you should go¡­they might be armed and they could hurt you!" she said. She couldn''t put Darren at risk.

    "Maybe we just call the police and let them check?" she suggested.

    "That''s what I said earlier! Let''s go, we''ll call the police and wait for them to arrive across the street from your house," he said.

    It sounds like a workable plan. They stood up together.

    "Thanks Darren, you''ve truly been a great friend," she said.

    They left the cafe and made their way to her house.

 Chapter 43 - She Is Not Crazy

    "This is not a joke. We will let you off this once but if you call again with this prank, we will take action," the policeman warned Zi Mei sternly. He didn''t look too pleased. The police patrol car came about 10 minutes after they called them and they unlocked the door to let the two police officers in.

    After about 10 minutes, the two police officers came out looking rather annoyed. Pissed, even.

    "There was no one inside and everything looked to be in their place, there was no sign of any break in," one of them said.

    "Do both of you live here?" he asked.

    "No, it''s my house," Zi Mei said. He frowned at her.

    "Look, there was no one inside, we checked everywhere, there were no signs of any intruder at all," he said.

    "We noticed that you have installed security features such as grille on the windows and the skylight so it was impossible for anyone to get in without breaking through your front or back door, unless you didn''t lock your doors," he looked at her questioningly.

    "No, I always lock both my doors and check to make sure all my windows are locked too," she said.

    "Yet you called us to come check? Do you think it''s funny to prank us? You, young people have nothing better to do? Look, we have wasted our time here, please think before you call us next time," he said, scowling at her. He and his partner got back in their patrol car and drove off.

    Zi Mei looked at Darren and he shrugged.

    "So, maybe it was your imagination?" he said tentatively.

    She has to admit that it was just a feeling she had. She never did see anyone in her home. It just felt like someone was in there watching her. The sort of creepy feeling you get when someone is secretly watching you.

    She is still standing outside with Darren next to her. She didn''t feel like going in. The police has said that there was no one there but there was something ominous about the house now. As if it was holding its breath, waiting for her. Something in there was waiting for her. She can feel it.

    "Let''s go in¡­I will check everywhere with you again," Darren offered.

    She could feel her hairs standing on end again. She shivered. She couldn''t even bring herself to go near the door. She was not one to believe in supernatural beings and ghosts but for once, all the horror movies of ghosts and evil manifestations came to mind. Try as she might, she couldn''t get rid of the image of a ghost, a spectre, waiting for her in a dark corner of the house, waiting to pounce on her.

    "Let''s not Darren¡­I¡­I can''t go in there," she said.

    "Tell you what, I will go in then," Darren said. He opened the door and walked in before she could stop him. He left the door open. She peeked in as he walked around the front living room and went further inside. Soon, she couldn''t see him anymore. She held her breath in trepidation. What if that thing, whatever it is, caught hold of Darren? What will she do? What can she do??? She is not a ghostbuster. Heck, she doesn''t even believe in ghosts!!!

    "What''s going on?" a voice asked next to her and she screamed. Zi Mei jumped almost a mile up, her heart almost stopping.

    "Whoa¡­what''s with the panic?" it was Thorin. She didn''t know if she should kick him for scaring her or hug him. He scared the life out of her, if she has a heart problem, she would be lying dead on the ground right then and there. So she settled with a kick. She aimed at his shin but he sidestepped her easily.

    "What''s with the violence¡­" he said nonchalantly. She went to him and hit his chest but he caught her hand easily. He brought it to his lips and kissed her hand. "Stop it lil Zi, let''s keep kinky play in the bedroom, eh?"

    She spluttered in anger and snatched her hand away.

    "You scared me!"

    "Well, it''s not my fault that you were so engrossed with staring into your house that you didn''t hear me approaching," he replied in his usual infuriating manner. Then, he turned to peer into her house.

    "What are you looking at anyway? Something going on? Were there rats? Snakes? What?"

    "It just felt spooky¡­I am sure something is in there," she told him. She rubbed her arms which is still covered in goosebumps.

    "Spooky? As in ghosts?" he asked, curious.

    Just then Darren came out. He didn''t look like he was bleeding or frightened or was recently attacked by an unseen apparition.

    "That doesn''t look like a ghost, he looks like your friend, Darren," Thorin remarked. "I mean he''s not all that great looking but even I wouldn''t say he''s spooky,"

    "Not him! He went in to check for me, not thanks to your disappearance!" she said.

    "Disappearance? What are you talking about? I am here, aren''t I?" he looked puzzled.

    Darren frowned when he saw Thorin. He came over to them and gave Thorin a curt nod.

    "There''s nothing there Mei, I checked everywhere, even under your bed and the spare rooms, there was literally nothing, not a single ghost either," he said jokingly.

    "Ghosts eh? What''s with this sudden preoccupation with ghosts? Is it the time of the year already? I thought hungry ghost month is another month away," Thorin said. He looked puzzled and amused at the same time.

    "It was just a figure of speech," Darren told him, rolling his eyes.

    "Well, Zi Mei here looks like she''s seen a ghost, that''s for sure," Thorin remarked.

    "Probably that''s due to you being here now, after the police has gone. Where were you earlier when she needed you?" Darren asked, his tone accusatory.

    "Why do you people insist on saying I was not here, I am always around for lil Zi, ALWAYS," Thorin said, annoyance colouring his voice.

    "Oh really? Check your phone, she called you and you didn''t pick up," Darren challenged him. Thorin scowled at him, then looked at Zi Mei. She nodded in agreement.

    "Fine, here, I''ll show you, she didn''t even call me," Thorin said. He took out his phone and sure enough, there were no missed calls or messages from Zi Mei.

    "See? No calls from her since¡­.oh, since a few months ago¡­" he said, showing them his call history. When Zi Mei was living with him, she didn''t see the need to use her phone to call him. After all, he was within easy reach.

    "It can''t be! I dialled your number and it went to voice mail, I am sure of it!" she said. She took out her phone to show her call history. There were no outgoing calls to Thorin, Jessica, Jazzmine or Sheena. The only call she had made that day was to Darren. She is certain she dialled those numbers!

    The two men are now looking at her with weird expressions on their faces. They must think she is losing it or that she has lost it. But she knows for a fact that she made the calls. She dialled the numbers. She sent messages to them. She checked her messages. True enough, there were no messages sent to Thorin, Jessica, Jazzmine or Sheena.

    What is going on?

    "Maybe you need to go in and rest," Darren was saying to her. She glared at him. He is her best friend. He, of all people, should know that she wouldn''t lie about this!

    "Darren, you believe me don''t you?" she asked desperately.

    "Maybe¡­you forgot?" he said, uncomfortably.

    "No, no, no, I did call and send messages¡­I really did!" she insisted. She noticed a look passed between Darren and Thorin. It seems the animosity between them was now gone in light of her ''craziness''.

    "Let''s go in and rest, lil Zi," Thorin took her arm gently. He tried to guide her into her house but she refused to go in. She could sense something in there. Something evil.

    "I am NOT crazy! There is something there! I am sure of it!!!!" she said.. She pulled her arm free and then she ran.

 Chapter 44 - There Be Demons

    Zi Mei doesn''t know where she''s heading but it has to be as far away as possible from her house. It was too ominous. She is certain there is evil lurking inside. Why can''t Thorin feel it? Darren is human so it was only natural that he doesn''t feel a thing.

    Both Thorin and Darren are chasing after her although Thorin seemed to be catching up real fast. The old dragon looked like he was strolling effortlessly while Darren was panting as he ran after her. The adrenaline from the fear kept her going and she finally stopped after they are a few streets away. She chose a street corner, away from the traffic and people to stop.

    "Mei! What," Darren gasped. "Why, you, ran¡­" He bent over and panted, clutching his stomach.

    "Lil Zi¡­" Thorin looked unruffled. He looked like he had merely gone for a nice long stroll in the heat. "What''s going on?" he asked.

    He stood next to her, making no attempt to touch her. He was looking at her curiously. It is nearing dusk and yet the day is still hot and humid. The skies are still bright. She is sweating profusely from running. She wiped the sweat off her temples and forehead.

    "I told you, I sense something evil inside, I can''t go in," she told him. "Don''t you feel anything?" she asked him in a lower tone.

    Thorin slide a glance to Darren and then back at her. He gave her the briefest of nods and then turned back to Darren.

    "I''ll take care of my lil Zi from here, you can run along now,"Thorin told him, waving him away dismissively. Darren took another deep breath and then stood up. He stalked over to them.

    "No, I will not leave!" he declared. He went to Zi Mei and took her hand. She was so surprised, she stared at him. "I love Mei and I will do anything for her!" he said. She gaped at him. What is he doing?? She quickly pulled her hand from his.

    "Darren¡­" she started to say but he stopped her.

    "No, you can''t continue dating this guy, he''s married and he obviously doesn''t care about you at all," he said. Thorin was not amused by this.

    He draw himself up to his full height, towering over Darren.

    "Who are you to say you know how I feel about my lil Zi?" he snarled. He snatched up Zi Mei''s hand and dragged her over to his side. "She is mine, it is time you realise that, so while I am being nice about it, go away,"

    Darren was not cowed. He stood up to his own full height and glared at Thorin.

    "You are married, you have no right to her!" he retorted and attempted to snatch Zi Mei''s hand from Thorin.

    This looks like a scene from a bad B-grade romance movie, Zi Mei thought before she pulled her hand from Thorin''s and stepped away from both men.

    "Do you want to duel at sunrise while you are at it?" she asked them sarcastically. Honestly, they sounded like they are fighting over a prized toy.

    Both men turned to her, Darren looked sheepish but Thorin was¡­just Thorin with his permanent haughty arrogant expression.

    "Look Mei, you already know how I feel about you seeing him," Darren said.

    "Lil Zi, we have to talk," Thorin said.

    Both of them spoke in unison. She looked at them. She does have to talk to Thorin and he did acknowledge her fear of something in her house with his brief nod earlier. She looked at Darren.

    "It''s okay, Darren, I have to talk to him anyway," she said.

    Darren widened his eyes in surprise, a frown marring his face.

    "Are you sure?" he asked, uncertainty colouring his voice.

    "Yes, Darren, let me talk to Thorin, we have things to discuss anyway," she said firmly.

    Darren gave Thorin a warning look.

    "You better not hurt her again," he warned.

    "Call me if you need anything, anything at all!" he told her. Then he slowly walked away, turning to steal glances at them at every few step.

    "Hurt you? Why did he believe that I hurt you?" Thorin asked, perplexed.

    "Can we go somewhere to talk?" she asked instead.

    Thorin head to a wall and a door appeared. He opened it and waited for her to enter first. Of course, his house is always at easy reach.

    It felt good to be back at his house. She missed the strange mix of contemporary and vintage decor. She walked down the long hallway with gardens on both sides and then stopped at one of french doors leading to one of the gardens. The English garden. She liked it. She opened the door and went into the garden. It was nice and cooling. It felt like it was mid-morning in that garden. She found the bench where she had sat in and where Thorin had first touched her and she climaxed just from his fingers. It felt like it was years ago.

    "I''m surprised you chose this garden," he remarked. He sat next to her on the bench.

    "So, what was in my house? You felt it too, didn''t you??" she asked. She didn''t want to waste any time with small talk and reminiscing the past.

    For once, Thorin looked uncomfortable. His suave and cool nonchalance is gone.

    "I never thought they would go after you," he said mysteriously.

    Really? Now he is choosing to be mysterious?

    "Please Thorin, stop with the riddles and mystery, just tell me what is it or who," she said.

    "You see, the dragons are in charge of maintaining the balance of the universe," he said. She rolled her eyes.

    "Yes, yes, you''ve told me that before, can we move on and get to the point please?"

    "Okay, to cut it all short, since you are so impatient, the chaos or the dark powers do not like us keeping balance, they are always finding ways to tip it over to their side so they are now trying to get to me through you," he said in one long run-on sentence.

    Zi Mei nodded. See? It wasn''t so hard to get to the point.

    "Wait what??" she asked. What did he just say?

    "Okay, to put it on simple human terms, I have enemies, they want to get rid of me but I am too powerful so they chose to get rid of you instead," he explained.

    "WAIT WHAT?"

    He sighed.

    "Bad people are after me, they can''t get me so they went after you," he tried to explain again.

    "No, no, I get it but I am shocked. WHY DO I ONLY FIND OUT ABOUT THIS NOW???" she half shouted. It is one thing to be chased by human, very mortal loansharks, but it is entirely quite another thing to be targeted by supernatural beings.

    "What are they? Demons? Devils? Djinns? Ghosts? Ghouls? What?" she asked.

    "I guess, you humans call them demons," he said.

    "DEMONS ARE AFTER ME TO GET TO YOU??? SHUDDUP!" she exclaimed. She jumped up.

    "This was not in the contract! I did not sign up for demons! What is the meaning of this! How do I even fight demons? With holy water? With a cross? Garlic? A wooden stake? What? Oh my fucking gawd!" panic is rising within her.

    How does one even escape being attacked by demons?? Then she remembered that Thorin had almost dragged her into her house that was FULL OF DEMONS earlier. She glared at him.

    "The demons were in my house and you almost dragged me in there! How could you! Am I your sacrificial lamb now? Were you offering me up as a sacrifice? THAT was NOT in the contract!" she was so mad, she was almost shouting at him.

    Thorin, being Thorin, was unperturbed. He looked at her calmly and rolled his eyes at her theatrics.

    "You are under my protection, why would I offer you up as a sacrifice?" he asked calmly.

    "Oh, I don''t know, I lost our first child and I am of no use to you, maybe, how would I know what you think???" she retorted. She is now pacing nervously.

    Thorin stood up and held her to stop her. He pulled her into his embrace and she let him. She is too strung up and too scared, she needed the comfort of his touch. Although she also felt like she wanted to kick him too.

    "Lil Zi, I will protect you at all costs, they have left your house when I got there, what you sense were just remnants of their essence," he told her. He kissed her forehead gently.

    "Do you really think so little of me? I would never let anyone harm you no matter what," he murmured. He sighed.

    "I am sorry for getting you involved in this at all, I think maybe you should move back in here with me so that I can protect you," he suggested.

 Chapter 45 - The Power Of Light, No, Not The Torchlight

    "Move back in here?" Zi Mei repeated his suggestion. She disengaged from him and stood apart.

    She had just regained her independence and freedom. It was lonely living alone and sometimes scary. Earlier today was scary. Still, she was independent. She was free. She could do whatever she wanted, go anywhere she wanted. She was living like a carefree college student. For once in her life, she was leading as normal a life as possible, except for the part of being a baby making slave to a few thousand year old dragon. She doesn''t have to eke out a living and worry about loansharks or her father stealing all her hard-earned money to gamble it all away.

    Now, she will have to move back to being his baby making slave. Granted, she has been given several months'' reprieve from making babies to heal from the miscarriage. She didn''t want this. Not just yet.

    "Can''t you do something about those demons so that I can go back home?" she asked Thorin. Her anger has deflated from Thorin''s embrace. She only wanted to maintain her normal human life as much as possible before they try making dragon babies again. She has at least another five months to experience a normal student life.

    "Alternatively, I can move in with you," Thorin suggested. "With me there, they would never be so brazen to enter your house again,"

    She narrowed her eyes at him. Having Thorin in her house would definitely make her feel safer. Though, her house is not as luxurious and magical as his ever-changing house with his multitude gardens. Wouldn''t he feel uncomfortable?

    "Will Jessica and Lim and all your other aides and assistants move in too? My house isn''t all that big¡­I only have two other spare rooms," she said.

    "It''s fine. They don''t have to be there with us at all," he said dismissively.

    "I suppose, you can always use the guest room," she conceded. He raised an eyebrow.

    "Guest room? Aren''t we sharing a bed?" he asked suggestively. She felt her face reddened. Living with Thorin again will definitely mean sleeping with him again every day. Her heart thumped and she could feel her body responding in excitement. Traitorous body, she thought to herself.

    "I can''t conceive yet," she reminded him, clearing her throat.

    "There are always contraception and other ways," he responded.

    "I¡­I am not ready to get back to it," she said though her body seemed to think otherwise.

    "Really?" he asked, looking like he doesn''t believe her. He gave her a knowing grin and stepped close to her.

    Her stomach is now in knots and her pulse is doing the salsa at the thought of sleeping with Thorin again. His proximity is not helping either. The image of his naked muscled body leaning over hers came to mind and she swallowed hard. Even if Thorin didn''t seduce her, her traitorous body will probably jump on him and hump him like she''s on heat.

    She felt the urge to smack herself and her horny self. There is just something irresistible about the old dragon, not to mention her deep crush on him. She studied his handsome profile surreptitiously and raised her chin in fake bravado.

    "Yes, really, I am not ready," she declared, hoping she doesn''t sound like she is lying.

    He traced a finger down her cheek and she gasped, every nerve ending tingling from that whisper of a touch. Every sense is screaming at her to hug him and kiss him but she kept a tight rein on her traitorous horny body.

    "Hmmm¡­I guess you are right," Thorin remarked. He bend to whisper into her ears. "I am ready anytime you want me, don''t forget that," he said suggestively.

    He brushed the barest of a touch of his lips on the sensitive spot on her neck. She held her breath, trying not to react, then Thorin moved away. Her pulse is now tripping over so fast, she felt as if she is getting a heart attack. She was barely containing herself from melting straight into Thorin''s arms.

    "Well, I hope there won''t be spikes," she retorted, trying to save any shred of self respect.

    Thorin scowled at her.

    "That was only once, it won''t happen again," he said, sounding miffed.

    Now that she got the upper hand, she shrugged and grinned cheekily at him.

    "Well, we never know when you could lose control again right?" she said.

    "I know for a fact that it won''t happen again!"

    "Okayyyy¡­if you say so," she winked at him cheekily.

    "So, are we going back to your place or will you move back here?" he changed the subject. Obviously he is still sore about the whole spike incident. It only happened once and it felt like it happened ages ago but it was not something that Zi Mei could have easily forgotten. Nobody can forget that.

    "You can stay in the guest room in my house," she replied Thorin. She prefers to continue living in her own home. With Thorin there, she won''t have to worry about demons and break-ins by humans too.

    "But I want to know why is it that I was unable to contact you or Jessica or Lim earlier?" this had puzzled her. She is certain she tried calling them. "I couldn''t even contact my friends Jazzmine and Sheena,"

    "These are modern demons, they have found a way to interfere with modern human technology," he explained. "They interfered with your communications so that you couldn''t call anyone,"

    That doesn''t make sense.

    "I could call Darren. Why is that?" she asked. "So they could even block me from calling for you the usual way?"

    Even Thorin was puzzled by that anomaly.

    "It is strange that you could get through to Darren," he agreed. "As for not being able to call for me, I find that strange too, by right, they would not be powerful enough to interfere in my connection to you,"

    "Will they be back? What if they are more powerful than you thought?" she asked. She has never dealt with dragons before this and now demons. This is beginning to sound like she is stuck in some B-grade supernatural TV series with Thorin as the lead male character and she as the weak female character.

    "Does salt work on them? Maybe spells? Holy water? The cross? Burning frankincense and sage? Maybe a talisman from the temple?" she asked.

    Thorin laughed. His deep baritone voice booming in mirth in the garden. She glared at him. She was being serious. That was what all those supernatural and ghost movies used.

    "None of those worked, these are powerful beings, you can only fight them with the power of light," he replied.

    "Power of light? Will a torchlight do? Maybe I install powerful spotlights..that should work right?" she asked. If they can be vanquished with powerful light, that''s easily solved. Thank god for modern technology and bright LED lights.

    Thorin burst into another bout of laughter.

    "No, no, not that kind of light," he said in between his laughter. She scowled at him. It is not nice to laugh when she doesn''t understand any of this!

    "Well, then, tell me what kind of light???" she asked. She crossed her arms on her chest in annoyance.

    "The kind that is generated by magic, by dragon shapeshifters," he replied finally.

    "Fine, then, generate some and put it all over my house for me," she said.

    This elicited another bout of laughter. She is so annoyed now, she went to him and kicked him. That stopped him alright. He jumped away and looked at her in surprise.

    "What was that for?"

    "Stop laughing!" she said. "It is not funny!"

    "Okay okay, it''s not the kind of light that you can bottle up as spare, let''s call it an aura sort of thing, with me being there, I will emit this aura and it will deter them from coming," he explained, still smiling and trying to stifle his laughter.

    Zi Mei nodded. She sort of understands it. So, there is no other way but to have Thorin move in with her.

    "Fine, so, as long as you are in my house, they will never come in again?" she asked, to be certain. He nodded.

    She extended her hand.

    "Alright then, welcome my dear Drags, you are now my new roommate,"

 Chapter 46 - Roommates With Benefits

    Thorin shook Zi Mei''s hands.

    "Here''s to being roommates with benefits," Thorin said, winking at her mischievously.

    "No, no, no, no benefits!" she replied adamantly.

    As much as she is attracted to him and her traitorous body wants to jump on him, she will try NOT to get in bed with him. At least, not yet. She needs to get over her trauma from the miscarriage first. She might just freeze up the moment they got on the bed. It would not be good for her and for him if that happened.

    "Hmmm¡­are you sure? It''ll be kinda boring to just be regular roommates," Thorin looked disappointed.

    "Well, I definitely expect you to do your part as a roommate, please just don''t leave a mess," she told him. Thorin rolled his eyes at her. He gestured at his immaculate white shirt and suit.

    "Look at me, lil Zi, do I look like the type to clean up messes I left behind??" he asked.

    "Well, too bad, I am not your maid¡­the contract never said anything about cleaning up your mess!" she replied pointedly.

    Thorin didn''t reply. Instead he strolled off, heading back into the house. Zi Mei stomped after him. So typical of him to walk away in the middle of a conversation. Rude old dragon, she thought.

    She made faces at his back as she followed him. "Oooo look at me, I am such a pretty boy, wearing my perfect suit, I can''t lift a single finger to clean up my mess," she muttered mockingly under her breath.

    Thorin suddenly stopped and turned to her.

    "What was that? You said something?"

    Zi Mei clamped her mouth shut and put on a wide-eyed innocent look.

    "What was what? Huh? Who said what? " she asked innocently. She pretended to look around in surprise. "Nope, no one said anything, are you hearing things?"

    He frowned at her. Obviously he heard her. He swung around and continued to walk away without waiting for her.

    "Wait, Drags, are we going back now?" she called out to him as she tried to keep in step with him. The damned dragon with his long legs has long wide strides that made it hard for her to keep up with him. She literally had to run. He paused and waited for her to catch up.

    "Not really, I''ll send my team over to cleanse your place, we will go back tomorrow," he told her. "I need to get back to work so you can¡­do whatever it is that you do," he said.

    Then he vanished, leaving her alone at the brightly lit corridor with french doors and gardens flanking both sides. She didn''t bring her books with her. She only has her handbag with her now. Thorin''s place is magical and fun but it is like a prison to her. It reminded her of the days she spent wandering around waiting to ''serve'' Thorin.

    She shuddered. She never wanted to go back to those days. She didn''t even know how she lived through that. Spending days doing nothing, reading in the library and then waiting to be Thorin''s sex slave. It was a depraved and sad life. She sees that now.

    Perhaps that was why the miscarriage traumatised her so much. She literally had nothing going for her. Her whole existence here at that time relied fully on Thorin and his attention. So the thought of having something that belonged to her gave her some sort of control over her own life even though she had lost it when she found out. All the therapists Thorin made her see didn''t help because she was still living here. In this house where it all happened. She doesn''t think she even wants to go into the room she shared with Thorin. It might just bring back unwanted memories.

    She may be Thorin''s contracted mistress and baby making slave but she will never let him be the sole purpose of her existence again. It is time she finds a purpose for her own life and lead her own life apart from him. Staying in her own house was a good move.

    She wandered down the corridor, admiring the many wondrous gardens. It looks like she may have to stay over here for tonight but she didn''t want to sleep in their room. Not the one with the skimpy prostitute clothes. Not ever again.

    "Wait¡­I can''t go back home but that doesn''t mean I have to stay here!" she realised. She took out her phone and made a call to Jazzmine.

    "Hey Jazzmine, what do you think about a sleepover in a hotel tonight?" she asked the moment her friend picked up.

    "Zi Mei, I am sorry, I can''t. I have another important assignment due and I am struggling with it right now," Jazzmine was apologetic. Zi Mei sighed.

    Why do people always assume that college students lead carefree and easy lives? Judging from her friends, they are always saddled with assignments and homework and projects and exams, they barely have time to hang out nowadays. She tried Sheena instead.

    "Sorry babe! I¡­err¡­am busy right now," Sheena said breathlessly and giggled. Then the line got cut off. A moment later, Sheena sent her a brief message "Sorry, bz" along with kissing and couple emojis. Zi Mei grinned. Sheena is always hooking up with one guy or another. She sure is one party girl despite her recent breakup with her boyfriend.

    Now, there''s only Darren. Only Darren has time for her and they are taking similar courses now. She wondered if Darren had informed his parents about dropping out of engineering and taking up art with her. They might have a fit. They might even withdraw financial support. Since she is now a rich person, although she doesn''t feel like it at all, she could even offer to pay for Darren''s full education. Of course she couldn''t do that, Darren would question where she got the money from.

    She can''t very well invite him for a hotel sleepover. Thorin will have a fit and Darren might misinterpret it as something more. She was so desperate she contemplated calling Jessica. Then she thought better of it. That icy cold dragon woman is barely good company. She might even make her more depressed.

    Zi Mei briefly considered asking Thorin to go with her to a hotel. He might just misinterpret it too. Inviting a man, even a dragon shapeshifter man, to a hotel room can only mean one thing.

    "Argh. What should I do then?" she asked the empty space. Obviously no one replied. She stomped down the corridor and imagined the luxurious living room. A door appeared. She opened it and came to the living room. She flung herself on the sofa and lay there for a moment. Thinking.

    "Lim? You around here somewhere?" she asked the empty room.

    The ever-polite bodyguard appeared. He bowed.

    "Yes?"

    "I am bored," she told him. He merely nodded and didn''t reply. He was never one for conversation.

    "How do you get rid of demons?" she asked him. She is treating him like her own personal Alexa. Except that he has all the right answers about the dragon shapeshifters and their world. He looked slightly taken aback by her question.

    "I can get rid of the lesser demons but the more powerful ones only Master Thorin can get rid of them," he replied.

    "Oh, can I get rid of them myself then? Potions and spells? Blood of the dragon? Horn of the unicorn? Anything?" she asked. Surely there is a way for a human to fight demons.

    Lim looked uncomfortable.

    "Blood of the dragon?" he swallowed nervously.

    Zi Mei clapped her hands over her mouth. She had merely said it as a figure of speech. The sort of things that you say when it comes to all things supernatural and magical.

    "Oh no! Sorry, sorry. No, no, I was just asking, I didn''t mean it¡­although¡­" she eyed him contemplatively. "Can I even hurt a dragon? Is that even possible?"

    Lim nodded. "Yes, you can obtain blood of dragons¡­but it was solely used in black magic so I would advise that you do not do that,"

    Oh so she can hurt dragons despite their powers. She wondered how do humans hurt dragon shapeshifters and what sort of black magic uses dragon''s blood. Out of curiosity, of course. Not that she intended to do anything like that.

    "So, I can like cut you with a knife and get your blood?" she asked Lim. Now, he looked extremely uncomfortable.

    "No, Miss Zi Mei, actually, we can''t be hurt by a mortal weapon but there are other ways which I am not allowed to divulge to you," he replied.

    She shrugged. It''s not as if she wanted to hurt him or Thorin or any of the dragon shapeshifters. What would she need the blood of a dragon for anyway?

    "Can you book me a nice hotel room for tonight? One without demons of course," she asked him instead. He nodded then he disappeared.

    "Hotel room? Why do you need that?" Thorin appeared next to her, making her jump. Great. Why does he have to appear now?

    "Don''t you have work or something?" she asked him.

    "I didn''t want to leave you alone here for too long but looks like you''ve found something to amuse yourself with," he drawled.

    "So....a hotel room? What do you have planned for us?" he asked, his eyes glowing in anticipation.

 Chapter 47 - When You Talk About Orgies

    "So, which hotel are we staying at? Are we going now?" Thorin asked.

    Zi Mei glared at Thorin.

    "So bold of you to think that I am inviting you along," she retorted. He raised an eyebrow.

    "But of course I am going along¡­you need my bright aura around you," he replied.

    He has a point there. The demons can get to her at a hotel too.

    "Fine, you can come along BUT," she paused and fixed a stern stare at him. "Nothing will happen there, I only wanted a place to spend the night,"

    Thorin shrugged off his jacket and then started unbuttoning his crisp white shirt. Zi Mei gulped. What is he doing undressing here right now in front of her??

    "Why, why¡­what are you doing!" she exclaimed, averting her eyes. She did not need to see his sculpted abs and utterly delicious muscled and well defined body. As it is, her pulse is doing strange things just from seeing him.

    "I am changing, of course, what were you thinking?" he asked innocently as he pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. He leaned over to her, his half naked body so close to her, she could almost reach over and touch him.

    "Why? Does my body bother you?" he asked mischievously. She reached out and pushed him away but her hand came upon smooth hard muscles that wouldn''t budge. His hand came up and held hers.

    "Honestly, lil Zi¡­I have ideas on what we can do at the hotel¡­" he smirked. She snatched her hand away from his as if burnt. She might have been his mistress and at his beck and call for a few months before this. But now, she is not going to behave like some lovelorn horny teenager who will jump into bed with him the moment the handsome old dragon strips.

    He is so old, she reminded herself. He is so old he is literally an ancestor, she added, trying to calm her thumping heart and her traitorous body from reacting to being so near to him.

    "I have an idea to ONLY SLEEP in the hotel room," she responded clearly.

    Thorin chuckled ominously. He strolled off and then pulled on a plain white t-shirt which he somehow seemed to have picked from mid-air.

    "We will see," he murmured. He threw himself on the sofa, lounging on it comfortably and eyeing her with his deep brown eyes that has a strange silvery glint to it.

    She swallowed. She has no doubts that he will not force her into anything but she also has no doubts that her traitorous body might just jump on him and throw caution to the wind.

    Lim came back a few minutes later and informed them that he had booked a suite for Zi Mei at a five-star hotel by the beach. Thorin nodded in approval.

    "That sounds good, let''s go," he snapped his fingers and before she could even blink, they are at the hotel lobby.

    "Thorin!" she gasped. Her stomach roiled and she gagged. It felt as if she was just being held upside down and swung around in circles really fast. Her head is slightly spinning. She grabbed on to Thorin before she keel over and his arms automatically went around her to hold her.

    "What. Did. You. Do!" she gasped in between breaths. She was now panting and holding in her gagging reflex. The world is spinning as if she was drunk. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

    "I apologise, I forgot that you are not used to this," he murmured. He held her and rubbed her back till the world stopped spinning. She slowly opened her eyes. The nausea is now gone.

    "We could have taken your car right? What if someone saw us appear out of thin air right here?" she hissed at him.

    He shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Humans can''t see us ''appearing out of thin air''¡­somehow, they will be conditioned to think that we walked in like regular humans," he told her. He led her to the lounge area and let her sit down on the plush seating.

    "Let me check in for us, you wait here," he said. She nodded and rubbed her temple. She is still slightly dizzy but fortunately she didn''t feel like she''s going to throw up or faint. She looked at Thorin saunter confidently to the reception counter where the young woman at the counter simpered and giggled at him, making goo-goo eyes at him to boot.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes and looked away. Typical. No wonder Thorin is so vain and arrogant. Women do literally fall all over his feet. Ugh. She slid a sideways glance at him, leaning over the counter, looking effortlessly stylish. There is now two women at the reception, giggling at him. Really? Is that even necessary, she thought.

    After he got the room key and informed them that he doesn''t have any luggage, he strolled over to her. The women are still giggling and whispering between each other while openly ogling at him.

    "Wow, what a fan club you have there," she remarked when he reached her. He smirked.

    "I told you, I can have any woman I wanted," he reminded her. He offered her his arm gallantly. "But I can''t be with any of them, I can only be with you, only you," he added.

    Her heart did that funny little somersault at that. Trust Thorin to say the sweetest thing even though it was not a direct declaration of love or anything. She took his arm and followed him.

    He led her to the elevator. As the elevator takes them up, he said, "You know, I can be with other women, and men, too¡­with you around,"

    Her head whipped around so fast she could have pulled a muscle. She stared at him to see if he was joking but his expression is his usual poker face.

    "What do you mean?"

    "If you like to experiment around with other couples, I am always game for it too," he said cryptically.

    "You mean an orgy?" she asked a bit too loudly just as the elevator opens its doors to their floor and there was a couple with two small children standing there. They stared at her, agape. They obviously heard her loud and clear. Then the mother glared at her and held her children close to her.

    Zi Mei blushed and hurried out, pulling an amused Thorin with her. After they got into their suite, Thorin burst out laughing his deep baritone laugh. The sound of it sends delicious shivers down her spine, despite her mortification and annoyance.

    "I don''t know which is funnier, the look on your face or the look on their faces," he said in between his hoots of laughter.

    Zi Mei glared at him.

    "Haha¡­very funny!" she said sarcastically.

    "It is," he said, still chuckling mirthfully. He lounged on the sofa of the suite''s living room.

    "Now, out with it! Explain what you meant," she said. She crossed her arms and stood there, refusing to go near him.

    "It was exactly what I meant. I will not be able to mate with another human female but if you wanted an orgy, we can have an orgy with other females and males present," he said.

    She narrowed her eyes at him.

    "So I can sleep with multiple men as long as you''re there to be with multiple women at the same time?" she asked.

    "Oh no no no¡­this only applies after you''ve given me the heirs I need, not before," he said.

    "Honestly, you don''t mind at all to watch me doing it with other men in the same room?" she prodded again.

    He jumped up and pulled her to him. His face is now mere inches from hers.

    "Why? Do you have multiple men you want to have sex with? Is Darren one of them?" he asked quietly.

    Did she sense jealousy there? Hope rose within her. If he is jealous, it meant that he might have some feelings for her too.

    "So, what if it''s Darren?" she lied, pretending to be matter-of-fact about it. She saw anger flashed in his eyes before it went out to be replaced by a cold impassive look.

    "Then I will have to remind you the conditions of our contract, you best stay away from him until you gave me heirs," he said coldly.

    "For now, you have any sexual needs, I will gladly comply," he added. He traced a finger down her cheek and his lips followed ever so gently. She stopped herself from moaning but instead pushed him away.

    "Hey! That''s not fair! You were the one who mentioned orgies and group sex with other men and women!" she said indignantly while hoping he couldn''t hear her loud thumping heart.

    "I am merely reminding you not to hope that you get a chance with your little human boyfriend because you signed a contract with me so you belonged to me," he said coolly. He sauntered back to the sofa and sprawled on it comfortably.

    "Ya ya ya¡­I''m your baby making slave, you don''t have to keep reminding me," she shot back, rolling her eyes. "Well, this baby maker is on leave due to a recent loss and this baby maker is going to bed now, ALONE," she said.

    She stomped to the bedroom. Thank dragons for being rich. They can afford a nice huge suite with a living room and a bedroom.. Too bad Lim didn''t get them the two-bedroom suite.

 Chapter 48 - Super Well Endowed And Hot

    Zi Mei sat stewing on the bed in the bedroom. Cursing the infuriating old dragon. Does he have to keep reminding her about the blasted contract? It was not something anyone could easily forget. Signing over your body as a baby making slave to a three thousand years old dragon shapeshifter is not something one could forget in a jiffy. Her heart ached at the way he mentioned it coldly mere moments ago. Did she mean nothing more than a vessel to carry his heirs?

    Forget it, Zi Mei! He has already warned you that he doesn''t believe in love. You are just being silly to fall in love with him. Stupid, stupid woman, she admonished herself. Still, her heart twisted at the thought. She needed to think about something else other than Thorin and their complicated relationship.

    She took out her phone and texted Darren. She needed to apologise for turning him away and disappearing with Thorin like that. Essentially, she had chosen Thorin over Darren. She doesn''t even know if she would ever have chosen Darren if the situation is different. If she had not been in love with Thorin. If she had not felt an ounce of anything towards Thorin. If she had never met Thorin.

    "Darren, I am so sorry," she texted.

    "Are you alright? Where are you?" he replied almost immediately.

    "At a hotel, I am too spooked to stay at home tonight." She replied.

    "What??? You checked into a hotel with HIM???"

    Okay. This is threatening to turn into another "leave him, he''s no good for you" conversation.

    "No, I am alone." She lied. It''s not as if Darren will ever find out anyway. She doubt that Thorin will tell Darren about spending the night in a hotel with her.

    "Do you want me to come over? I can keep you company. ;)"

    She stared at the message. Was he being a good friend or was there something more to it?

    "S''okay, I''ll brave it out alone, binge of bad movies, order room service, living the life." She replied.

    "Which hotel are you at? I can come over now."

    "Don''t worry about it. I am fine being alone here." She replied. She can''t let him come over.

    "Look, I am not gonna jump on you and attack you! I just want to keep you company and be there for you. No hanky-panky. Promise."

    Something about that message jangled. It seemed off. It didn''t sound like Darren. But then again, she did reject him.

    "Look. I won''t even mention my embarrassing declaration of love earlier which you rejected and stomped on." Came another message. Now she felt bad. She did hurt him by choosing Thorin over Darren. But that can''t be helped. She tried to think of a way to let Darren down gently. Just then a message from Jazzmine came in.

    "Mei. I am so sorry about earlier. I was really buried."

    "Jazzy, don''t worry. I am fine."

    "Free to talk now?" Jazzmine asked.

    "Sure. Video call?" she replied.

    Then Jazzmine was calling her on video call. She answered immediately. Her friend looked as frazzled as she sounded earlier. Her hair was a jumbled mess.

    "Hey babe. Wow. Where are you?" Jazzmine''s eyes widened when she noticed the plush surroundings behind Zi Mei. Zi Mei showed her the luxurious room. The gorgeous king-sized bed. The expensive furnishings.

    "I''m in a hotel," Zi Mei said.

    "Oooooo¡­.are you there with someone, hmmm?" Jazzmine wiggled her eyebrows. Zi Mei laughed.

    "No, I am alone," she lied, hoping that Thorin will not decide to waltz in while she is still talking to Jazzmine. Her friend frowned. She looked worried.

    "Why are you in a hotel?"

    "Someone broke into my house and, don''t worry, nothing happened, but I was spooked so I decided to spend a night in a hotel to sort of calm my nerves," she said.

    "What??? OMG! Did you see them? What did they steal?? I am glad you are okay," Jazzmine was shocked.

    "No, no, they didn''t take anything, strangely," she decided to be partially honest about it.

    "Do you think it''s the loansharks? Did they come back maybe?"

    "No, no, not the loansharks, I''ve settled all my debts thanks to Thorin so it can''t be them,"

    "Could it be that your father took more loans?" Jazzmine suggested tentatively. This brought on another worry. Her father could very well do that wherever he is right now. He doesn''t know she''s now a millionaire but still, he is a gambler. Gamblers rarely ever get over their addiction.

    She shook her head. She''s overthinking it. Thorin said her father ran away to another state far away. So, even if he took new loans, surely they wouldn''t be able to track her down. Especially when she has moved out from their old house.

    "I don''t think so¡­" she told Jazzmine.

    Jazzmine thought over it for a moment.

    "Did you call the police?" she asked.

    Zi Mei told her about the police''s reaction. Jazzmine shook her head.

    "Trust the police to be assholes sometimes," she said.

    "Anyway, I needed to ask you something." Jazzmine changed the subject. "Did you notice anything strange about Darren recently?" she asked.

    Zi Mei kept her expression neutral. Surely Darren has not told Jazzmine about his confession of love to her and she had rejected him to go with Thorin?

    "What do you mean?" she pretended not to know anything.

    "There''s just something off about him¡­I noticed it a few days ago," Jazzmine said.

    "Off?" this is new. Darren seemed normal. Sure, he had confessed and tried to get her to leave Thorin but that''s nothing strange about it. If Jazzmine and Sheena knew about her and Thorin, they would also ask her to leave him.

    "Yes, he was behaving strangely a few days ago," Jazzmine said.

    "Strange in what way?"

    "Well, he was asking me all these things about you, what you like to eat, your favourite colour, where you usually like to go¡­"

    Now, that is strange. Darren has known her for ages. He knows all these things about her. Why would he ask Jazzmine?

    "He did that?" she was puzzled. It didn''t sound like Darren at all. "Maybe he''s teasing you?"

    "No, no, he was quite serious about it. He said he needed to know to take care of you better," Jazzmine said.

    That sounded even stranger.

    "That doesn''t sound like him at all¡­are you sure it was Darren you were talking to?" Zi Mei asked, partly in jest.

    "Actually, he only asked me through texts, we didn''t actually speak on the phone or meet up," Jazzmine said.

    "Maybe someone else was using his phone?" Zi Mei suggested. Maybe it''s a college mate who took Darren''s phone and did that as a prank.

    "That''s what I thought too, maybe that''s it," Jazzmine agreed.

    "Look, Jazzy¡­I know how you feel about Darren," Zi Mei didn''t want to hide the fact that she knew about her friend''s crush on Darren.

    Jazzmine blushed. She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath before looking directly at Zi Mei.

    "I know you like him too, and from the way he looks at you, he probably felt the same way about you, so I won''t get between both of you," she said in a rush.

    "No, no, Jazzy! You got it wrong! I don''t like him like that!" she immediately protested. She inhaled. She might as well confide in Jazzmine.

    "I am in love with Thorin and I am in sort of a relationship with him," she blurted. Jazzmine was shocked into silence.

    "You mean you are his mistress?" her friend whispered. Disbelief is written all over her face. There is no other way to say it. Zi Mei nodded. She is technically Thorin''s mistress.

    "But¡­" sudden realisation came over Jazzmine''s face. "Now I get it¡­that''s why he settled your debts? I was wondering why he was being so generous," then she studied Zi Mei.

    "Did you sleep with him?" she asked in a lowered tone, even though she''s alone in her room and Zi Mei is technically alone in the room.

    Zi Mei nodded shyly. Jazzmine gasped. Zi Mei has never had a boyfriend before and though Sheena tends to share intimate details of her every relationship, Zi Mei doesn''t think she is as open as Sheena. She only hoped Jazzmine won''t immediately judge her as a cheap slut who sleeps with the first man who offered to settle her debts. Although, technically, that was what she did.

    "Is he any good? Does he look as good naked as he does with clothes on?" Jazzmine asked, curiously. No judgement there. Only curiosity. Zi Mei narrowed her eyes at Jazzmine. Her friend shrugged and grinned.

    "He is exceedingly good looking and you can''t blame me¡­of course I''ve wondered what he looked like naked¡­is he..you know¡­well endowed?" she asked, giggling. Zi Mei giggled along. She glanced behind to make sure Thorin had not secretly snuck into the room. After making sure that it''s clear, she whispered.

    "Super well endowed and so hot¡­phewwww" she rolled her eyes and fanned herself.

    Jazzmine giggled and she looked envious now.

    "Dang¡­I wouldn''t mind that hotness either," she said. Then a thought came to her mind. "But, he''s married isn''t it? What about his wife?"

    If Zi Mei didn''t know about the fake marriage between Thorin and Jessica, she would have felt guilty. However, she can''t tell Jazzmine that. She settled with the lie she told Darren.

    "Oh, they are separated," she said. Jazzmine nodded at that. Then her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, gaping at something behind Zi Mei.

    Zi Mei turned around.

 Chapter 49 - [Bonus ] When Everything Turns Dark

    Zi Mei was chatting with Jazzmine on video in her hotel room when Jazzmine looked surprised and gaped at something behind Zi Mei. Feeling goosebumps racing across her skin, raising the little hairs on her arms and neck, Zi Mei whipped around.

    It was Darren. Her first response was shock. How did he find her? Most importantly, how did he get in? Surely, Thorin didn''t let him in!

    "Darren? What are you doing here??" she asked. Her best friend looked sad and a tiny bit different. He saw Jazzmine on the screen and he waved.

    "Hey Jazzmine. You want to come over and join us? We can have a party here," he said. Jazzmine blushed and shook her head.

    "It''s getting late, I was just checking in on Mei, you guys have fun, good night!" she said and immediately signed off before Zi Mei could say anything. Zi Mei put down her phone and turned to Darren.

    "How? Who let you in?" she asked him.

    He didn''t reply her. Instead, he looked around the room and whistled.

    "Wow, you sure do live it up! This must be an expensive suite," he said.

    "Darren? How did you get in here?" Zi Mei asked again. She is getting goosebumps again. She is suddenly afraid of Darren. She backed away from him slowly.

    "Your door was not locked, you know it''s dangerous for a girl to be staying in a hotel room alone and you forgot to lock the door!" he said.

    He looked at her and smiled. It creeped her out. He looked like Darren. His voice sounded like Darren but she knew deep in her heart that this is not Darren. There was something different about him and she can''t put her finger on what it was that was different.

    He walked towards her and she backed away again.

    "What''s the matter? Why are you afraid of me?" he asked, still grinning that creepy grin. Still walking towards her. She shivered. There was definitely something off about this person and it is not Darren.

    "Thorin! Where are you???!!!" She suddenly shouted. Darren or the thing that looked like Darren glared at her.

    "Why are you calling for that old man? I told you that you are better off breaking up with him isn''t it?" he hissed as he continued to advance towards her. She shrank away from him, backing up and reaching the balcony doors.

    "Darren¡­what are you doing¡­" she mumbled, fear snaking down her spine.

    "You are better off with me, Mei, come with me, I will be a better boyfriend," Darren said, smiling sweetly at her. The smile still creeped her out. It was like a mannequin suddenly cracking a smile.

    She sidled past the balcony doors, trying to find a way to run from him. He suddenly lunged and before she could jump out of the way, he grabbed on to her arm and dragged her close to him. A thick putrid stench hit her nostrils.

    Nope. This is not Darren, her brain told her. A scream swelled in her throat and she let it loose. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! She struggled against the thing that looked like Darren but its hold on her was strong, like a vice.

    "Thorin!! Thorin!! Lim! Jessica! Anyone! HELP!!!" She screamed as loud as she could. The thing dragged her along with him, ignoring her screams and struggles.

    "They can''t hear you," he said in Darren''s calm voice.

    He dragged her back to the balcony doors and then flung it open with one hand. Then he was pulling her over to the balcony as she struggled and kicked and pushed at him to no avail.

    She continued to scream.

    "Help! Murder!!! HELP!!!!" hoping someone, anyone, would hear her. He chuckled. A cold, brittle sound that sent shivers down her spine.

    "You can scream all you want, no one can hear you," he told her. They are now at the balcony railings and he is holding her against it. "Stop struggling or I will chuck you over easily," he warned her and she stopped immediately. They are high up on the 13th floor. They are far from the ground.

    He gripped her throat and pushed her against the railing, his body leaning on hers. The thick putrid stench making her gag.

    "I could have had my fun with you but you are too smeared with the dragon''s essence but no worry, your friend seemed delicious, I can have fun with her later tonight," he said lecherously.

    Zi Mei glared at him even as he choked her, his strong fingers closing her airway bit by bit.

    "Stay¡­a¡­.way¡­..from...friend!!!" she choked out in between gasps.

    "You are such a troublesome human, I only wish I can get rid of you but the boss wanted to keep you as collateral," he said. He looked at her for a moment, as if thinking.

    "You know, I don''t understand what the dragon sees in you. Sure, you are fresh and delicious but only as a plaything but why is he going all out to keep you safe?" he asked her. He loosened his grip on her neck for a moment.

    "Well? What have you got that the dragon wanted so badly?" he asked. All pretence as Darren had fallen off that thing. His voice is now a grating brittle sound, like the sound you hear when metal scrapes on metal. His face rippled and morphed, its shape changing and morphing as if thousands of worms are crawling under its surface.

    She was staring at him - at it - in horror. This must be a demon. This is not Darren. He shook her.

    "Well? What do you have that the dragon wants??" he demanded again.

    She shook her head, reaching behind her to hold on to the railings.

    "Hmmphh...determined to keep it a secret eh?" he muttered. He shook her again, as if she was nothing but a rag doll.

    "I suppose, your cold dead body can work too," he mumbled. Then before she realised what he meant he had thrown her off the balcony.

    She was suddenly falling, the ground rushing up to her and everything went black.

 Chapter 50 - Is She Dead?

    Zi Mei was falling. Her breath was snatched out of her and the ground is rushing up to her. Her life flashed past her. Her first thought was Thorin. His gorgeous sculpted and arrogant face came to her mind, clear as day. There was also his propensity to strike a pose in any situation. Then before everything turned black, her last thoughts were regrets of not being able to see her friends for the last time, not being able to hang out more with them and not being able to hold Thorin again.

    She was swirling in a velvety black warmth. There was no pain. Only a sense of lightness. As if she was floating in the air. Light and airy as a feather. No, lighter than a feather. It is as if she is the air. A tiny molecule floating away.

    "Is this how being dead feels like?" she thought. She had expected excruciating pain upon impact with the ground but she did not feel a thing. Maybe the shock blocked the pain. Is she now a spirit floating away?

    She opened her eyes and realised that she is literally floating up in the sky, under a blanket of stars amid the inky black skies. She is not dead! She is flying!

    What???

    She looked around her. She is flying back up to the balcony on her own. Did she suddenly develop super powers? She landed on the balcony gently and stood there, panting.

    "What just happened?" she said out loud. Then she remembered the Darren demon who had thrown her off the balcony. She crouched to the ground and looked around in fear. The balcony was empty. She threw herself on to the floor and crawled commando style slowly to the balcony door, keeping her head low.

    The Darren demon might still be inside the room. Who knows what that thing was after. She peeked into the room from the ground. It looked empty. Could the Darren demon be lurking in some corner, waiting to pounce on her? It might already know that she was not dead.

    "What are you doing?" a voice suddenly asked and if she wasn''t already on the floor, she would have fallen over in shock. A loud ear-piercing shrill scream rolled off her throat as she scrambled back in fear.

    "Wow. Strong lungs," Thorin drawled, looking at her in amusement. He was leaning against the open balcony door frame.

    Why didn''t she see him there earlier? Her heart still thumping, adrenaline still coursing through her veins, she scrambled up to a standing position and glared at him, her hands on her hips.

    "Do you really have to do that? I almost died!" she exclaimed indignantly.

    "Sure didn''t look like it," he replied. "You sounded very much alive,"

    Why is he so infuriatingly calm? She swears that if you look up the word "infuriating" in the dictionary, it will have a picture of Thorin, leaning in a fashion magazine pose, looking like a model.

    She went up to him and jabbed at his chest.

    "A demon came in here and threw me off the balcony!" she told him shrilly. "Where were you??" she knows she sounded like some angry nagging housewife now but she doesn''t care.

    She.

    Almost.

    DIED.

    She is within her rights to throw a furious tantrum at the old dragon who was supposed to protect her. She jabbed him on his chest with her forefinger again.

    "You." Jab.

    "Were." Jab. Jab.

    "Supposed." Jab. Jab. Jab.

    "To." JAB.

    "PROTECT." Hard jab.

    "ME!" Jab, jab, jab, jab, jab, jab till he raised a hand and grabbed her hand.

    "I went back for a moment, I didn''t expect they would take the chance to attack," he said.

    "What????You WENT BACK and left me here ALONE??" she shouted. She pulled her hand free and jabbed him again. Hard.

    "Hey, calm down, I came back just as you fell off the balcony," he told her. He didn''t seem bothered by her jabbing. This infuriated her even more.

    "You expect me to stay calm? The thing fucking threw me off the fucking balcony! I could have DIED!" she exclaimed and aimed a kick at his shin which he lightly sidestepped.

    "Ugh! How can you not see what you did here!" she shouted, aiming another kick and coupled it with a punch on his chest. He avoided her kick and grabbed her clenched fist easily. He pulled her to him, embracing her.

    "Lil Zi, I will never let anything happen to you," he murmured. He stroke her head, as if she was some pet. She struggled loose and glared at him.

    "I am not your fucking pet! Don''t pet me like a cat! You almost got me killed! That was not in the contract!" she spluttered, her face red with anger.

    To think that one of her last dying thoughts were of him. What a waste of a dying thought. Why did she even bother to think of him when she thought she was dying? Ugh.

    "Look. I had to go off urgently to settle something and I made it back just in time, so all is good," he said, as if she was kicking a fuss over something trivial.

    "All IS good???" she repeated. "ALL IS GOOD you say??? In what way being thrown off the balcony of the 13th floor sounded good to you????"

    Thorin sighed, as if exasperated by her irrational anger.

    "Look, you are alive and well and not a single scratch too, so why are you making such a big deal of it?" he said.

    She gave up. There was no way of getting through that thick skull of his that her mortality and whole life flashed past her when she was thrown off the balcony. He would never understand the fear that engulfed her. Instead, she turned around, spied an ashtray, picked it up and then swung it at him.

    He caught it easily.

    "Hey, what was that for," he exclaimed, surprised. She spied another heavy thing, a vase, picked it up and threw it at him. He again easily intercepted it.

    "Lil Zi!" he said, a warning tone creeping up his voice. She doesn''t care. She''s not afraid of him. She almost fucking died! She picked up more things and threw it at him. He caught every single item. She finally stopped when she ran out of things to throw.

    She eyed the chair. If only she had the strength to pick up the heavy oak chair.

    "Okay, are you done? Can we stop this nonsense now?" Thorin said when she finally slumped on the chair she was eyeing. The adrenaline rush had gone. The shock and fear is now catching up to her.. She started shivering and tears spilled over her cheeks.

 Chapter 51 - The Return Of The Spikes

    As tears travelled down her cheeks and sobs rose in her throat, the object of her anger came to her and knelt in front of her. Thorin leaned over to engulf her in his long arms. She didn''t resist and let him embrace her, leaning into the warmth of his body.

    "I am sorry lil Zi, you must have been frightened," he murmured. He sounded sincere in his apology. She sobbed into his chest. She hated him. She love him. It was different sides of the same coin. He stroked her back.

    "I didn''t mean to leave you alone here," he said.

    "I had to go, they were setting attacks on a few other lesser, younger dragons, I had no choice but to help," he explained.

    "So, other dragons¡­are¡­*sniff*¡­more *sobs*¡­im..important¡­*sobs* than¡­*SOBS* me¡­" she replied. Her heart felt like it was breaking apart, splintering into a thousand pieces. He had left her to rescue other dragons. She must mean so little to him. She is dispensable. That much is obvious now.

    "No, no, lil Zi, you are important to me," he said gently. He cupped her chin and lifted her face to his. He brushed his lips softly on her trembling lips. "I am just as angry at my stupidity for leaving you alone as you are with me," he told her. His deep dark eyes are shining with sincerity. She looked away. It still hurt that he had left her alone, even after knowing that the demons are after her.

    "I..I¡­know¡­I am nothing¡­.on¡­only¡­your baby making slave," she stammered. She looked away, tearing her eyes from his. She couldn''t bear to look at him. Not now when her heart is breaking. Not when she knows now that she is nothing to him. He growled under his breath and crushed her against his chest roughly.

    "You are NOT nothing lil Zi! Don''t ever say that!" he growled angrily. He held her close to him. "You have no idea! No idea how much you mean to me," he added.

    He must be lying to calm her down, Zi Mei thought. Thorin had made it clear that he doesn''t believe in love. Their whole relationship is based on a contract for her to produce his heirs. Nothing else.

    He pushed her up to face him at arm''s length. He looked deep into her eyes.

    "Look at me, I am telling the truth. You do mean a lot to me, I will never abandon you and let you be hurt by anyone, much less those demons!" he declared.

    Then he was crushing his lips over hers brutally, as if claiming her, branding her as his. It was raw. It was filled with passion and desperation. She welcomed it. She sink into his kiss, returning his kiss, meeting his thrusting tongue tentatively. Desire engulfed her. Arousal raced through her veins.

    His hands were frantically pulling at her clothes, tearing each piece of clothing roughly and she gave in to the flood of desire coupled with raw emotions. She didn''t want to think anymore. She wanted to forget. She wanted him to wipe everything away with his hands. His tongue. His body. She too tore at his clothes, her hands touching him, exploring the hard planes of his chest, his back, down to his firm butt. He pulled off her pants roughly, dragging her panties along and then he was positioning himself before her dribbling wet entrance. She was still on the chair and he was kneeling before her, contorting his body to position himself between her legs. He paused to look at her, a non-verbal question in his eyes and she nodded, opening her legs for him.

    He didn''t wait. He was pushing into her. It was frantic. It was hot wild passion as they moved together, pleasure spiralling and building up between them. Zi Mei welcomed the red hot waves of crashing through her as it wiped out the fear, the pain, the aching in her heart, leaving nothing but pure, raw physical passion and pleasure. They rode through the waves, grunting, groaning and moaning before they both scream out their release together, falling over the precipice, Thorin emptying into her while Zi Mei wrapped her legs around him, convulsing around him. He leaned close to her and held her to him, still buried deep inside her. They stayed that way for a long time, until her breathing has steadied. Her heartbeat slowing down to normal.

    She shifted slightly and Thorin brushed a tender kiss on her forehead.

    "Come, let''s go to bed where it is more comfortable," he said. She nodded silently. He stood up and then bent to carry her, striding over to the bed. He placed her gently on the bed and slide in next to her. He took her into his arms, holding her close to him.

    "Don''t ever think that you are nothing to me. If you don''t mean anything to me, I would not keep you by my side," he said.

    She was tempted to ask if he even love her or what he felt was just something superficial. Maybe pity. Or gratitude that she will be bearing his heirs.

    "But what am I to you?" she asked instead. Instead of replying, he kissed her. His hands caressed her breasts, pinching her nipples lightly as she gasped.

    "You are my mate," he whispered, bending to take her nipple into his mouth.She arched, arousal coursing through her again. "My match," he said as he trailed kisses down her torso to her belly. She is now panting and fully aroused again. She can''t even remember what she asked him anymore.

    He raised himself and placed himself over her, positioning his hard arousal between her legs. "My lover," he said and he slowly move to thrust into her. Excruciating pain radiated through her and she screamed. He stopped immediately and moved aside. They both looked down.

    The spikes are back.

 Chapter 52 - Run! Its The Spikey Flasher

    Their lovemaking was interrupted when spikes reappeared.

    Thorin immediately withdrew as both of them stared down at the silver spikes in confusion. Thorin ignored his humongous spikey arousal and bent to check Zi Mei. He inspected her for blood or any tearing. He couldn''t see any.

    "Did I hurt you?" he asked, just to be sure. She shook her head, a sudden shyness filling her as she watched Thorin studying her feminine core so seriously. She pushed him away and closed her legs, pulling the bedcovers over her body.

    "It''s okay, you stopped before you did much damage," she said. He might have grazed her slightly which would explain the pain but it wasn''t as if he had tore her into shreds by forcing his whole spikey length into her. Thorin frowned at what she said.

    "This meant that I did hurt you," he said. He slid his hand under the covers and placed it over her vagina. Within seconds, the slight pain and soreness were gone. Then he moved away, leaning back on the bed beside her. He was lying there naked while his hard spikey arousal stood up incongruently between them.

    "The spikes weren''t there earlier," she remarked. She would have felt it if there were spikes earlier when they tore at each other and came together so urgently at the chair.

    "No, there weren''t spikes earlier," he agreed. He frowned down at himself. "This is so annoying," he said.

    She reached out and poked at it. It was hard as steel. Like a metal bat with spikes. Like a weapon. The thought of Thorin brandishing his spiked penis like a weapon entered her mind and she giggled. It was such a hilarious thought.

    "That''s a useful weapon if you ever need one," she told him, still giggling. He scowled at her. His spikey problem is definitely a sore point for him.

    "You think this is funny?" he asked, scowling. She poked at it again. It barely moved. Hard as steel.She giggled.

    "See? Hard as steel, definitely can be a weapon, maybe you can use this against the demons," she said.

    She is now laughing. She suddenly had the comical image of Thorin swinging his spikey penis at demons while the demons jumped out of the way or run away screaming "Spikey flasher! Augghhhh! Run!!" This made her laugh even more while Thorin was not amused. He scowled at her.

    "This is not funny at all," he said coldly.

    "I was just thinking¡­what if you swing this at your enemies and they ran away screaming ''spikey flasher''?" she said in between gasps of laughter. Surely, the whole scenario is funny. Thorin was still not amused.

    "There will be no swinging of penises around in public," he replied tersely.

    "But what if, I am just saying¡­" she broke off laughing. She can''t even continue her sentence. The thought of him using his spikey penis as a weapon was just too hilarious. She laughed even louder. Tears are now streaming from her eyes.

    Thorin continued to glare at her. The source of the spikey flasher thought is still very much standing proudly between them.

    "Wait¡­will it stay this way for a long time?" she asked, after she has finally caught her breath and controlled her laughter.

    "Are you done laughing?" he crossed his arms on his chest. If she didn''t know better, she would have thought that he is pouting.

    "Since I can''t leave you alone, I have to do something to, um, calm it down," he said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

    "Oh? What can you do? Do you need help?" she asked, tamping down her laughter and trying to look more serious. The spikey flasher image is firmly stuck in her mind now and she''s not sure if she could control her laughter the next time she sees him naked and aroused.

    "Will a cold shower help?" she asked.

    "No, we''ve been through this before, that doesn''t help," he replied.

    "Well, then, tell me what you need help with, I can try to help but no entry," she made an X sign. "I obviously can''t take in spikes,"

    "Of course not! Do you think I am a brute?" he cried indignantly. He got out of bed and paced the floor next to it.

    "I need to go back to my dragon form and um..calm down, there''s nothing you can do to help," he told her. She shrugged. It''s not as if she''s never seen his dragon form before.

    "Sure, go ahead," she said. She settled down on the fluffy pillows on the bed. "I will just lie here and watch,"

    To think just a couple hours earlier, a demon attacked her and she almost died. She was hissing mad at Thorin. Then they had phenomenal make-up sex and now the spikes have reappeared. All in a night in the world of dragons and demons. This is good stuff for a fantasy TV series, she thought. She was surprised that she is not cowering in fear or gone mad with PTSD over everything that had happened to her. She has definitely changed. She is adapting to strange events easily, spiked penis included.

    "Can you maybe not watch?" he asked. He almost sounded shy. The spikes are really his major insecurity, she thought.

    "Okay, I''ll go to sleep then. I am tired!" she fake yawned. The eventful night had made sure that she will not be able to sleep but she will pretend for Thorin''s sake. She closed her eyes and turned away from him, facing the other side.

    Let him have his privacy. Even dragons need some privacy sometimes. Especially to deal with spikes.So that they don''t turn into spikey flashers, she thought, stifling another giggle. She must really stop thinking of that.

    Instead, she thought back to the demon that looked like Darren. She wondered if Darren was alright. Did the demon do anything to him? Or had it merely looked like Darren while Darren is safe and sound at home?

    She will need to check with Thorin on that. She remembered the putrid stench. She will make sure to smell anyone first before trusting them. That was the only sign of the demons. The demon earlier looked exactly like Darren. Sounded exactly like him. Behaved exactly like him. She would not have known a thing if not for that stench. Imagine if Darren was really her boyfriend? She shuddered. The mere thought of it was scary.. It was terrifying.

 Chapter 53 - The Heartless Father

    It took Thorin a good while to get rid of the spikes and by the time he did, Zi Mei was already half asleep. It turns out that pretending to be asleep is the best way to become sleepy and fall asleep. When she felt him get into bed next to her, she could barely move. Her limbs are heavy with sleep and she could feel the heaviness of sleep on her eyelids. Just as Thorin arranged his body against her, spooning her warmly, she gave in to the soft tendrils of sleep, welcoming the dark respite it provided her from the scary thoughts of the demon.

    If she had expected a dreamless peaceful sleep, Zi Mei was so wrong. At first she was sliding comfortably into a dreamless sleep but suddenly she found herself gasping against Darren who is choking her. Then she is falling and she flailed about trying to scream but she couldn''t scream. She kept falling and falling and suddenly she is back in her old home and the Darren demon is grinning at her, blood dripping from its lips.

    "Where''s your papa? He is so delicious, we will enjoy him piece by piece," the demon said and he licked his lips. She wanted to scream again but couldn''t and suddenly she is Thorin''s luxurious home. She is in their room waiting for him and suddenly a huge giant rod with silver spikes started flying towards here. She ran and ran and ran, gasping and crying. Then the Darren demon, still with blood on his lips, appeared and chased her too.

    "Thorin! Thorin! Please!!!" she screamed, finally finding her voice. Distantly, she heard Thorin''s voice calling her.

    "Lil Zi, lil Zi!"

    "Thorin please help me!" she screamed trying to find the voice but she couldn''t find it. It was too distant. Suddenly something was grabbing at her arm and she struggled against it, screaming shrilly. She opened her eyes and it was Thorin staring down at her.

    "Lil Zi, it''s me, you''re safe, you''re with me now," he murmured, embracing her, enveloping her in his warm arms and holding her against his chest. Her heart is beating a thousands beats per minute from the disjointed nightmare but something stood out clearly.

    "My father!" she said. She looked up at Thorin. "Where is he? Is he safe? What if they went after him?" she asked. Her father may not have been a good father but he is still her father. She only has one father after all.

    Thorin stroke her head gently and kissed the top of her head.

    "Don''t worry, he is safe, I have my men watching him and they will report back if anything happens to him," he told her.

    Wait. He had men watching her father? She narrowed her eyes at the old dragon.

    "Why would you have your men watch him?" she asked.

    "Just to make sure he doesn''t come back to make your life miserable again," he replied. "If he finds out that you are a millionaire now, he will definitely come back to claim it all for himself and I do not want to have loansharks sniffing around you again,"

    "Surely he can''t gamble away millions," Zi Mei said. She has about three million left over after paying up the loansharks and buying her house.

    "I won''t be surprised that he would go through it all within a week at the rate he gambles,"Thorin replied succinctly. "So, it is best that he is kept in the dark about your financial status and he stays away from you,"

    "He might still come back to look for me," she reminded him. Surely her father still has a tiny bit of love for his only daughter? He can''t be so cold as to forget about his daughter entirely?

    "Well, um, he might not," Thorin said. The way he said it raised some suspicion. Zi Mei sat up and looked at him pointedly.

    "Why? What did you do?" she asked.

    "You must understand that it''s only to protect you," he said.

    She raised an eyebrow. That didn''t sound good. Thorin''s skewed sense of ''protection'' could mean a lot of things.

    "Tell. Me. What. Did. You. Do." She demanded.

    "Fine, if you must know, we sort of made it seem like the loansharks took you and made you pay off the loan as a prostitute so as far as he knows, you are with the loansharks now," he said.

    "What?" she can''t believe it. Yet, her father made no attempts to come rescue her. There was not even a peep from him. Or did he?

    "Did he try to save me?" she asked Thorin.

    "No, he went deeper into hiding, he fled the city and went to some rural area and changed his number yet again," he said.

    Zi Mei thought she was numb over the things her father did but this takes the toll. Her heart felt as if it has been stabbed repeatedly. Yet, she couldn''t cry. She doesn''t have anymore tears for the man who is biologically her father. She decided there and then that she doesn''t want to acknowledge him as a father ever again. She doesn''t need someone like that as a father. Especially not when he left her to be used by loansharks while he went to hide to save himself. What sort of a father does that?

    She let out a heavy sigh. It felt as if her heart is breaking. She now literally has no family in this world. Thorin lean forward and hugged her.

    "My dear lil Zi. Forget him, you have me, I will protect you," he murmured. She let him embrace her and sank into his arms gratefully. He is right. At least she still has Thorin.

    But for how long? He might get sick of her and discard her after she gave him babies. As she settled in his arms, hugging him back, she wondered if she could make Thorin love her too. Maybe if he is in love with her, he would never want her to leave. They could raise their children together. Like a regular married couple. It doesn''t matter if she is merely his mistress, his contracted baby making slave. This might change too.

    "Will you ever love me Drags?" she asked in a soft whisper. She could feel his body stiffened at the question, as if he was surprised and not very pleased with it. She looked up at him. His face was cold and expressionless.

    "Will you?" she asked again.

 Chapter 54 - Thorins Distrust For Mortals

    Zi Mei woke up from a nightmare to Thorin''s gorgeous face looking down at her. She had asked him if he could love her and his face had immediately turned cold and expressionless.

    "Lil Zi, we have been over this before," he replied her. "I don''t believe in love but I can only say that I do care for you a lot, that should be sufficient,"

    Zi Mei sighed, her heart hurt deeply from his words. She had already expected him to say that but still, she had foolishly hoped he would say something else. She closed her eyes and turned away from him, disentangling herself from him.

    "I guess you are right Drags¡­I''m tired, good night," she said. Her eyes are still dry. She doesn''t have any more tears to cry. Not for her heartless father. Not for her lover and the future father of her children. Maybe she is better off never relying on anyone else but herself. Despite having Thorin next to him, Zi Mei has never felt so alone and lonely. She could feel the chasm between her and Thorin widening. There is now an emptiness in her heart that she knows no one else will be able to fill. She willed herself to go back to sleep. She needed the comfort of the silent painless darkness that sleep offers.

    -----

    Thorin watched his mortal match turned away from him and curled up in a ball, her shoulders slumped and a dark sadness hanging around her aura. He knew what she wanted but he also knew he couldn''t give it to her. He could keep her company and be her protector but he couldn''t risk giving her his heart.

    Mortals are fickle creatures. If he was to give her his heart, who is to say that she won''t one day throw it back at him and tell him that she only wants his money? After all, she did sign that contract because of the money.

    Mortals are always motivated by money. He has seen how some mortals even betrayed their own family, their lovers, their children, over money. Just like Lil Zi''s father. He did not even bother to check on his daughter but went deeper in hiding. Thorin is disgusted by how mortals display so little loyalty to even their own kin. The only loyal mortal he knows is his mother who married his dragon shapeshifter father. But his mother is different. He has not seen that many happy pairings in other dragon - human couples. Most of the couples he met over the years eventually split up, the mortals deciding to leave everything behind and disappear.

    How can he even dare to love a mortal? What if this entrancing woman next to him decide to leave him one day after he gave in and fall deeply in love with her? Then what? He doesn''t think he can get over it. Even now, she didn''t want to live with him. She preferred her own home.

    It is bad enough that he must mate with a mortal to get heirs. He will take care of her for as long as she wanted and he will let her go if she wanted to leave. The contract was actually just for show. He will never hold her to it but he won''t tell her that, so that she doesn''t take advantage of it. He had already half a mind of telling her that the contract was cancelled when she was deep in depression over the miscarriage. Seeing her like that pained him. It felt so wrong to force the mere slip of a woman to undergo that pain again.

    Now, he has to deal with the demons. One of them almost killed her! He did not expect them to be so bold as to come to the hotel room when he could return any second. After Zi Mei went into the room, he had left to check on the emergency that Jessica sent him. It was only five minutes but that five minutes was enough for the demon to invade and try to kill Zi Mei. If he was but a minute late in getting back, she would be dead. He ignored the pain he felt at the thought of her being killed due to him. It was merely guilt. He doesn''t harbour any feelings for her.

    Thorin lay there watching over Zi Mei throughout the night, till dawn breaks and the skies turned a different hue of orange and pink. He got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower and clean up. He needs to come up with a plan to protect Zi Mei from the demons. He can''t go around fighting a war with demons and protect her at the same time. He can''t bring her with him too when he goes to places where the demons had attacked his other dragon shapeshifter clan members.

    When he came out from the bathroom, Zi Mei was awake. She is sitting up, staring out the balcony at the lightening skies. If not for her heartbreakingly sad expression, she looked so desirable, his first instinct was to jump on her and take her there and then.

    "Good morning, Lil Zi, ready for breakfast?" he asked gently instead. She started and turned to him, a shutter coming down on her face.

    "Yes, let me shower and change," she said. She padded over to the bathroom and closed the door with a click. Thorin sighed. She is back to being careful around him, despite the passionate lovemaking session last night, before the reappearance of the spikes. The nightmare and her eventual question about love had again changed the way she behaved towards him.

    ----

    They both headed down to the hotel cafeteria for breakfast after Zi Mei has showered and dressed up in fresh clothes. She felt moderately better after the shower. She had turned up the water heater so hot that it almost burned her skin and she had stood under the shower, letting the burning hot water sluice over her, imagining it washing away all her worries, cares and pain away. She has resolved to lock all her unnecessary feelings and emotions away.

    She signed a ''business'' deal with Thorin so she might as well keep it impersonal with him. Making love with him will just be part of the ''business'' deal. No more of the ''I love you'' nonsense, she told herself. They even have demons to worry about! She will need to ask Thorin about the demon taking any human form it likes. It is scary thinking about it. It could even attack any of her friends.

 Chapter 55 - [Bonus ] About Demon Kisses And Dreams

    Over at breakfast, although Thorin didn''t really need to eat, he took a few slices of toasts and ate some of it. He didn''t want them to look too awkward in which Zi Mei is eating while he sat there staring at her. Zi Mei took out her phone and sent messages to her friends to check on them. None of them replied. Not even Darren. His status on the messaging app showed that he was last seen yesterday morning. Which was weird. She clearly remembered sending him a message and he had read it.

    She decided to ask Thorin more about the demons. She needed to know more about these chaotic creatures so that she is better able to deal with them.

    "Can you tell me more about the demons please? The one that attacked me yesterday looked and sounded exactly like Darren," she said after she has eaten some pancakes and an omelette. She surprisingly had a good appetite this morning, despite what happened last night.

    "As you can see, they can take human forms, like us, but the way they do it is vastly different from how we do it," he said. He looked hesitant to explain further, as if trying to hide something. She narrowed her eyes at him.

    "How?"she asked.

    "Well, they have to absorb the essence of the human they want to imitate," he said cryptically.

    "What do you mean by ''absorb'' the essence?" she asked.

    He looked away and pretended to take a bite from his toast. Then he took a sip of his coffee.

    "Well?" she asked impatiently. Then her face filled with horror. Surely, he doesn''t mean the demons have to EAT the human??

    "Don''t tell me they ate Darren????" she exclaimed, fear and terrifying horror gripping her heart.

    He widened his eyes but then chuckled at her horrified expression.

    "Don''t worry. They didn''t eat Darren. He may have kissed one of them though," he said.

    "Kissed?" she repeated mindlessly. She switched from worry that Darren could be dead to disgust that Darren had kissed that foul smelling thing. "Ugh. That''s disgusting, how can he even kiss something that smells like a dead rat," she said.

    Thorin raised an eyebrow.

    "How would you know what it smelled like? Did you kiss the demon last night?" he asked casually.

    "The thing choked me, had its face so close to mine before it threw me off the balcony," she told him.

    Thorin frowned.

    "That doesn''t make sense. Usually mortals can''t smell them, not even face to face, unless they kissed the demon," he said. "I am pretty sure your friend had a horrible experience and is sick today,"

    She shuddered. Ugh. Kissing that thing will be like kissing the putrid corpse of a rat. Gross. She wanted to gag just thinking about it. If Darren had kissed that thing, surely he''s now throwing up non-stop.

    "But why would he kiss a demon? That''s gross!!!!" she said. She looked at Thorin. "What do they look like if they did not take on human forms? How did it even entice Darren to kiss it??"

    "They can do it in his dreams, they probably took on a form desirable to him to get him to kiss it in his dreams," he explained.

    Now, that makes sense. You can''t smell anything in your dreams. Can you? Now she''s curious what Darren had dreamt about. It must be one heck of a sexy dream, she thought. But wait, this means they can attack any human, even her, through dreams.

    "So, can they do that to me in my dreams too??? Fucking demons. How do stop them from entering my dreams?What if my nightmare last night was not a nightmare?" Panic is now rising within her again. Can they enter her dreams even with Thorin next to her?

    "I suspected they tried to enter your dream state last night but failed to enter it because I was there, so they sent in nightmares to disturb your sleep," he told her.

    At least he''s being honest this time, she thought. This scares her even more. The fact that they can attempt to harm her through her dreams is scary. This is like the old 80s horror movie of the ghost that attacked people in nightmares.

    "How do I block them? What if you are not there and they attack me in my dreams? How can I continue on as normal with demons after me?" she asked, panic is now suffocating her, making her hyperventilate. Thorin reached out and patted her back. He inhaled as if getting ready to say something monumental.

    "I have thought about it and I don''t want to interfere with your normal life¡­I am willing to release you from our contract now, cut all ties, and they will stop going after you," he said softly.

    She stopped hyperventilating. In fact, she stopped breathing entirely and stared at him in shock. It took her a few moments to realise that she needed to breath. She choked in some breaths. Does this mean Thorin doesn''t want her anymore? Is he leaving her?

    "Look, the money I''ve paid you is yours to keep and as a bonus, I will even bank in a few more millions for you, just in case, for a rainy day, and after we have cut ties cleanly, you can go back to normal life," he said.

    Why is he talking about money at this moment? Her heart is breaking into pieces at this moment. The old dragon has decided to discard her. Cut her lose. Get rid of her. She is no longer his mistress. No longer his baby making slave. No longer his anything. It didn''t even matter what role she played in his life, she wanted to be with him. She had hoped to stay with him for a few more years as his mistress, as his sex slave, anything, it doesn''t matter. Their short few months together are barely enough.

    "But¡­" she couldn''t bring herself to say anything more.

    Tears are welling up in her eyes now. She had only made the resolve not to think about feelings and love but here he is, breaking her heart and stomping on it. He had spoken of the ''cut all ties'' so matter-of-factly, it was as if he didn''t feel a thing. It was as if he was merely giving an employee notice to leave the job.

    Is this the last time she will be sitting with the handsome old dragon, eating breakfast, like a regular couple?

 Chapter 56 - [Bonus ]Are Demons Part Of Thorins Plans?

    Instead of breaking into tears and sobbing her heart out, Zi Mei swiped the tears away roughly. She stood up so suddenly that her chair fell over and people in the cafeteria turned to stare at them. She doesn''t care if everyone stared. Thorin is breaking up with her! He is discarding her like yesterday''s garbage. After all that she went through with him. After that devastating miscarriage. After she gave her heart to him. This is what he does? He breaks her heart, stomp on it and throw it back at her.

    She glared at him, her face red with rage at the thought that he was really treating her like some plaything that he can throw away at a moment''s notice.

    "So that''s it? Pay me and throw me away? That''s all?" she said, her tone cold and chillingly soft.

    He stood up casually and picked up her chair. Thorin is not one who relished people listening in to his private affairs so he took her arm to guide her out of the cafeteria.

    "Let''s talk this over in the privacy of our room," he murmured.

    "No!" she snatched her arm away from him. "You just said you want to cut all ties with me. Do it now, then. Cut away!" she challenged him. She is now so filled with rage, she wanted to lash out at him and make him regret treating her this way.

    Thorin held her elbow again and tightened his grip. A frown curl over his brows.

    "Let''s talk in our room," he repeated.

    He gave her a stern look but she ignored it. She snatched her elbow away from him and stomped out of the cafeteria while other curious diners stared at her and then at Thorin, whispering among themselves. Thorin didn''t bother with the curious mortals. He went after Zi Mei and found her fuming at the lounge area.

    "Come, let''s talk somewhere private," he said.

    She glared at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears but didn''t reply.

    "Tch. Lil Zi, don''t make this harder that it already is," he said impatiently. He reached out to grab her and suddenly they are back in his house. In the English garden. The one she liked the most. Zi Mei stumbled away from Thorin. For a moment, she was disorientated and nauseated. Teleporting or whatever this is called was not for her. A wave of dizziness came over her and she stumbled to ''their'' bench to sit down. They came here so often, they even have a bench she identified as theirs here, she thought as she lowered her head to stop the spinning. Thorin came to her and rubbed her back. She tried to shrug him off but she was to nauseated and dizzy to move.

    "I am sorry. I had to get us out of there before you blurted things that other mortals are not supposed to hear," he said.

    She didn''t reply. She waited till her head has steadied and the nausea has passed before she sat up. Thorin is still rubbing her back gently. In his infuriatingly warm and caring way. She wanted to kick him. Why is he still so nice and caring to her if he meant to get rid of her now? She pushed his hand away and glowered at him.

    "Stop pretending to care. You are obviously discarding me, getting rid of me, I don''t need you to pretend to still care for me!" she hissed at him.

    He looked saddened by her outburst but she wouldn''t buy it. He is surely putting on an act.

    "I didn''t want to be kidnapped by you in the first place! I didn''t want any of this at all¡­so good, now that you are releasing me, I should celebrate!" she continued, putting on a false front that this is what she had wanted all this time.

    "Lil Zi," he sighed regretfully as if wanting to say more.

    She ignored him. She is on a roll. She must not let him know how much this hurt her. How much she wanted to curl into a ball and crawl into some corner and die. It hurt so much. It hurt even more than losing their baby. She just can''t get any break. She may be rich now but what is the use if the one man (or dragon) she loves doesn''t love her and now wants to get rid of her?

    "Remember this is your decision to release me from your stupid contract. I am so glad I don''t have to be your sex and baby making slave anymore," she said. She forced a bitter smile.

    "At least now I am rich, I can enjoy my life as a young rich person as I am meant to without the responsibilities of getting pregnant, having miscarriages and giving your half dragon children," she spat out viciously.

    "Lil Zi," he tried to take her hands but she snatched her hands away and jumped up from the bench.

    "Well, at least I won''t get forced to stay in this prison anymore and I get to have a life with my normal mortal human friends," she said.

    "Lil Zi, will you just let me explain?" he said quietly, his tone so soft, she almost didn''t hear him. She stopped her angry rant and looked at him. Really looked at him. He didn''t look smug or happy or even angry at her vicious diatribe. Instead, he looked upset. The same expression he had when she had that miscarriage. She crossed her arms on her chest and lifted her chin to glare at him.

    "Okay, then explain," she said.

    "The demons are after you because you have a dragon scent with you, something that signals them that ¡­how do I explain it¡­that you belong to me," he said.

    She narrowed her eyes in disbelief. What a load of nonsense, she thought. So, now she''s supposed to believe that she smells like Thorin? She couldn''t help herself but lift an arm and sniff herself. All she smelled was the lavender body shampoo from her shower at the hotel this morning.

    "No, not that kind of smell," Thorin said. "Every time we made love, you absorb some of my essence, and you give off this scent that''s like a dragon and other shapeshifters and demons will know that you are not a normal mortal, most will know that you are a dragon''s match,"

    "What does that have to do with you breaking up with me?" she asked.

    "If we separated, you go on with your normal human life in the human world, I wipe all your memories of me and our kind, I will also wipe the essence from you so that you no longer smell like a dragon''s match," he said.

    Wipe her memories???

    "What? You are going to make me forget everything? Will I go back to my old life?" she asked. Does this mean she goes back to her old life, the one scraping to make ends meet with her gambling father and the loansharks at her door?

    "No, no, you will get new memories of winning the lottery and your father running off with some of the winnings but you still have a lot in your account, your friends and every other human around you will have the same memories," he said.

    "So, in the end, I still don''t matter. You still want to get rid of me," she bit out. No matter how he said it. The crux of this whole thing is that he wants to get rid of her.

    Maybe the demons were just part of his whole orchestrated plan to frighten her so that he could give her a good excuse to get rid of her, she thought.

 Chapter 57 - Cancelling The Contract

    Zi Mei is convinced that Thorin is using the demon attack as an excuse to get rid of her. Not that he needed an excuse to cancel the contract. He has the ultimate say since he is the one who came up with the contract. All this whole excuse of her smelling like him that attracted demons is probably to scare her into agreeing to cancel the contract.

    "You are probably conspiring with the demons to scare me," she accused him, saying what she has suspected out loud. Thorin was not pleased with the accusation. In fact, he reacted with cold fury. His face twisted into cold red rage.

    "How dare you accuse me of working with demons? Do you have any idea how insulting that is?" he asked, his tone dangerously soft and steely.

    Zi Mei gulped. Judging from his fury, her presumptions were highly erroneous. But she refused to back down. He is now discarding her like yesterday''s leftover. She wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt her. She lifted her chin and looked directly into his eyes, refusing to even blink.

    "You are getting rid of me because of the demons, I was not wrong to think they could be just an excuse for you to get rid of me!" she exclaimed.

    She crossed her arms and puffed out her chest. She is standing her ground before this 3,000-year-old dragon who is a whole head taller than her. She has seen the worst that a demon could do to her. Surely he can''t do anything worse than throwing her off a 13th floor balcony.

    "For the last time, I am not using this as an excuse to ''get rid of you'' as you like to put it," he said firmly. His eyes flashed silver and glinted ominously.

    "Why would I need any excuse to get rid of you? I could have easily wiped your memories and leave you back in your house without telling you if I had wanted to ''get rid of you''," he said, stressing the words ''get rid of you''.

    "Well, I will not let you do this so easily!" she lifted her chin.

    He raised an eyebrow sardonically.

    "What will you do? Kick me? Stage a protest?" he asked coldly. "There are demons after you and the solution I can think of at this moment is to release you from the contract, clear you of any dragon essence and let you go back to the human realm as you were previously, before you met me," he said.

    "Then you shouldn''t have kidnapped me in the first place! After all that we''ve been through, after that baby we lost, you expect me to going back to normal human life without you?" she asked. Tears are again welling in her eyes. This is one roller coster ride of emotions. She is both angry and hurt.

    "Look Lil Zi, I don''t have divining powers to look into the future. Even if I have, I can''t foresee the demons starting a war right this moment," he said. He no longer looked furious. He just looked fed up and tired of her behaviour. As if he is so done with her accusations. He rubbed his temples and run his hand through his luscious hair.

    "As much as you want to think of it as a conspiracy against you, please remember that the universe does not revolve around you, sometimes, some things are bigger than your mere existence," he added wearily.

    This particular point struck a sore spot. She did sound as if she was so important that he had made up this elaborate plan to dupe her. Which is not the case. Now that she thought about it, it did sound a tiny bit ridiculous.

    The world doesn''t revolve around her and a war between demons and dragons has nothing to do with her at all. She heaved a huge sigh and swallowed the tears threatening to spill from her eyes again. The only thing that affects her now, due to the war, is that she will be forced to leave Thorin. Perhaps his offer of wiping her memories is a good thing. It will not hurt as much if she doesn''t even remember him, right?

    "So, I will never remember you if you wipe my memories?" she asked, her chin trembling, her heart hurting. She could already feel a chasm opening up between her and Thorin. It is now getting wider and wider. Soon, she will not even see him on the other side of the chasm.

    "If that is what you wanted, yes, you will not remember anything about me or our time together at all," he said.

    "Not even our little one?" she asked.

    He sighed and looked away. Did she see a glimmer of unshed tears in his eyes too? No, she must be mistaken. The old dragon doesn''t have any feelings for her, he would never shed a single tear for her.

    "Nothing from here and nothing about dragon shapeshifters and demons, you will go back to being a normal human living a very normal human life," he said softly.

    "What about my friends?" she asked.

    "As what I''ve told you earlier, they will not remember anything either. Everyone in the human world who has seen us together will not remember anything about you being with me at all, I will just be the CEO of Loong Group Holdings, someone you have never met before," he said.

    She nodded. So be it.

    "Okay, let''s cancel the contract then. I will go back to my life as a normal mortal and you¡­I hope you manage to defeat the demons," she said, her voice breaking and she swallowed, stopping herself from sobbing. She turned away from him. It hurts to even look at him now.

    "Just do what is necessary. Is this immediate?" she asked in her trembling voice.

    He sighed behind her.

    "Yes, it is best we do it immediately. You house has been cleansed. So you will go back to a clean house with no traces of demons or dragons. I will clear your aura now and ¡­.your memories," he said, pausing shortly before he said ''memories.''

    "Do I need to close my eyes or do anything?" she asked.

    He came to her and embraced her from behind. Her breath caught and she gasped. She automatically leaned into his warm and familiar embrace.

    "I just want to hold you for the last time, Lil Zi. No matter what, we did share a lot of good times," he murmured. He turned her to face him and kissed her deeply. She knew this will be the last time she kissed him so she kissed him back, pressing herself against him.

    "Take care of yourself, Lil Zi, I will remember you," he whispered against her lips.

    Then everything went dark.

 Chapter 58 - A Reset For Zi Mei

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Zi Mei cracked open her eyes at the loud banging sounds on her front door. She rubbed her eyes and look at her bedside clock. It is only seven o''clock in the morning. Who is banging on her door so early in the morning? She has a doorbell, why the heck can''t they use that?

    She sat up groggily. Her room is still dark as she had gotten blackout curtains so that she could sleep in when she wanted.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The banging sounds continued.

    Okay, okay, hold your horses, she mumbled. She stretched and got down from her bed. She walked to the ensuite bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She took her time to brush her teeth, comb her hair and changed into proper clothes - a t-shirt and khakis - before going downstairs. Whoever it is, is still banging on the door.

    She flung open the thick wooden inner door to look through the louvres of the outer door to see who it is. Her eyes widened in surprise to see her father''s worn-out and lined face staring back at her.

    "Open the door you ungrateful little bitch," he snarled at her.

    "Papa!" she exclaimed but she made no move to open the door for him.

    He had ran off after racking up a few hundred thousands in gambling debts. She had loansharks coming after her daily until one day, she decided to buy a lottery ticket on a whim. She won the grand prize and was able to pay off the loansharks. She even bought a house and moved to the new house.

    "How did you know how to find me?" she asked. She couldn''t trace her father''s whereabouts and decided to forget that she ever had a father. She didn''t want to end up footing more of his gambling debts.

    "Open the door Mei!" her father said louder.

    She went up to the door and stared at him through the slitted louvres on the wooden door.

    "Why should I? You ran away and left me to face your loansharks and debts," she told him. If children are strike down by lightning behaving in such an unfilial manner, she would be dead by now. But she doesn''t care. She will not let him into her life again. It had taken her months to get over the trauma of being chased by loansharks and almost being sold off as a prostitute. It was a good thing that she had Darren and her best friends, Sheena and Jazzmine, by her side supporting her.

    "This is what I get for raising you? You are just like your dead mother! Ungrateful and always complaining when I worked hard to raise you!" he snarled viciously, spittle spraying from his mouth. She could smell a strong alcohol stench from him. He must be drunk too. So early in the morning at that. She didn''t even want to know where he has been all this time and why did he turn up so suddenly.

    Zi Mei crossed her arms on her chest. If she was to be struck dead for being unfilial to her father, so be it. "You didn''t raise me, I RAISED MYSELF!" she retorted. She made no move to unlock her door.

    He shook the door and kicked at it in anger.

    WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

    "Open the door and let me in right now!" he ordered her.

    "No papa, you are drunk and I do not want you here," she told him vehemently.

    "How dare you! I am your father!" he spat at her.

    She moved a few steps away from the door and glared at her father. She didn''t know where she gets this strange courage from as she used to be much more timid than this.

    "I don''t care if you are the king, I am not letting you into MY house," she said.

    "Your house? Your house??? How dare you! You little brat!" he kicked the door again.

    "Yes, my house! You never bought any house remember? The last one we stayed in was rented!" she told him.

    "You are my daughter so this is as good as mine too!" he said.

    She rolled her eyes. Trust him to want to claim this house as his too. Thankfully she had consulted a lawyer before buying the house. She is over 21 years old so the property is legally hers and her father can''t stake any claim on it.

    "HAH! Too bad. The law doesn''t say so," she replied.

    "Open the door!" he shouted and kicked it again.

    "Go away or else I will call the police!" she warned him. To hell with filial piety. She will not let him in. If he ever comes in, he will never leave and he will start stealing all her money again. He must never know how much money she won in the lottery. She still have a few million in the bank.

    "Call the police! How dare you!" he spat angrily. He kicked at the door again and again, cursing loudly and shouting. She needs to make him stop. She has classes to attend today too. Of all the luck. Her father is probably broke and wanted money. That''s right. She thought of an idea.

    "Look, I have money, if I give you money, will you go away?" she said it loudly above the din he was making with the kicking and swearing.

    "What did you say?" he stopped.

    "I said, I have money, if I give you money, will you go away?" she repeated.

    "How much?" he asked.

    So, she was right. He only wanted money. How much should she give him to send him on his way?

    "How about $100,000?" she said.

    He laughed bitterly.

    "Don''t lie to me bitch! Where are you going to get this kind of money?" he asked. She almost told him that she still have a lot of the lottery money leftover but stopped herself. He doesn''t need to know.

    "You think I don''t know you rented this shithole? Don''t lie to me bitch! I don''t have a place to stay, let me in now," he shouted.

    Good. He didn''t know she''s now a multimillionaire. Best to keep it that way then.

    "Okay, fine, I have $2,000 with me right now, it was supposed to pay for my semester fees," she lied. She actually had the spare cash lying around just because she is too lazy to keep going to the bank to withdraw cash. Although she uses her e-wallet mostly, some places still only accepts cash. She hurried inside into the inner sitting area and took out her purse. She counted out the cash and then brought it out to him. She fanned the cash out in her hand and showed it to him.

    "Here, I give you this now, and each month I will give you this same amount too, banked into your account," she said. "With the condition that you stay away from me,"

    "Hand it over," he tried to stick his fingers through the louvre. She stuck the wad of cash through and he snatches it immediately. "I am your father, how dare you order me to stay away from you!" he said.

    "No cash if I see you here, that is our deal," she said. She took out another wad of cash and brandished it. "Deal?"

    He narrowed his eyes at her and then motioned for her to hand him the cash.

    "Fine, I can get a better place to stay anyway!" he said. She gave him the cash, he took it and counted it. Then he looked at her.

    "I''ll be back end of the month for more," he said. Then, he turned around and stumbled away.

    She closed the inner wooden door and leaned against it, exhaling in relieve.. She hoped that her father will keep to his words.

 Chapter 59 - Darrens Girl

    Zi Mei cracked open her inner door and looked out to see if her father had actually left or was hanging around outside waiting for her to come out. He was leaning against the column along the five-foot way counting the cash.

    She pulled the door close to leave just a tiny crack, enough for her to watch him. She stood there watching him until he stood up unsteadily. Then she watches her father amble away unsteadily until he was out of sight. She shut the inner door tight together again and exhaled, releasing the stress and nervous energy from seeing her father again.

    She shook her hands to release the stress just like what her therapist taught her and did some calming breaths. Then she went back upstairs to take a shower before changing. She will be cutting it quite close today.

    Her class is supposed to start 9 o''clock and it is after 8 now. Oh well, this won''t be the first time she''s late anyway. She hurriedly got ready, went downstairs and made some light toasts for breakfast.

    She munched on her toasts as she texted Darren. It is a good thing that they had signed up for the Art and Design Course together. His parents had surprisingly allowed him to change course midway too. So, now they go to class together all the time.

    The thought of Darren made her smile and her heart thump. She has this crush on him for the longest time, since high school probably but she has never let on. Darren was oblivious, of course. She hoped to keep it that way. It will ruin their friendship if she was to confess to him and he rejected her. It would have been awkward all around.

    "Hey Dare, u comin ovr?" she texted him.

    "Yup, otw," he replied almost immediately.

    This means he must be near. She stuffed the rest of the toasts into her mouth and brushed the crumbs off her t-shirt. She grabbed her backpack and walked to the front door. She opened the inner door cautiously and looked outside.

    No sign of her father anywhere. She sighed in relief again. She unlocked the louvred door and pushed it open. She stepped outside and looked around. She saw Darren walking down the street towards her house. She waved at him then turned around to pull the inner wooden door closed. Then she pulled the louvred door closed and used her key to turn the lock. By the time she''s done, Darren has reached her and is waiting for her on the five-foot way.

    "Let''s go, we are running a bit late today," he said. "Why didn''t you wake me up earlier? I overslept," he added.

    She frowned at him.

    "What do I look like? Your personal alarm clock?" she asked him jokingly. He chuckled.

    "Usually, you will be texting me to ask if I''m ready but today you didn''t and I woke up really late!" he replied.

    "Well, that''s not my fault," she stuck her tongue out at him. They walked side by side as they headed to the nearest bus stop.

    "What were you doing last night that you can''t wake up this morning anyway?" she asked him. He looked uncomfortable and actually blushed.

    She narrowed her eyes at him.

    "Are you hiding something from me Darren Xing?" she asked.

    "Err¡­well, ah¡­" he stammered shyly.

    "Come on. Out with it, what is it?" she asked.

    "I was on a date, okay? No big deal," he finally uttered.

    Her heart sank. Darren was on a date. With another girl. This obviously meant that he doesn''t have any feelings for her. It was a good thing that she never confessed to him. It would have been monumentally embarrassing if she had.

    She plastered a fake smile on her face. She must not let him know how she felt about him.

    "Well, so, who''s the girl? Someone I know?" she asked teasingly.

    He rubbed his neck shyly and blushed till even his ears are red.

    "Ahem¡­ermm¡­can we change the subject?" he asked.

    "No! I am curious! Do I know her?" she pressed on. She wanted to know what sort of girl he likes. They may be best friends and they have talked about a lot of things together but he has never told her what sort of girl he likes and somehow, she never asked him.

    He was saved by the bus as it chose this time to arrive and they got on the bus. It was crowded inside so they ended up standing near the door, squashed together. This is hardly a place to have a conversation about dates so Zi Mei shelved up her questions for later. Darren seemed visibly relieved that she did not pursue with her line of questioning.

    When they arrived at the bus stop outside their college, they are but five minutes from the start of the first class so they made a run for it. They made it just in time, rushing in and sitting down in the seats they often sat in before the professor walked in.

    Class was fun and interesting. It was Zi Mei''s favourite too, it''s the multimedia design class. She loves learning new software and ways to use it to create new designs and art. It allowed her to improve her skills in digital art too.

    After class ended, Zi Mei and Darren got up together and made their way out. Her next class is classical art while Darren has taken industrial art.

    "Well, I''m off to my next class then, see you at break time," he said.

    "Don''t forget, I want to know who it is!" she told him. He blushed and hurried off. She looked at his disappearing back sadly and was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of deja vu.

    This feeling. Standing here watching him leave. It felt familiar. Since they''ve been attending classes together for a few months now, that shouldn''t be surprising, she thought.

    She shrugged it off and headed to her next class.. She will have to hide her feelings better from now onwards and she has to brace herself for the day that Darren introduces his girlfriend to her, she thought.

 Chapter 60 - The Handsome CEO

    Zi Mei is attending classes for her Art and Design course like any regular college student with her friend Darren. She doesn''t know that her memory has been wiped and ''reprogrammed'' to the current reality.

    She still believed that she has a crush on her best friend, Darren, and is trying her best to hide her feelings from him. She did feel sad when Darren revealed that he went on a date with a girl but he did not divulge the identity of the girl to her.

    During break time that day, although she tried to question him in many different ways, he refused to budge.

    "Come on Darren, just a hint, a tiny little hint, I just want to know, it''s not like it''s some big huge secret," she said after they had eaten and are just chatting amiably about their subjects and professors. She had waited till Darren was relaxed and laughing over her jokes about her professors when she pounced and asked him about his date last night.

    Even though Darren was caught unawares, he didn''t give up his secret easily.

    "Give us some time okay? It was only a first date," he said mysteriously. "Who knows, she might not agree to a second date,"

    She rolled her eyes. Who wouldn''t agree to a second date with Darren? He is good looking and kind and the nicest person she knew. He is also caring to a fault and always took care of her. Like a big brother takes care of his little sister.

    "Fine, keep it a secret then, see if I care," she pouted, crossed her arms and turned away.

    "Mei, don''t be such a kid," Darren admonished her, not in the least fooled by her fake tantrum. He knew her all too well.

    She turned back to him and sighed.

    "I don''t see what''s the big deal, like you said, it was a first date, so why are you so secretive about it anyway?" she asked.

    He merely shrugged and kept quiet. She decided not to pursue it further after that. He will tell her in due time anyway.

    At the end of the last class, Zi Mei hurriedly packed her bag and went out. She can''t wait to go home, kick back and relax. It has been a long day. As she hurried out of class, she saw a large number of students grouped together whispering while looking at something near the school hall. Curious, she went over to look to.

    "What''s happening?" she asked one of the female students who was giggling and craning her neck to see whatever it is everyone was trying to see.

    "It seems that the handsome CEO of a large company is here to recruit some interns," she told Zi Mei.

    "Oh? What''s the big deal? Why would a CEO do that? Don''t they like have secretaries to do that?" she asked. The girl had turned away and ignored her, still tiptoeing and craning her neck to look over the heads of the growing crowd.

    Zi Mei shrugged. She has no interest in such things. So what if some handsome CEO is here? She turned away and slowly trudged down the hallway. She wondered where Darren is. Does he want to walk to the bus stop together?

    She took out her phone to text him as she walked.

    "Dare, wanna take the bus together?" she texted.

    "Hang on, I can''t get past this crowd, have they gone mad?" he replied.

    Oh right. Darren''s class is on the other side of the campus and the crowd of students were gathered right in the middle, blocking the pathway.

    "Okay, I''ll wait for you then," she said. She went to the stairway, still scrolling through her phone and as she took a step, she realised she had misjudged the step and she is stepping on mid-air.

    Zi Mei could fell herself falling as she flung her phone off to grab the railing but gravity was harsh as it pulled her and she waited for impact but instead, a pair of strong hands grabbed her in the nick of time. She stood suspended there for a moment, blood gushing in her head, her heart racing a million beats by the second, her breath coming out in pants. The hands pulled her back to safety.

    "You ought to be careful, Lil Zi," a deep voice told her. He released her almost immediately after he made sure she is safe and far from the steps. She turned around and stared at the person who saved her from falling down the staircase and all thoughts fled her mind.

    She is staring at the most good-looking man she has ever laid eyes on. Deep dark bottomless pools for eyes, thick luscious hair, a tall, high nose and cheekbones that supermodels would die for. She gasped ever so slight.

    "Wa¡­how¡­" she stammered mindlessly. She vaguely remembered him calling her Lil Zi but somehow, she couldn''t get her mouth to work or her mind for that matter. His dazzling good looks are making mush of her brains.

    The gorgeous man curled his lips, it was either a half smile or a sneer, she doesn''t know and then he nodded curtly at her.

    "Well then, be careful," he said and then he turned and walked away. She stared at his broad shoulders encased in a perfectly tailored expensive-looking suit.

    He doesn''t look like a student. He looks too old to be a student. And definitely not a lecturer either. She wondered who is he. She stood there staring until he turned a corner and disappear from sight.

    After a while, she realised her mouth is still agape and she closed it. Damn. It is not everyday that you get saved by the most perfect specimen of a man like a damsel in distress being saved by a knight in shining armour.

    She suddenly remembered she had dropped her phone. She went to search for it and as she was looking around the floor, a pair of men''s feet encased in expensive leather shoes stood before her. She followed it up to it''s owner and gasped.

    It was the handsome man who saved her just minutes ago. When did he come back? Did he come back to talk to her? Her pulse started racing and she could feel a blush rushing up her face. Damn her infinite shyness with men other than Darren. Then a thought occurred to her. She clearly remembered him calling her ''Lil Zi''.

    "Why did you call me Lil Zi earlier?" she blurted out, perplexed. It wasn''t her full name and no one has ever called her that so maybe he had mistaken her as someone else?

    "Oh did I?" the man frowned. Even when he frowned, he looked gorgeous. It almost made her sigh dreamily but she stopped herself. She should really stop ogling at this older handsome man. He looks to be in his 30s at least.

    "Here, I think you dropped this," he handed her phone to her. It was badly cracked and damaged. "It fell right down to the ground floor," he told her.

    "Thank you¡­Mister....?" she took the phone slowly, hoping to at least get his name.

    "Oh, I''m Thorin Loong and you are?" he asked in return.

    She stuck out her hand.

    "I am Zi Mei," she smiled shyly at him. He was looking at her strangely.

    Did she have something on her face? She was tempted to wipe her face but didn''t want to be too obvious in front of this handsome Thorin Loong. Even his name sounded so gorgeous.

    He slowly reached out and shook her hand.

    Suddenly she had an image of them kissing passionately, his hand inside her clothes, touching her breasts and his perfectly sculpted bare chest was pressing against her. Their bodies were entwined on a luxuriously large bed. She gasped and snatched her hand back from his. She gaped at him, blushing a tomato red.

    What was that?? Did she just get a lusty dirty fantasy of the man she just met? Yet the tastes, the smell, the feelings, the pleasure felt so real!

    She stared at him and he raised an eyebrow at her and suddenly, he no longer looked like a stranger. He looked familiar. He felt familiar. He filled a space within her. He is like someone she didn''t know she missed dearly until she saw him.

    "Who ¡­.are¡­.you¡­.." she whispered to him.

 Chapter 61 - [Bonus ] A Mysterious Connection

    Zi Mei got an image of her and this handsome CEO, Thorin Loong, in a passionate embrace, kissing, on a bed the moment he shook her hand. She had immediately snatched it back and blushed.

    His face, his body, his heady masculine musky scent with a hint of mint. It felt familiar. He felt familiar. It was like coming home.

    He felt like home.

    It was as if she has not seen him in a long time and suddenly here he is, right in front of her. She fought an urge to jump on him, hug him close to her and never let go. She has this strange strong feelings for this handsome stranger.

    "Who ¡­.are¡­.you¡­." she whispered to him.

    He raised an eyebrow, as if puzzled by her question.

    "I am Thorin Loong, the CEO of Loong Group Holdings," he repeated, his sculpted face expressionless.

    Zi Mei felt tears swelling up in her eyes and she doesn''t understand it. She felt a dull pain in her heart just from looking at him. She surreptitiously wiped her eyes before the tears rolled down her cheeks.

    "I am sure you can get a newer, better model to replace that," he told her, probably misunderstanding her tears were for her broken cell phone.

    "Oh, uh, no, I''ve got dust in my eyes," she mumbled. She looked down at her feet. She can''t bear to look at him again.

    Looking at him pained her and filled her with a strange longing. It was as if she was pining for him and she can''t have him, which was really quite ridiculous. She doesn''t even know him before today!

    "Well, I have to go, I am meeting your principal, if you would kindly point me in the right direction, away from that mad crowd over there," he said, gesturing to the general direction of the earlier crowd of students waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

    She tried to snap out of her sudden melancholy. She pasted a fake smile on her face and looked up at his face, the face that made her heart thump and twist and squeeze, making her breath coming in short, sharp gasps.

    "Urm, it''s quite a long way, I can show you," she told him. He nodded and stood aside for her to walk pass him. She immediately walked pass him to lead him to the opposite direction from the crowd of students.

    "Thank you, I shall be grateful for your assistance Lil Zi," he said solicitously.

    Lil Zi. There it was again. Her steps faltered. She stopped and turned to him.

    "Why did you call me that?" she asked.

    He looked puzzled and then realisation hit and for a moment, he looked full of regrets. Then his face became blank, as if an invisible wall came up.

    "I apologise Miss Tan. You resembled someone I know and I called her Lil Zi so it was a slip of tongue," he said formally. "Shall we? Your principal is expecting me any minute now,"

    She nodded numbly. Why did she feel like crying? It was as if her heart was breaking into pieces. She held in her feelings and led the way down the corridor to a connecting walkway that leads to the other building. As they walked past a corner, suddenly a thought occurred to her. She did not give him her surname. How did he know her surname??

    She stopped again and he almost bumped into her. She whipped around to ask him how he knew her surname. When she did that, they are mere inches apart. His heady masculine musky minty scent assailed her nostrils.

    It filled her with such longing, she found herself stepping towards him and hugging him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Thorin gave a start as she wrapped her arms around him suddenly, resting her head on his chest and sighing. Then suddenly realising what she had done, she released him and jumped a few steps back, aghast.

    "Oh my god. I don''t know what came over me! I am so sorry Mr Loong, so so sorry!" she apologised. Yet, she regretted nothing. That brief few seconds of holding him was bliss. She was home. She missed him. So much.

    Wait, what was wrong with her? She tried to shake that strange thoughts out of her head. She just hugged a total stranger! He must think she is some cheap slut who throws herself at handsome older men visiting their college.

    She covered her face in shame. She had practically thrown herself at a stranger! It must be her hormones. Maybe her period is coming. Yes, it must be. It must be PMS. Studies have shown that PMS sometimes makes the woman more horny. Since she''s never had sex, maybe her hormones are going on an overdrive. Yes, that must be it, she tried to convince herself. She peeked at the handsome CEO.

    For a moment, she was certain his face looked conflicted, even pained. He didn''t look annoyed or affronted by her sudden hug at all. His expression was as if he felt exactly the way she felt. She removed her hands to look at him clearly. Noticing that she was looking at him, his expression became blank again.

    "Well, that was interesting. Now, can you show me to your principal''s office?" he said politely, as if she didn''t just hug him. As if she just showed him a picture of a cat or something.

    "Right," she replied. She turned back and started walking towards the next building, fast. After she showed him to the principal''s office, she hurried away without saying anything. She was filled with embarrassment over her earlier behaviour.

    It was a good thing that he appeared to be a gracious man and did not pursue it at all. She hoped he wouldn''t complain about her to the principal. He could have easily told the principal that a student accosted him and flung herself at him. Furthermore, he knew her name. He could have filed an official complaint.

    Right. He knew her surname. She was certain she did not give him her full name. How did he know her surname? She stopped walking.

    She think back to the brief moment after she hugged him. He had looked at her as if he missed her too, filled with longing and desire, right before he noticed her looking at him.

    What was that? Was there something more? She couldn''t bear it. She couldn''t bear not knowing what this mysterious connection she seem to have with this stranger was. Against her better judgement and her innate shyness with men, she turned around and walked back to the principal''s office.

    She needs to know. She needs to find out what this mysterious connection with the stranger is. Why did he feel so familiar? How did he know her full name? Why did him calling her Lil Zi sounded so intimate and familiar too? Why does her heart do this strange little dance and squeeze at the sight of him? Why does hugging him, a total stranger, felt so right?

    She waited outside the principal''s office for him to come out. She needs answers to her questions and he will have to give it to her. She will not leave until then. It was not a long wait. In about 30 minutes or so, he strolled out of the office casually, looking like a model walking down the runway.

    He stopped short when he saw her standing there.

    "Lil Zi," he uttered in surprise.

 Chapter 62 - No Phone, No Wallet

    Zi Mei was standing outside the principal''s office waiting for the handsome CEO, Thorin Loong, to come out. He knew her full name. He felt so familiar. He fills an empty space within her. Yet, he is a total stranger. She has to know what is his connection to her.

    After about 30 minutes of waiting, the tall handsome stranger strolled out of the office, looking dashing and debonair like a male model on a runway.

    He stopped short when he saw her standing there.

    "Lil Zi," he uttered in surprise.

    There it is. He called her Lil Zi, a nickname so familiar to her, it felt like she has heard it a million times over. It brought up warm cozy feelings and a strong sense of deja vu.

    "I need to know, have we met before?" she blurted out before realising that what she had uttered sounded like a very lame pickup line.

    He merely raised an eyebrow and looked at her enigmatically.

    She cleared her throat uncomfortably.

    "I mean, why would you call me Lil Zi? And how do you know my surname? I never told you my surname!" she said.

    "Miss Tan, as I''ve told you earlier, you resembled someone very dear to me whom I called Lil Zi, it was a slip of tongue," he told her.

    She didn''t believe him. Once is a slip of tongue but the second time and then the third time when he was caught unawares? No. She doesn''t buy it.

    "Then how do you know my surname? I never told you that?" she said.

    "Are you sure? I was certain you said your name is Tan Zi Mei," he replied, his tone level.

    "Look, Miss Tan, my company is here to recruit some interns and you are most welcome to apply if you are interested but accosting me this way will not get you hired, you still have to go through the same procedures as all other applicants," he added arrogantly.

    She was mortified. Did she really sound so desperate as if begging for him to hire her as an intern?

    "No thanks, I am not looking for a job," she told him. "I guess, there''s been some misunderstanding, I won''t keep you then," she said meekly. She turned around and hurriedly left, her face blazing red with embarrassment.

    He was right. She did wait for him outside the principal''s office to ask him things that sounded as if she was trying to get close to him to get the intern job. Even though she has no intention of doing so. If that''s not bad enough, she did throw herself at him earlier.

    Who hugs a total stranger? Feeling doubly embarrassed over what she had done with a total stranger, she hurriedly left the campus without looking anywhere. She kept her head down as she walked.

    ''Luckily I will never see him again¡­oh my gawd¡­what was I thinking? How could I confront some stranger just because he accidentally call me the wrong name? Ughhh¡­'' she mumbled to herself silently.

    She was so mortified, all thoughts of Darren were forgotten. She reached the bus stop just as the bus arrived and she quickly boarded it to head home. She may be rich but she still prefers to take the bus like a regular college student instead of buying a car and driving to college. She didn''t want to show off her wealth. In fact, she is hiding it really well.

    Once she reached home, she looked around to make sure her father was not hanging around outside before hurrying inside and locking door. Once she slid the lock into place, she was relieved.

    She is safe from her father, for now. She is certain that he will be back one of these days. The cash she gave him earlier will be gone in a matter of days, if not hours. A gambler can gamble away thousands easily.

    She went to the living room inside to rest, dropping her backpack carelessly on the floor. She took out her phone and remembered. She had dropped it earlier so it is broken beyond repair. She stared at the cracked dark screen. No wonder she has not heard any messages coming in earlier. Her phone is as good as dead.

    She knew she has to go out to buy a new phone but she was too reluctant to do so. She was feeling so comfortable lying down on her chaise lounge with the air conditioner on full blast. If only there is such a thing as immediate delivery for online purchases, she would have easily ordered online. But all online purchases take two to three days to deliver, at the earliest.

    She lay there for a few moments more and then dragged herself off the lounge. She needed a phone. Without a phone, she felt cut off from the rest of the world. While it is good to be offline every once in a while, it is not safe. She doesn''t have a landline to call emergency services if she needed help in case of fire or any other emergencies. She had opted not to install a conventional landline phone at home since she doesn''t use it.

    She dug around her bag pack for her wallet and then realised that her wallet is missing. She poured everything out. All her books, pens, loose papers, notebooks, packs of tissue, small bottles of sanitisers, her coin purse and other small knick knacks fell out. But her wallet wasn''t there. Did she drop it somewhere in college?

    She thought back to the last time she took out her wallet. This morning, she dug out all the cash to hand to her father. Then at the bus, she dug out loose change from her coin purse, she did not touch her wallet at all. At lunch break, she had used the cash she found in her jeans pockets. So, she didn''t touch her wallet either. Then on the way back, she had again used the coins in her coins purse. So, the last time she saw her wallet was this morning when she dug out the cash to give to her father.

    She must have left it at home. She searched around her living room. There was no signs of it. She searched under the cabinets, under the chairs, on the floor, no sign of it.

    Did she drop it somewhere in the college campus?

    This sucks. If she lost her wallet, she has to report the loss of her bank cards, her debit cards, her identity card and her driving license. Now, worse of all, she doesn''t even have a phone to call her bank. She can''t go out to buy a new phone because she doesn''t have any more cash with her and she doesn''t have any bank cards.

    Zi Mei sat there thinking about what she should do. Maybe she should walk over to Darren''s house. He lives several streets away, about 20 minutes'' walk. He could lend her his phone to call the banks to report her lost cards first. She has large sums of money in the bank account linked to her cards so whoever picked it up and use it will find that they can go on a shopping spree with it.

    She went to the front door to unlock it. She better start walking to Darren''s place and hope he is home by now. She pulled open the door and there, standing outside is Thorin Loong. She gaped at him.

    "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised, aware of her heart racing at the sight of the handsome CEO.

    _____________________________________________

    SPECIAL NOTE FROM AUTHOR:

    I have a new book up titled "Housewife Became A Substitute Reaper" to join the Writing Prompt Contest #229.

    It is about an abused housewife who accidentally stabbed a reaper so she has to become a substitute reaper to reap 100 souls or be sent to hell to serve the King of Hell.

    It is funny, sad, dark and dramatic, but mostly funny as she bungles her way through as a substitute reaper.

    Head on over to read it.

    I promise it will be fun. Also, please vote for that book too if you can. I have a special promotion there: the top power stone contributor will get to name one of the souls and give the back story for the soul that will be reaped by the housewife IF that book wins any of the gold/silver/bronze prize.

    As always, I am forever grateful for your support.

 Chapter 63 - The Internship

    Zi Mei''s cell phone is broken beyond repair and not working. She couldn''t find her waller where all her cash, bank cards and identity card are. Since she doesn''t have a landline phone at home, she decided to walk over to Darren''s to ask for his help. When she opened her door, the handsome CEO, Thorin Loong, was standing outside.

    "What are you doing here?" she had asked in surprise. He is the last person she had expected to be there. Not after the embarrassing debacle she made of herself. Also, how does he know where she lives?

    "I am sorry to intrude, I believe this is yours," Thorin Loong held out her wallet. It took her a moment to register that he was holding her wallet.

    She quickly went out to him and took her wallet. Immediately his strong masculine scent with a hint of mint assailed her. It filled her with a strong longing and it was all she could do to stop herself from hugging him, yet again.

    What is wrong with her?

    "Oh, thank you! I was searching for it everywhere," she said instead and quickly take a step back, away from him, away from temptation. Up close, he is even more gorgeous. His skin was silky smooth and his eyes are so dreamy, she could literally drown in them. Her pulse are racing yet again.

    "You dropped it on campus after confronting me at the principal''s office, you should be more careful with your belongings," he said coolly. "Well then, Miss Tan, take care," he turned around to walk away. It was then that she noticed a sleek black car waiting for him by the roadside.

    "So, what sort of interns are your company looking for?" she called out, before she could stop herself.

    Dammit. What is she doing? She has no interest of becoming an intern! She wanted to concentrate fully on her studies. He stopped in his tracks and he turned around to look at her. He studied her with his cool dark eyes that glinted mysteriously. She was certain she could see a glimmer of silver flash within.

    "Interns? So you plan to apply after all?" he asked. She couldn''t trust herself to say anything so she merely nodded.

    He sighed and pushed a lock of hair that had fallen on his temple back. Zi Mei would have sighed too, at the distracting gorgeousness of him doing that except she managed to control herself.

    "Fine. Since I am in a good mood, you are hired. Please don''t tell the rest of your other friends about this, I don''t want other college girls throwing themselves at me nilly willy," he said.

    Against her better judgement, her body seem to have a mind of its own as once again, it ran to him and threw itself against him in a hug. Again. He was surprised and this time, both his hands came up to hold her waist but he did not push her away. The same feelings of familiarity, deja vu and warmth assailed her.

    She is home. She belonged here, she thought as she wrapped her arms around his large frame. He felt so firm, so warm and SO familiar. She rested her head on his chest and was transported to a feeling of timelessness. A sudden image of an English rose garden came to mind. She didn''t know how long she held on to him but it took a while for her to register him clearing his throat and calling her name.

    "Ahem. Miss Tan? Can you release me now?" he was saying. His hands around her waist are now trying to pry her apart from him. She quickly released him and stepped back, blushing a deep red. Again.

    "I am so sorry Mr Loong¡­I was just so excited about the internship!" she lied. She knows deep in her heart that it was not the internship. It was this strange compulsion she had whenever she sees him.

    Is this what people meant when they talk about love at first sight? This strange magnetic draw that one has for a total stranger?

    As they stood looking at each other, a woman stepped out of the car. She has smooth creamy alabaster skin, large almond-shaped eyes, a high aquiline nose, rosebud lips and a narrow oval face. A classic beauty. She looked to be in her 30s. She walked over to Thorin Loong and looked down her nose at Zi Mei.

    "Darling, who is this? Why is she throwing herself on you like that?" she asked haughtily.

    Thorin Loong cleared his throat. "She''s my new intern, she is just happy she got the internship," he said. The woman''s eye widened in surprise.

    "Internship? Are you sure that''s a good idea?" she asked.

    "Jessica, don''t meddle in my business," he told her brusquely. He turned to Zi Mei. "Your internship starts next week so stop by your college''s office for the documents and details tomorrow,"

    Then, he and the gorgeous woman turned around and walked to the waiting car. He got into the car on one side while she went over to the other side to get in. Zi Mei stared after the car as it drove off.

    She wondered who the gorgeous woman, he called her Jessica, is. Is she a girlfriend? She had called him ''Darling''. It could either be a term of endearment or simply just a way she addressed people.

    She will have to google Thorin Loong and Jessica once she gets her new cell phone and is back home alone. She is glad that at least she got her wallet back. She no longer needs to call the banks to cancel the cards. It would have been such a hassle. She turned to lock her door and went on her way to the mall. It is but a short bus ride away.

    When she reached the bus stop, she saw Darren arriving on the other side of the road. She waved to him but he didn''t seem to notice her. Instead, he was talking on his cell phone animatedly. She wondered who he is talking to. Maybe it was his date from last night?

    She watched him as he walked jauntily down the road. It looked like he was heading to her house. Why is he going to her house? To check on her? She decided to follow him. She will jump on him and give him a scare when he reaches her house.

    He talked on his phone all the way to her house. Then he hang up and looked at her house. She was getting ready to run up to him and jump on him when he did the strangest thing.

    He started sniffing the air. Like a hound dog sniffing for things. He began sniffing everywhere and walked around as he sniffed. Then he stopped at her front door and sniffed. He started knocking on her door. She decided to wait a while longer. He is behaving so strange and so unlike Darren, she wanted to see what he does next. He knocked on the door again. Then he placed his ears on the door, as if to try to listen to any movements inside. She quickly hid behind a lamppost.

    What he did next made her skin crawl and goosebumps raced down her arms. She shivered as fear enveloped her.

    That is definitely NOT Darren.

 Chapter 64 - [Bonus ] The Thing About The Fingers

    Zi Mei was following Darren as he walked towards her house. He had sniffed around her house before knocking on the door. She had initially wanted to jump on him and give him a jump scare but stopped when he started sniffing around, like a dog would sniff the air if they caught a whiff of something. So, she hid behind a lamppost to see what he does next.

    He stuck a finger through the louvre of her outer wooden door and then it impossibly lengthened and snaked down inside, presumably to go under the inner door inside. The sight of this made her skin crawl.

    Zi Mei shivered as fear enveloped her. Whatever that thing is, it is NOT Darren. It looked like Darren and possibly sounded like him. But no human, much less Darren, could do what this thing just did. She slowly took a few steps back from the lamppost and walked slowly backwards away from the street. Then making sure that Darren is still engrossed with his finger still through her door, she turned and ran.

    She doesn''t even have her phone with her to call for help. But who does she call for help? The police? What does she tell the police? Help, my best friend''s finger can elongate like a snake and go inside my house? No, they will think she is crazy. She ran as far and as fast as she could until she was a few streets away and panting heavily. Her heart is thumping so rapidly from fear and the adrenaline rush, she could even hear it thumping loudly in her head.

    She looked around her. Fuck it. She had ran to Darren''s house automatically. She is supposed to be running AWAY from him, not towards his house! She backed away from his house and turned around.

    Her legs are now all rubbery.

    She is still catching her breath.

    She can''t run anymore.

    She fast walked away, heading to the nearest bus stop she can think of and hoping Darren or that thing that looks like Darren is not on his way back right now. Fleetingly, she wondered what had happened to the real Darren but her brain is still trying to process what she just saw.

    What was that thing? What can do what it did? Then she got a flash of an image of Darren''s face all twisted and eyes bloodshot over her and choking her. She gasped.

    What was that??

    All this felt familiar. Another strong sense of deja vu hit her.

    She reached the bus stop and just in time a bus arrived and she quickly hop on. Just as the bus pulled away, she saw Darren walking towards the street where his house is. She slide down under her chair, hoping he didn''t see her on the bus.

    What is she going to do now? What is that thing that looked like Darren? What does it want from her?

    When the bus stopped near the mall, she got down and hurried inside the mall. She needed to get a replacement phone fast and then call Jazzmine and Sheena. She doesn''t know who else to call. Certainly not Darren!

    After buying a new phone, the latest model with all the new technology according to the salesman, she inserted her SIM card into it and turned it on. The salesman had assured her that there is at least 70% battery charge in the new phone for customers who wanted to use it immediately after they bought the new phone.

    The moment the phone turned on and her line went back up. A whole host of messages started coming in. There were also missed call notifications. There were a lot of messages and calls from Darren. She didn''t read the messages. There were a few messages from Sheena and Jazzmine.

    She called Sheena.

    "Hey, Sheena, I just saw the weirdest thing," she said the moment Sheena picked up.

    "Mei! Darren was frantically looking for you earlier, were you ghosting him because you found out I went on a date with him last night?" Sheena said.

    So, it was Sheena! Darren was dating Sheena. But wait, she must not get distracted. Somehow, finding out that Darren was dating Sheena did not matter anymore. She was not even pissed that they had went out behind her back when all four of them, Sheena, Jazzmine, Darren and her are best friends. Now, she has more important things on her mind. Like the fact that Darren''s finger can stretch and slither inside her door like some snake.

    She shivered at the thought.

    How do you tell one of your best friends that your other best friend is not human and has a rubbery finger that can stretched very far?

    "Mei? Are you still there? Are you really pissed that we are dating?" Sheena was asking.

    Zi Mei still doesn''t know what to say. How to tell Sheena that Darren is acting strange?

    "Ah¡­Sheena¡­was Darren acting strange in any way in your date last night?" she opted to ask instead.

    "Strange? No, he was just¡­Darren. Why? Did he say something to you about last night? What is it?" Sheena sounded curious, not even concerned.

    "Oh, ah, like maybe his fingers¡­did you notice his fingers?" she asked, trying to find a way to ask Sheena without alarming her.

    "His fingers? Zi Mei! Well, if you must know, he is rather skilled in using his fingers, erm, down there, he got me so wet¡­" Sheena giggled.

    Zi Mei wanted to reach through the phone and strangle Sheena. She didn''t want to get the low down on their sex life! But wait¡­they only had their first date last night and already went so far?

    "You had sex on your first date?" she blurted out, amazed.

    She knows Sheena is rather open and has had many sexual partners but to jump into bed with Darren, their best friend, on their very first date. It is quite jarring.

    Sheena giggled. "If you could call it our first date," she demurred.

    What? They''ve been dating a while?

    "Wait, you''ve been dating for a long time?" Zi Mei asked, now utterly distracted.

    "We sort of hook up a few months back but at that time, we didn''t make any commitments, it was more of a friends with benefit sort of thing and we will hook up every once in a while, you know, to let off steam," Sheena said.

    Zi Mei doesn''t know. She doesn''t ''let off steam'' by jumping into bed with her best friend. Here she was worrying about destroying the friendship with Darren if she confessed her crush to him and Sheena was already having sex with him like it was nothing.

    But she is letting Sheena distracting her from the actual troubling thing.

    "Sheena, I am being serious, was anything strange about Darren? Like bloodshot eyes maybe?" she asked, remembering the image that flashed in her mind earlier.

    "Mei, what''s wrong? No, he didn''t have bloodshot eyes. He was perfectly normal, he is as Darren as Darren can be," Sheena said.

    Her phone started beeping while she was talking to Sheena. She realised it was another call coming in. The caller ID stated it was Darren.

    What should she do now?

 Chapter 65 - Thinking Of Thorin

    Zi Mei was talking to Sheena on the phone when the phone beeped to signify that another call is coming in. She looked at the caller ID and it was Darren. Should she answer the call?

    "Sheena, Darren is calling me right now," she told Sheena.

    "Oh, you better take it. He was looking for you frantically, he was worried that you are pissed about us dating, you are not pissed right? Right?" Sheena asked.

    Beep. Beep. The incoming call notification sounded. Maybe she should just let the call cut off. She doesn''t have to answer his call.

    "Mei?" Sheena prompted.

    "No, I''m not pissed, my phone fell and broke earlier so I had to get a new one," she told Sheena.

    Beep. Beep. Beep. Why is he not hanging up?

    "You better get that call, bye!" Sheena hang up. Her ringtone came on. Darren''s name flashed on the screen.

    She stared at it a few seconds and answered it. She has to act normal, as if nothing happened.

    "Hello?" she answered cautiously.

    "Mei! Where did you go? I thought you wanted to go back together? I waited for you for a long time, then I went over to your place and you weren''t there," Darren said.

    He sounded perfectly normal. Just like Darren. Worried and concerned for her. Did she imagined it after all?

    "I¡­ah¡­er¡­dropped my phone and it broke so I¡­ah¡­went to the mall to get a new phone," she told him. It was the truth anyway.

    "Cool. So now you have a new phone? The latest model? You must show it to me, I heard it has all these cool new features," Darren said.

    "Ya, ah, sure, of course," she said haltingly. Please don''t say you are coming to meet me, please don''t come to meet me, please, she hoped inwardly.

    "Well, see you tomorrow then," Darren said.

    She almost gave a huge sigh of relief.

    "Oh ah, I have something going on tomorrow, maybe see you in campus later tomorrow? You don''t have to come to my place to go together," she lied.

    "Sure, see you at campus then," Darren said and hang up.

    She found a sitting area at the mall to sit and sank down on the bench. Her legs are all weak and rubbery again. Fortunately Darren didn''t suspect a thing.

    Now, her problem is, how is she going to react when she sees him in real life?

    She didn''t even feel like going home now. The thought of going home brought up the image of Darren sniffing around and then poking his finger in and the finger elongating like a rubbery snake.

    She shuddered at the image. She scrolled through her phone and contemplated calling Jazzmine. Should she call her?

    Maybe not. Jazzmine will think she''s crazy. Even she is finding it hard to believe that she saw what she saw earlier. Maybe she was mistaken?

    She is at a loss. She really doesn''t know what to do now. She can''t sit here at the mall indefinitely. She has to go home soon. She decided not to think too much for now. She might as well go to a cafe to hang out for a while and get dinner before heading home.

    She found a cafe and went inside. It was quite empty and she liked it that way. She is used to sitting alone and she used to work in a cafe exactly like this. She remembered those days when she had to work extra shifts for overtime pay. How she''d skimp on meals and eat whatever the cafe owner provided as ''free'' meals for the cafe staffs. All these are in the past now after she won that lottery.

    She chose a far secluded corner of a couple stuff armchairs to sit down after ordering her drinks and some food. She slumped into the soft comfortable armchair and leaned back, closing her eyes. It has been a crazy day today. Images of the whole day flashed through her mind.

    Almost falling down the stairs. Saved by a handsome CEO. Hugging the handsome CEO. The handsome CEO at her house. Hugging the handsome CEO yet again. Getting that internship that she didn''t really want. Darren''s long finger. She shuddered at the last image.

    She focused her attention on the handsome CEO. He is so good looking, it is no wonder the girls in college were all crowding around waiting for him. She would have done the same if she knew. He had such a smooth complexion too.

    She supposed most rich people has this kind of good and smooth complexion due to their proper diet since young. They have all the money in the world to eat good nutritious food. Then remembering the equally gorgeous woman, Jessica, who was with him, she took out her phone and searched for Thorin Loong and Jessica.

    It turned out Jessica is his wife! She is mortified. She had hugged Thorin Loong in front of his wife! No wonder she had asked why she was hugging him. Any wife would be suspicious of some young girl hugging her husband. Zi Mei covered her face and groaned softly in embarrassment.

    Why did she have to throw herself at Thorin Loong, not once, but twice?

    She continued scrolling through whatever news she could find about Thorin Loong and Loong Group Holdings. She was so engrossed in scrolling , she didn''t even notice the server bringing her drink and food until much later. She ate and drank as she scrolled. There was really nothing personal about him and his wife. Most of the things she found were business news. About his company.

    "Who are you Thorin Loong?" she whispered under her breath, staring at a particularly breathtaking photo of him in one of the articles. Just looking at the photo had her pulse racing as if she was standing in front of him again.

    She sighed. He is a married man. She must not covet a married man, she told herself. She stared at the photo a bit longer and then tapped on the x. Then she regretted it. She opened it again and tapped to save the photo to her phone.

    Surely, there is no harm looking at his photo right?

    She has finished her food. She paid her bill and decided that she has to be brave and go home now. Darren did say he will see her in campus tomorrow. So, he won''t be waiting for her outside her house, right?

    Right. It is Darren. She has nothing to fear from him anyway. If he had wanted to hurt her, he would have done so in all these years as her best friend.

    ''Yes, I am seeing things, must be all in my imagination,'' she told herself. She called for an e-hailing ride. She didn''t feel like taking the bus now that it is after 9pm. Better to get a ride back, not that it costs much for an e-hailing ride.

    Once the driver dropped her in front of her house, she stared at her door. Her skin crawled at the image of Darren''s long finger. The image is burned on her mind. She took a deep breath and went to her front door.

    "Miss Tan, I think it''s best you don''t go in just yet," a quiet voice behind her suddenly said, startling her.

    She screamed and whipped around.

 Chapter 66 - [Bonus ] Intruders And Kisses

    Zi Mei had wasted as much time as she could at the mall before heading home. She used an app to get an e-hailing ride back home. After the driver dropped her home, she stood outside for a while and the memory of seeing Darren''s finger elongating and snaking through her door emerged.

    She shivered at the memory. Still, she needs to go home. She can''t stay outside forever. As she stepped forward to her front door, someone spoke behind her.

    "Miss Tan, I think it''s best you don''t go in just yet," the quiet voice behind her said.

    Given that she was still jittery from what she saw earlier, Zi Mei almost had a heart attack at the voice. She screamed, jumped and swirled around.

    It was the handsome CEO Thorin Loong.

    Why didn''t she see him standing there earlier? It''s not that dark even though it is night. There is a street lamp just outside her house.

    "Waaaa¡­ahem¡­what are you doing here, er, Mr Loong?" she half stammered, her heart still thumping loudly, first from the shock and now, for other obvious reasons.

    "I''m afraid that you can''t go in just yet," he repeated. He stepped forward to stand in front of her door.

    "Just wait for a few moments," he added mysteriously.

    She craned her neck to look around him. Her door is shut. Her inner door was slightly ajar. Wait, how did the inner door open? She remembered pulling it close when she left this morning. Her skin again crawled and goosebumps raced down her arms.

    "Did someone break into my house?" she asked the handsome CEO, Thorin Loong.

    He glanced behind him for a fleeting moment and turned back to her.

    "You can say that but my men are handling it so it should be fine in a few more minutes," he said cryptically.

    His men are handling it? How did they enter her house? The door is locked! And handle what? Also, why are his men handling it when he could have called the police? Everything sounded suspicious.

    "Shouldn''t we call the police?" she asked. "Also, why are your men handling it? Why is my house your concern? I mean, we barely know each other!" she said.

    She took a step away from him. As handsome as he may be, this goes beyond the scope of a potential employer and an intern. Besides, he is a married man. She should not be harbouring any hopes to be with him at all. Or depending on him to help her out of sticky, scary or strange situations.

    Thorin Loong gave a long-suffering sigh. He walked to her door and opened it. Zi Mei was shocked so she gasped loudly.

    Her door wasn''t locked??? But Darren had tried to pull it open earlier and she remembered clearly that it was locked. Which was why he had put his finger in and it had elongated like a long elastic snake inside.

    "How? My door was definitely locked earlier!" she exclaimed.

    "Well, I told you there was a break-in, of sorts, and my men are now sweeping it clean for you now," he said.

    "Sweeping it clean?" she asked, puzzled. What does he mean? The burglars made a mess so he got his staff to help clean up the mess the burglars left?

    "To check to make sure the intruders did not leave¡­.um¡­video and audio recording devices in your home," he explained.

    Okay. That makes sense. She doesn''t have much cash at home, especially after she gave her spare cash to her father earlier, so there is really nothing much for the burglars to steal. There are only her electronic gadgets such as her TV, her laptop and her iPad that are worth stealing.

    "But why would they plant video and audio recording devices in my house? I am just a student, it''s not like I have national security secrets for them to steal," she conjectured.

    Thorin Loong raised an eyebrow, looking down at her with such a haughty arrogant expression that is both annoying and yet so captivating, Zi Mei felt a strong compulsion to kick him and then hug him.

    "You are a young pretty woman with ample, er, assets, that they could make thousands selling nude videos and pictures of," he said pointedly, glancing briefly at her full breasts underneath her loose blouse before looking away.

    Zi Mei crossed her arms over her chest and blushed. It sounded as if he was interested in her! But no, she must be mistaken. He is a married man who is at least 9 years older. Why would he be interested in a virginal college student like her? Besides, his wife is gorgeous. Surely, she is nothing compared to his beautiful wife.

    "So, ah, um, are they done?" she quickly changed the subject and craned her neck to look inside. She didn''t see anyone in the lobby-waiting area of her house.

    "Oh for dragons'' sake," Thorin Loong uttered in exasperation. He pulled her towards him in an embrace and slashed his lips over hers.

    For a suspended moment, Zi Mei froze. Her pulse is now gushing in her ears and she couldn''t hear anything or think straight. Her knees buckled but he held her close to him, supporting her.

    The handsome CEO''s lips are on hers!

    His warm moist lips moving over hers, nipping lightly on her lips and his tongue sliding inside hers. She found herself sinking into his arms, returning his kiss passionately. She linked her arms behind his neck and pressed herself against him, her body pulsing in desire. In her mind, she saw a flash of them kissing just like this, their wet naked bodies pressed close together inside a bathroom, under the shower.

    She gasped and pulled away from him, gazing up at him in surprise, in confusion. What is happening? Why is she getting these very real, very torrid images of her and this handsome CEO whom she had only met for the first time today?

    Thorin Loong run his hand through his thick hair, messing it up and exhaled loudly.

    "I apologise, I shouldn''t do that, your lips looked so inviting¡­" he muttered. He turned away from her and leaned against the door frame, looking into her house.

    She stared at his wide shoulders as she touched her swollen lips. Her body is coiled tight with arousal and desire, as tight as a bow''s string. She has never felt this way with anyone. Not even with Darren. Her supposed crush on Darren seemed childish now. Stupid even.

    Her feet walked towards him, propelled by an inner unknown force and her arms went around his waist to hug him. She felt him gave a start at her touch but he didn''t push her hands away. She rested her head on his back. No, this is far different from the so-called crush she had for Darren. This felt so real. So strong. It felt like love.

    "Mr Loong, I liked your kiss, you shouldn''t apologise," she said shyly.

    Thorin Loong growled. He turned around and looked at her. His dark eyes fathomless pools filled with unidentifiable emotions. He held her chin up and gaze into her eyes.

    "What are we to do Lil Zi?" he whispered under his breath.

    He bent to kiss her again and this time, she is ready, she opened up to him, welcoming his kiss, leaning into his warm familiar embrace, sighing dreamily against his lips and the erotic thrusting of his tongue within the moist domains of her mouth.

    She wished she could stay in this moment with him forever.

 Chapter 67 - An Inexplicable Attraction

    Thorin Loong had kissed Zi Mei and then apologised before turning away. As if propelled by an invisible inner energy, Zi Mei went over to him and hugged him from behind. This prompted him to turn back to her and kiss her passionately.

    They held on to each other, as if they would fall without holding on. They lips are fused together and Thorin plundered her moist inner domain while she returned every thrust of his tongue. They are like two starving people whose only sustenance are each other. They are both drowning in the passion that seemed to grow and threatened to engulf them entirely.

    It was a long moment before they came up for air, both of them panting slightly. Thorin released her and she could feel her legs wobble slightly without his support. Their eyes are locked onto each other. Thorin''s dark eyes are deep pools of unfathomable emotions while Zi Mei''s are full of passion and wonder.

    "You¡­you called me Lil Zi again¡­" she murmured. Her heart is pounding so loudly, she is certain he can hear it too. Her whole body is now burning up with a strong desire for this tall handsome man.

    ''He''s a married man!'' an inner voice within her reminded her. Yet, her heart wants what it wants. It wanted this man. It didn''t care if he is married.

    "You look like a Lil Zi to me," Thorin replied. He cupped her chin and looked like he was about to kiss her again when a cold female voice behind them interrupted them.

    "Thorin," the voice said.

    They both sprang apart, guiltily on Zi Mei''s side, while Thorin merely looked annoyed by the interruption. He turned to the owner of the voice. His wife, Jessica.

    "Jessica, you know never to¡­" he started to say before stopping midway. He frowned at her for a moment. Then he stuck both his hands in his pockets and stomped into Zi Mei''s house without saying anything.

    Zi Mei is utterly mortified and flustered. What do you say to the wife of the man you had just kissed and probably would have kissed again if the wife didn''t interrupt them? Also, why did Thorin Loong just walk into her house as if he owned it?

    "I ah¡­Mrs Loong, it is not what it looked like," she tried to explain. There was no explanation for her behaviour at all actually. How do you explain this inexplicable attraction she seem to have towards Thorin Loong?

    "It is exactly what it looked like," Jessica said coldly. She glared at Zi Mei. "Please keep your hands and body away from my husband," she added. She regarded Zi Mei for a moment.

    "You have taken up an internship in our company but that doesn''t mean you can throw yourself at my husband, have some pride," she added haughtily. She didn''t wait for a response from Zi Mei. She turned and stalked back out to a waiting car by the road. She slide into the car without looking at Zi Mei.

    Zi Mei is just glad that the woman did not slap her. Most wives who caught some young girl kissing their husbands would not have let it go so easily. They would have slapped the girl or worse, start pulling their hair and attacking them physically.

    Jessica is as classy as she is elegant looking. She had merely warned Zi Mei to stay away from Thorin. Despite witnessing them kissing so passionately.

    Zi Mei looked inside her house, wondering what is going on inside. Why did Thorin went inside and who are ''his men'' inside her house? What are they doing anyway?

    Overwhelmed with curiosity, Zi Mei went in tentatively. Her house looked normal. Everything was in order. There was no mess at all. Why did Thorin Loong said his men is ''sweeping it clean''? Or have they already cleared everything?

    She walked deeper inside to her sitting area and that''s when she heard footsteps coming downstairs. A few burly men and Thorin came downstairs. Thorin nodded at them and they left. Zi Mei looked at him questioningly.

    "It''s done. They''ve cleaned up everything, so you are safe, you don''t have to worry about¡­intruders," Thorin said.

    He started to walk away but Zi Mei stopped him. She clutched on to his sleeve shyly. He turned to look at her and then at her hand on his sleeve. He raised an eyebrow at her, as if to ask her why is she holding on to him.

    "Wait, Mr Loong, how did you know about the intruders and why are you doing this for me? We don''t even know each other," she said.

    He was silent for a moment. He looked away and gently pulled his arm free from her hand.

    "Let''s just call it my CSR," he said mysteriously. He turned to walk away.

    "What? But how did you know? Shouldn''t I call the police?" she asked. This time she grabbed on to his arm tightly.

    "I find all this quite suspicious, just tell me the truth please," she pleaded.

    Thorin didn''t turn to her. He gently pushed her hand away and squeezed her hand ever so lightly.

    "Don''t worry, just know that you are safe, I can''t tell you anything for now," he said. Then he strode away, leaving a befuddled Zi Mei.

    She stood there for a moment wondering what Thorin Loong had meant by that. Then she stomped out, hoping to catch him and demand that he explain before he leaves. Handsome CEO or not, she needs an explanation from him.

    She managed to catch him just as he was walking out her door. She grabbed on to his arm and pulled but she was not as strong as she thought because he didn''t budge but he did stop. He turned to look at her, surprised.

    "What is it Miss Tan?" he asked brusquely.

    So, they are back to being formal again.

    "Mr Loong, please tell me how do you know that there were intruders in my home and why did you take it upon yourself to help me ''clean up'' and also, how did you get in? My door was locked!" she said.

    He extricated his arm from her hand again. He came up to inches from her and stared down at her. She let out a short gasp, her pulse racing at his closeness.

    "As I have told you, I can''t tell you the answers for now and as for how we got in, your door was open when I got here," he said.

    She didn''t believe it!

    "No, it can''t be! I was sure it was locked, because Darren tried to open it and he couldn''t and he extended his finger inside and¡­.and¡­well, he tried and it was locked," she said, almost blurting out about Darren''s long finger.

    But Thorin Loong did not miss a thing. He looked troubled.

    "Did you say Darren extended his finger inside? And what happened next?" he asked.

    She shook her head. She will not tell anyone else what she saw. They will think she is crazy.

    "Nothing. Nothing happened," she lied.

    "Did his finger elongate and went deep inside?" Thorin asked.

    Zi Mei was shocked. She gaped at him.

    "How did you know?" she asked.

 Chapter 68 - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

    Thorin had just informed Zi Mei that her door was unlocked and open when he got there. He refused to tell her how he knew that there were intruders inside her house and why he didn''t call the police but had taken upon himself to get his men to ''sweep the place clean'' for her.

    She had blurted out about seeing Darren putting his finger through the louvres of her door and Thorin asked her if his finger had elongated to snake deep inside her house. This shocked Zi Mei as it was so unbelievable for her, even after she saw it with her own two eyes, she herself could hardly believe it. Yet, Thorin Loong had said it as if it is a normal occurrence.

    "How did you know?" she had demanded.

    "This is not good," Thorin Loong muttered under his breath. He gave her a piercing look before turning and walking away. He did not reply her at all.

    She chased after him but this time, she was too slow. He got into his car and the car sped off, leaving her staring after the back of his car in frustration. How did he know and why wouldn''t he tell her what was going on?

    She went back inside and locked her doors. She made sure to lock the outer door and pull the bolt into place and then she closed the inner door and bolted it too. No one can get in now, she thought. She went to her back door to check it. It is securely locked too. She checked all the windows and those are securely locked. No one can get in her windows too since all of her windows are protected by intricate iron work.

    Then she checked her whole house, going from room to room, from upstairs to downstairs. Nothing was out of place. Everything was as it was. What did Thorin Loong mean when he said his mean are sweeping the place clean for her? It didn''t look like the intruders left much of a mess anyway. Either that or his men really did a good job.

    Shrugging at that, she decided to get ready for bed instead of pondering over what had happened. She went to take a nice long cold shower to clear off the dirt and grime and sweat of the day along with her scandalous thoughts about the handsome CEO Thorin Loong. It will not do for her to keep thinking lusty thoughts about a married man!

    After her shower, she checked her phone. There were a few messages from Darren and Jazzmine and Sheena too but she ignored all of them. She is in no mood to text them. She is wary of Darren. She didn''t know what to text to Jazzmine or Sheena. She will handle them tomorrow morning, she thought.

    She snuggled on her bed and yawned. She is exhausted from the day''s events. She closed her eyes and images of the handsome CEO kissing her came to mind. She tossed and turned trying to get the image out of her head but the harder she tried the more her brain kept repeating the image. Soon, she was getting more torrid images of them together. On the bed, on a chair, in the bathroom, against a bench in a garden. All of it were like scenes from a porn film. In some of it, she was scantily clad, like a prostitute.

    "Augghhh!! What is all this?? Why am I behaving like a lovesick teenager??" she exclaimed loudly, sitting up on her bed. She jumped off the bed and paced her room. Those images were so real she could even hear them moaning together.

    She could feel her face reddened as the images replayed in her mind. She could almost feel Thorin Loong''s hands on her. Touching her intimately. Caressing her. His long fingers plunging into her. His long thick erection thrusting into her. She could almost feel the pleasure exploding inside her as he plunged into her. She tried to block the images and imagined sensations but instead she could feel herself getting hot and wet just thinking about it.

    "Stop it ! Stop it! Stop it!!!!" she told her brain out loud. She needs to stop thinking sexual thoughts and positions with the handsome CEO who is a married man.

    "He is a married man! Stop it!" she told herself. She went to the bathroom and splashed her face with water. She must be crazy. Why is she suddenly having x-rated thoughts about a man she just met? All because they kissed? Honestly.

    But it was her first kiss ever. She had never been kissed by a man before this. Not on the lips at least. Definitely not with tongues involved. Still, this should not turn her into some sex-crazed hormone-filled teenager imagining all sorts of sexual encounter with him. She doesn''t know how she will ever face him without thinking of what her imagination had conjured.

    Giving up on sleep, Zi Mei went downstairs to turn on the TV. She might as well watch some TV to try to distract her mind from all these unwanted thoughts. She binge-watched movies till dawn before falling asleep on her lounge chair in her living room.

    She woke up a couple hours later to someone knocking on her door. She glanced at her clock. It is already 9am. Time to go to college. It must be Darren at the door, she thought sleepily and yawned. Then she remembered. She told Darren to meet her at the college because she is still afraid of him. She still doesn''t know what he is and how he could do what he did. So, who is it at her door?

    She walked tentatively to the front door. The knocking continued. Her windows are shut so she couldn''t even peek out to see who it was. She didn''t want to open the heavy inner doors. She placed an ear to the door and listened. Hoping maybe the person would say something.

    "Miss Khoo? Are you still here?" an unknown person''s voice said. It sounded like a man. For a fleeting moment, her heart pounded and her pulse raced as she thought it could be Thorin Loong, the handsome CEO.

    "Miss Khoo? I mean you no harm, please open the door," the man said again.

    Okay, the voice is not as deep as Thorin Loong so it can''t be him. She wondered who it was. The fact that he had said that he ''meant her no harm'' was already suspicious in itself. She backed away from the door and ran upstairs.

    She looked around for her phone and found it lying on the floor under her bed. She must have dropped it last night. She picked it up and it rang so suddenly she almost dropped it. It was Darren. This is almost like trying to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. Outside her door is some stranger claiming he meant no harm and here was Darren, who has super finger, calling her.

    She decided to answer the call. After all, it was not as if Darren can do anything over the phone.

    "Darren?" she answered.

 Chapter 69 - Men Outside Her Door

    Someone was knocking on Zi Mei''s door, telling her to open up and that he ''meant her no harm'' and Darren is calling Zi Mei. Zi Mei decided to answer Darren''s call.

    "Darren?" she answered.

    "Mei! I am glad I caught you. I am so gonna be late and I am hoping you can take down notes for me in class later?" Darren asked. He sounded perfectly normal. Just a regular college kid and her best friend of many years.

    Why was she so afraid of him? Other than his super finger that can elongate like elastic man, Darren is still Darren. Maybe she is wrong to be afraid of him.

    "Oh sure Darren, will do," she replied, keeping her tone normal. She considered telling Darren that there''s a strange man knocking on her door but decided against it. She can handle this on her own surely.

    "Great! Thanks Mei, see you later at break time," Darren said cheerfully before hanging up.

    The man at the door is still knocking relentlessly. Should she call the police? But what does she tell the police? ''A man is knocking on my door'' doesn''t sound very threatening. Could it be her father''s loansharks again? This sounds like a more plausible explanation. She wouldn''t put it past her father to have gambled away all the money she gave him yesterday and to have racked up a huge debt with a loanshark again.

    The thought that she will never be able to escape her father''s gambling debts angered her. This made her so angry, she stomped downstairs, swung open the inner door and stared at the man standing outside through the louvre of the outer door.

    "What do you want?" she demanded fiercely. She will tell him to fuck off if he is another loanshark. She will claim that she doesn''t know a Tan Zan Chun and that she is not related to him at all.

    "Miss Tan¡­ finally, I was sent here to make sure you are safe," the man said. He looks to be in his 40s with a ruddy complexion, tall and stout.

    What is this, some sort of a scam? She studied him suspiciously.

    "Who sent you?" she asked.

    "Mr Loong of Loong Group Holdings," he replied. "My name is Yeow,"

    She continues to regard him suspiciously. He could be anyone. He could have seen Thorin at her house yesterday.

    "I don''t need some man to come here and keep me safe," she told him.

    "I am only following orders Miss Tan," he replied.

    "Right and I am the Queen of England," she said sarcastically. He sounded and looked like a scammer. Or a conman. Or something even more sinister, like a robber. She will never open her door for him.

    "Look, just let me in, I am here to check your house to make sure you are secure," he said.

    She backed away from him. That sounded so suspicious.

    "Thanks but no thanks!" she told him and then she slammed the inner door shut, pulling the bolt into place for good measure.

    Great. Now she is stuck at home. She can''t go out with that sinister man standing outside her door. He couldn''t break in for sure. No one can break through two layers of thick wooden door with heavy bolts in place. He couldn''t enter through her windows either since all the windows are covered by intricate iron work.

    She went back inside to her living room and sat down on her lounge. What will she do now? She decided to text Darren and tell him that she is also running late so she won''t be able to take notes for him.

    Now, she is at a loss over what to do. The man continued to knock on her door, asking her to open it. Is that enough grounds to call the police to get rid of him? He did not display any violence so there are no grounds to feel threatened by him and yet she is.

    She went back upstairs to her room to hide. She can skip college today. She will avoid going out and avoid that man outside at all costs. She is now a prisoner in her own home. She took out her phone to call Jazzmine. Maybe Jazzmine can help.

    Jazzmine''s phone rang and rang and went unanswered. She tried her a few times but couldn''t reach her. She tried Sheena instead. The same thing. Sheena was not answering her phone either. She really didn''t want to call Darren so she didn''t.

    As she sat curled up on her bed, her thoughts automatically went back to Thorin Loong and her erotic fantasies of him. She must be crazy to have imagined so many x-rated scenarios with the handsome CEO WHO IS A MARRIED MAN, she reminded herself.

    Yet, she couldn''t help replaying those images in her mind. It was just too tempting not to replay and just think about his hard muscled body on top of hers. She felt a thrill travel down her body at the thought and her little pleasure nub throbbed in desire. At this rate, she might have to break out her adult toy and use it.

    Jazzmine and Sheena had gave her an adult toy - a realistic looking vibrator - as a joke a couple years ago and she had never used it. She had taken it out of the box to look at it and even turned it on and giggled at its vibrations but she had never tried it.

    Sheena told her it was one of the best and that she had one too. Zi Mei doesn''t believe that Sheena even needed one. She is always sleeping with one guy or another and now, she is sleeping with Darren. Her sexual needs are definitely well taken care of, Zi Mei thought.

    She switched on her computer and decided to stalk Thorin Loong again. She checked out all social media and couldn''t find him in any of it. Not even on Ringstagram. He is such a private person, she thought. She fell back on scrolling through pages of business news about Thorin Loong and Loong Group Holdings.

    As she continued to scroll and admire the many different poses that Thorin Loong struck in all of the pictures that accompanied the news, she heard more voices downstairs. The man must still be outside. It sounded like he is talking to someone else. A few other men.

    They started banging on the door.

    Bang!

    Bang!

    Bang!

    "Open up!" they shouted.

    This brought on another bout of deja vu. Zi Mei is certain she has faced this exact scenario a long time ago, not in this house but in the rented house she used to live in with her father.

    Loansharks, she thought. They must be loansharks.

    "Come out now and we will not harm your father but if you don''t come out, there are no promises to what we will do to him," one of the men said.

    So, her father has landed in trouble yet again and now he is hoping she will help him out of his trouble. She wouldn''t dare go out.

    Who knows what they plan to do to her?

 Chapter 70 - [Bonus ] In A Quandary

    Several men are standing outside Zi Mei''s front door banging on it and demanding that she go out or they will hurt her father. She is now in a quandary. Does she risk going out? She doesn''t even know what they could do to her.

    "Come out now and we will not harm your father but if you don''t come out, there are no promises to what we will do to him," one of the men had shouted.

    Zi Mei is now panicking. If she goes out, they might harm her. If she doesn''t go out, they might harm her father. Both options are not feasible. Either way, she is doomed. And she thought all her troubles have been solved the moment she won that lottery.

    She decided to call the police. They are now threatening her so the police will not think that she is being overly dramatic. After calling the police, they assured her that they will send someone over and told her not to open her door. She didn''t even get off from her bed.

    The men continued banging on her door for the next 15 minutes before the police arrived. She could hear their patrol car siren and she went to her window to look down. She could see the police coming over to her house. Glad that the police is here, she went downstairs and opened the inner door.

    "What are all of you doing out here?" a policeman asked the men standing just outside her door. Zi Mei counted. There were five of them. She looked around. Her father was nowhere in sight.

    Did they hold him hostage somewhere else?

    "Nothing, we are here to visit a friend," one of the men lied to the policeman.

    "No, I don''t know them, they were harassing me!" Zi Mei shouted to the policeman. He looked at her and then he turned to the men.

    "Looks like we need to talk down at the station," the policeman said.

    "No, sir, believe us, we were not harassing her, we are just visiting her," another man said.

    "Ya, sir, we are her father''s friends and we are here to check on her," a third man said.

    Zi Mei went up to her door.

    "They are lying! They were threatening me and my father! I think they are holding my father hostage," she said.

    "Hahahah¡­such a joker, she''s joking," one of the men said. The others agreed and laughed along.

    "I am not joking! They were threatening me that they will hurt my father if I don''t open my door," she said.

    The policeman''s face turned serious. He looked at the men.

    "Well, all of you follow us to the station now," he told them.

    The men started protesting but he glared at them. "Don''t make my partner come out of the car to cuff all of you," he warned them.

    Muttering, the five men followed him to his patrol car but not before one of them turn to glare at Zi Mei.

    "We will be back," he mouthed at her.

    The policeman squeezed three of them into the back of the patrol car and radioed for back up. Another patrol car came along a few minutes later and he pushed the remaining two inside it. As the second car idled, the policeman came back to Zi Mei.

    She finally opened her door to talk to him. He introduced himself as Inspector Hassan.

    "Good call, I recognised them from a local gang, did you do anything that angered the gang?Were you involved with any of the members?" he asked.

    She shook her head, surprised.

    "I have never seen them before today, I don''t know who they are at all," she said. "I''m just a college student, how can I be involved with them,"

    "You mentioned your father, where is he?" he asked.

    Zi Mei couldn''t answer. She doesn''t know where her father is. She is hoping to never see him again. Yet, she didn''t want him killed by some local gang. Not wanting to see and talk to him doesn''t mean she wants him dead. He is still her father.

    "I lost touch with him for a while¡­he run up a huge debt with some loansharks and was on the run for a while but he came here to ask me for money yesterday. I don''t have his contact number and I don''t know where he is staying," she told him.

    The policeman frowned.

    "You live here with your mother? Is your mother around?" he asked.

    "My mother died a long time ago so I stay here alone," she replied.

    The policeman was surprised.

    "Alone? Hmm¡­my advice is that you either get a relative to come here to stay with you for a while so that you are not alone until we resolve this case," he said.

    "But¡­I am all alone¡­all of our relatives have cut ties with us because of my father¡­" she said.

    "Well, we can''t keep those men in our lockup for long, they will be released the latest tomorrow," he told her.

    That''s not good. This means they can come right back to threaten her.

    "Do you know what they actually want from you?" Inspector Hassan asked.

    Zi Mei shrugged at this. She honestly doesn''t know what they wanted.

    "Maybe money? Maybe my father took loans from them too¡­I don''t know, they didn''t say," she replied.

    Inspector Hassan handed her his card with his contact number on it.

    "Keep my number, if they come back, call me, we will come over but in the meantime, keep your doors locked and be careful when going out since we don''t know what they want from you," he said.

    "We will require you to come in to give your statement too and file your official report, if you are able, best to come now," he added.

    She nodded. "I will take order a ride there now," she told him. Best to get it done and over with.

    The policeman nodded and then he left in the second patrol car. Zi Mei heaved a huge sigh. She is filled with nervous energy now. As if her life isn''t complicated enough. She is certain this has to do with her father yet again. Who knows what he has been up to or what he had done.

    She called for an e-hailing ride and went to the police station. It took her about an hour or so to get it done before she ordered another ride back home. But once she stood outside her home, staring at her door, she was reluctant to go inside.

    Her home, her sanctuary has become a scary place where gangsters can turn up any minute. Not to mention the weird incident with Darren. Since she owned the house, she can''t move away easily. As she stood contemplating, a car drove up next to her.

    Realising she is standing by the roadside, she moved to step into the walkway when a tall man alighted from the car. His tall frame, easy grace and shock of dark hair are easily recognisable even before she saw his face.

    "Mister Loong¡­why are you here again?" she asked the handsome CEO Thorin Loong standing in front of her.

 Chapter 71 - What Does Thorin Want From Her?

    Zi Mei was standing outside her home, staring at her door, contemplating going inside when a car stopped next to her by the roadside. She moved inside to stand on the walkway and a tall, handsome man stepped out of the car.

    Her breath caught at the sight of his handsome profile. It is so easy to be so enamoured by the looks and just gaze at him for hours without doing anything, except maybe, drooling. Fortunately, Zi Mei got her senses together and spoke to him.

    "Mister Loong, why are you here again?" she asked him, surprised that he is here again at her house second day in a row. To think that she doesn''t even know of his existence before yesterday.

    "I heard there were some disturbances here earlier," it was more of a question than a statement to her.

    "Yes, the police took all of them to the police station, I think I should put up some CCTVs so that I have proof of them harassing me, otherwise it''s their words against mine," she told him. Then she did a double take. How did he know?

    "How did you find out?" she asked him. "And why are you so concerned about me? We are practically strangers¡­and I am only an intern who hasn''t even reported for work in your company yet," she said.

    Suspicion reared its ugly head. Still jittery from the five gangsters threatening her, she took a step back from him and eyed the handsome CEO somewhat suspiciously. He may be handsome and nice to her but she barely knows him. Maybe he has an ulterior motive to being nice to her. What if he wanted to seduce her and made her his mistress? Her eyes widened at the thought then she quickly shut it down.

    ''Don''t be ridiculous Zi Mei, you are an inexperienced college student, I doubt he''s all that interested in you,'' she told herself. She is not exactly a remarkable beauty, she thought to herself.

    "Someone told me about it and I was concerned because I cared about you," Thorin Loong said. He looked sincere and not in the least threatening.

    Still, Zi Mei is cautious. Sure, she has wild sexual fantasies about this handsome man standing before her but that doesn''t mean he is to be trusted.

    "We just met yesterday¡­why would you care about me?" she asked.

    Thorin Loong gave a long suffering sigh and run his fingers through his hair, ruffling the thick glossy waves, tempting her to bury her own hands in his hair. It looked so soft, so thick, so inviting. She dragged her eyes away from him and admonished herself for drooling over this man again. He is a married man, she reminded herself for the millionth time.

    "It''s hard to explain¡­let''s just say you remind me of someone I cared about very much and I feel very protective about you," he said.

    "Like a younger sister?" she asked.

    His lips curled in a half smile. "I doubt that I would kiss a younger sister the way I kissed you yesterday," he said.

    She blushed, remembering the kiss and how it weakened her knees. It made her want to melt into his arms and let him do whatever he wanted with her. Even if he was to made love to her right there, she would not have protested. The thought both mortified and thrilled her.

    "You are married Mister Loong¡­your wife reminded me to keep my distance yesterday so I will not become a third party in your marriage," she said firmly instead. Despite her whole body screaming to hold him, her heart pounding so loudly to be near him, she must control her crazy impulses and keep her distance.

    "Jessica?" he raised an eyebrow.

    Then he threw his head back and laughed, a deep rumbling sound that snuck deep into her soul and made her insides roil with desire. She must be mad. And hormonal. There was no way that even the sound of his laughter could evoke such a strong reaction from her traitorous horny body.

    "Ignore Jessica, she is just being¡­.Jessica," he said, making a gesture dismissing his wife as if she is no one important.

    She glared at him. Jessica is such a gorgeous woman and he is dismissing her. His lack of appreciation for his wife is a turn-off. He must be a cheating husband who sleeps around a lot. This is a huge turn-off to her mentally and spiritually. Only her clueless horny body refused to listen to what her mind says.

    "That''s terrible! She is your wife!" Zi Mei exclaimed indignantly. She may not know Jessica and the other woman had been quite cold and curt towards her (and no wonder too since Zi Mei did kiss her husband) but women must stand together especially against cheating husbands.

    "You didn''t seem to care yesterday when kissing me," Thorin Loong remarked drily.

    Zi Mei blushed a brilliant red. He is right. She gave in to her impulses and kissed him. Cheaters don''t do it alone. The partners they chose are also knowingly doing it with them. Like her. She is no better than him, a cheating spouse. She hangs her head in shame.

    "It was a mistake yesterday," she mumbled. "I think we shouldn''t¡­we couldn''t be involved romantically at all, maybe I should not take up the intern job at your company at all," she said.

    The only way is to avoid him. A clean break. Keep temptations away and both of them will never stray. She made up her mind. She will not take that internship. It is too risky to work near him. Much too risky. Who knows what might happen if they are left alone in an office one day? She couldn''t bear to think about it and yet she wanted to imagine what it will be like to have him throw her on to the table and take her there. She cursed her horny mind for even thinking about it.

    "Very well, if you feel that way, I am fine with it," Thorin Loong said. He scrutinised her for a moment and used a finger to raise her chin up so that their eyes are looking into each other.

    "Look, I am not really a married man if that''s what you are feeling so guilty about, you didn''t help me cheat on my spouse, Jessica is not really my wife," he told her.

    "But¡­"

    "Shhh¡­don''t worry about it. You are right, we should never be involved, it was amiss of me to take advantage of you yesterday, for that, I apologise," he said.

    But they had digressed so far from her original question. She pushed all romantic horny thoughts aside and concentrated on the serious issue at hand.

    "Why are you really here?" she asked him earnestly.

    "I am here to check on you, simple as that and since you are fine, I am going back, I have some business to settle, but I will leave a bodyguard here to make sure you are safe," he said.

    Just then, Thorin Loong''s chauffeur-driven car arrived. A tall thin man came out of the car and came towards them.

    "Hello, Miss Tan, I am Lim," the bodyguard said, giving her a slight nod, his eyes serious.

 Chapter 72 - Bodyguard Or Stalker?

    The handsome CEO Thorin Loong had appeared in front of Zi Mei''s house, yet again. She asked him why is he there again, the second time in two days, when they had only met for the first time yesterday.

    He merely told her that he was checking on her and that he had brought a bodyguard to make sure that she is safe. A tall, thin man came out of Thorin Loong''s car and introduced himself as Lim, who will be her bodyguard.

    "What? Bodyguard for me? This is insane, why are you doing this?" she asked. This is so over the top, she didn''t even know what to make of it. It was one thing that he came over to ''check on her'' but quite another to station one of his own bodyguards with her to ''keep her safe''. They are practically strangers.

    "Lim is here to make sure those gangsters don''t come back to threaten you," Thorin Loong replied.

    To have his bodyguard watching her every move is creepy as fuck, Zi Mei thought. It is like stalking except that he delegated the stalking by paying someone to stalk her. She shuddered. Maybe the handsome CEO Thorin Loong is a creepy stalker.

    She took a few steps away from him and the bodyguard named Lim.

    "Thanks but no thanks," she said warily.

    "Don''t worry about it, you don''t have to pay for Lim''s services, he works for me and he will willingly take care of you," Thorin Loong said.

    OMG. That sounded more ominous. Zi Mei is now even more scared. It was one thing to have five gangsters openly banging on her door but quite another to have this seemingly innocuous handsome CEO stalking her through his bodyguard.

    "I am not letting some strange man into my house, I am not dumb," she said. She backed a few more steps to be nearer to her front door.

    "Look, your¡­errr¡­concern is ah¡­highly appreciated but I think it is best you and your bodyguard leave me alone and please, don''t come here again," she said. Then she turned around, unlocked her door and went in, slamming it shut and bolting it immediately. Thankfully they did not try to push in with her when she was unlocking it.

    She looked out at them through the louvre of her door. Thorin Loong and his bodyguard Lim were staring at her, their expressions were puzzled and not annoyance or anger.

    Then the handsome CEO smiled at her. A charming captivating grin.

    "Don''t worry, Lim won''t be inside your house, he will keep watch outside," he told her. As if it was not at all strange for him to bring his bodyguard and leave him to guard her, a total stranger, a college student he just met yesterday.

    He gave her a slight nod before entering his waiting car. His car drove off immediately while Lim, the bodyguard, continue to stand there, looking at her.

    Should she call the police again, she wondered. But Thorin Loong''s bodyguard isn''t doing anything. He''s just standing there. He walked near to her front door, turned around and leaned against a pillar, facing the street, looking very much like he is guarding her house.

    She suppose she will ignore him and he will leave soon enough. No one could stand outside for hours in this tropical heat, she thought. She went inside to her living room and sat down. She texted Jazzmine again.

    "Hey, Jazzy, u free 2 talk?"

    This time her friend replied.

    "Hey, Mei, sorry, was rushing to class this morning and phone was on silent. Wassup?"

    She immediately called Jazzmine. Her friend picked up on the second ring. She told her what had transpired this morning. From the gangsters showing up to the police and then handsome CEO Thorin Loong and his bodyguard.

    "Did you say Thorin Loong? As in THE Thorin Loong? The billionaire that looked like a model and so gorgeous, you can swoon right into his arms?" Jazzmine asked excitedly.

    "Yes, the one and the same but it is creepy as fuck¡­he dropped a bodyguard here and the bodyguard is standing outside my house right now, guarding my house," Zi Mei said.

    "Wait. How did you even meet him and why would he do that?" Jazzmine was confused.

    Zi Mei told her about her chance encounter with the handsome CEO at college yesterday and how she had compulsively hugged him. She also told Jazzmine about what she thought she saw Darren did and then coming home to find Thorin Loong at her house again.

    "Wow. That sounded like some TV drama show right there, like he is the male lead coming in to sweep you off your feet and make you fall in love with him," Jazzmine said.

    It would seem Jazzmine totally missed the part about Darren and his weird elastic finger because she was so transfixed on Thorin Loong. Zi Mei wondered if she should tell her friend about kissing the handsome CEO. Jazzmine would probably swoon right then and there at the thought.

    "He is married, Jazzy," Zi Mei said instead. She couldn''t bring herself to say that she had kissed a married man. No matter how gorgeous he is, there was no excuse to kiss a married man.

    "Ooooo¡­now I get it! Maybe he and his wife are divorcing and he fell in love with you at first sight!" Jazzmine guessed.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes. Great. Having this conversation with a K-drama fan like Jazzmine is going to be exhausting because Jazzmine will think this is some great big romantic story. She is not just a female lead in some K-drama who is ready to swoon and giggle and fall in love the moment the handsome male lead pay her some attention. This is real life. Real life doesn''t work this way.

    "But don''t you think it is creepy? I mean he sent his man to stand outside my house to watch over me¡­if that is not stalking I don''t know what is!" Zi Mei insisted.

    "No, I think it''s so romantic that he cared enough to send a bodyguard to make sure you are safe from those gangsters," Jazzmine said.

    Zi Mei, ever the practical person that she is, rolled her eyes.

    "It is not romantic when, number one, I am not his girlfriend, number two, we just literally met yesterday! Number three, he is married to a gorgeous woman, number four, I did not ask for this and finally, number five, I feel uncomfortable having a strange man right outside my front door!" she told Jazzmine.

    "By the way, is he good looking? The bodyguard , I mean. We all know THE Thorin Loong is swoon-worthy and handsome. If the bodyguard is handsome, I will come right over," Jazzmine asked, ignoring what Zi Mei just told her. Zi Mei wanted to reach through the phone and strangle her clueless romantic of a friend. Why does she need to look at all things with a romantic tint?

    "No he isn''t. He is tall and thin with unremarkable features," she replied.

    "Haiya¡­and I got all excited thinking at least I get to ogle at a handsome guy outside your house if I come over," Jazzmine replied.

    "Wait, are you free now? Don''t you have classes? Do you want to come over for real? I am rather shaken from the things that happened this morning," Zi Mei said. She would prefer some company at this moment.

    It is already near noon. Almost lunch time. Maybe they can get Sheena to come too, order delivery and have a fun meet-up at her house.. Jazzmine agreed to come over immediately while Zi Mei tried to call Sheena.

 Chapter 73 - A Girls Gathering

    Zi Mei called her friends, Jazzmine and Sheena, to come over to her house for lunch and ordered delivery. Thorin Loong''s bodyguard, Lim, had continued to stand outside her house, as if guarding her house and her. He did not move or say anything when the food delivery came and when Jazzmine and Sheena arrived, he merely looked at them and waved them pass, like a bouncer of a night club.

    "You only need to sell expensive weirdly named booze like ''Sex in Public'' or something and your house will be a legit night club," Sheena said when Zi Mei let her and Jazzmine in. Jazzmine giggled.

    "You sure run an exclusive club here, all we need now is some booze," Jazzmine chipped in.

    "Sorry girls, I didn''t get any booze¡­although I think I have a bottle of unopened tuak in my fridge," Zi Mei replied, grinning.

    (Note: tuak is a traditional rice wine that indigenous communities in Sarawak drink but has become quite common throughout Malaysia, it is much like sake in Japan or soju in Korea.)

    "Woohoo¡­tuak it is! I''ve not had that in ages," Sheena said.

    "It is only 1pm Sheena!" Zi Mei protested.

    "Well, it is probably 9pm somewhere¡­besides, there is no right or wrong time for some good ole tuak," Sheena replied.

    She went into Zi Mei''s kitchen and rummaged in her fridge before taking out the full unopened bottle of tuak.

    "Found it!" Sheena went over to get some glasses and then started setting it all up at the dining table. The food - fried chicken, salad and pasta - was already placed around the table where they will share everything.

    The three of them sat around the dining table and started eating and chatting comfortably. First, they talked about college, about their courses, about their lecturers and then Jazzmine started to talk about the handsome CEO Thorin Loong and the bodyguard outside.

    "Isn''t it romantic Sheena? He sent a bodyguard to take care of Mei," Jazzmine gushed.

    "I find it creepy and stalker-ish," Zi Mei said. "Don''t you agree with me Sheena?"

    "I need the full story first. You didn''t tell me much on the phone except to ignore the man standing outside your house," Sheena said.

    So, Zi Mei launched into another session of story telling, again omitting the kissing part, and when she was done, there was a brief silence. Sheena looked amazed.

    "Wow. If that bodyguard isn''t standing outside, I would think that you are making up stories!" she said.

    "Well? Don''t you agree with me? It is creepy isn''t it?" Zi Mei pressed. She needed to know that she isn''t paranoid in thinking that.

    "Actually, the bodyguard himself didn''t look creepy, he looked rather harmless, and since he will not be inside here and merely standing outside, I mean, there''s no harm in that," Sheena shrugged, brushing it off easily.

    "You are only saying that because a billionaire handsome CEO sent him here¡­what if some creepy old man sent him?" Zi Mei challenged them.

    Both of them considered it for a while.

    "Well, if you say it like that, if it is an old man who has no right to try to seduce a girl young enough to be his granddaughter, then yes, that''s creepy," Jazzmine said. Sheena agreed.

    Zi Mei exhaled in frustration.

    "Thorin Loong is at least 9 years older than me, so isn''t it creepy?" she pointed out.

    "Well, 9 years isn''t all that huge a gap," Sheena shrugged again.

    It is obvious that her two friends couldn''t find fault with Thorin Loong just because he''s young, ultra rich and good looking. Don''t they know that rich, good looking and young men can also be stalkers and creepy?

    "Having someone watch over me when I didn''t ask for it is creepy,"Zi Mei said firmly.

    "Okay, you made your point, send him away then," Jazzmine said. "But really, we want to know what you didn''t tell us, did anything happen between you and that handsome Thorin Loong?" she sat up and peered closely at Zi Mei. Sheena also peered at her. Both of them are looking at her in full rapt attention.

    Zi Mei look at their expressions. Despite her careful wording to avoid the kissing part, it was obvious her two friends caught it.

    "So? Did you kiss?" Jazzmine asked.

    "Did you sleep with him last night?" Sheena asked.

    Zi Mei blushed bright red. Sheena''s question brought up the torrid racy images of her and Thorin Loong that her overactive imagination conjured up. Those images seemed so real, the feelings that accompanied it were so real too.

    "Oh snap! You slept with him?" Sheena gasped, delighted. Jazzmine gasped too. "Mei! Really?"

    "Guys!! NO!! Why are you so¡­ugh¡­" she denied it.

    "Your face is so red now, so guilty, so so guilty! Besides, the man practically stationed a bodyguard in front of your house for you, obviously something happened between the two of you!" Sheena pushed.

    "That''s true¡­come to think of it, if nothing happened, why would he come again today the moment he heard that there''s some trouble?" Jazzmine said.

    Zi Mei took a sip of her tuak. It is nice and cold. Goes perfectly with the fried chicken too. She took a deep breath. She might as well tell them the whole truth and maybe they can figure out what Thorin Loong''s motives are.

    "Okay, fine, we did kiss, a couple times but that was all, nothing more!" she admitted, feeling the heat rising to her face again and it was not wholly due to the alcohol.

    Both Sheena and Jazzmine squealed in delight, clapping even. They raised their glasses.

    "Cheers to Mei finding a rich handsome boyfriend!" they cheered.

    Zi Mei raised her palms up. "No, NOT boyfriend! He is a married man, for fuck''s sake," she said.

    "Based on all those gossip going round, they didn''t look very loving, they are probably separated," Sheena said.

    "Maybe it was a loveless marriage, something rich people had to do, and he is now in love with you," Jazzmine, ever the romantic, suggested.

    Zi Mei told them about Jessica telling her to keep away from Thorin Loong.

    "His wife warned me to stay away from her husband and they were in the same car, that doesn''t look like they are separated," she said.

    Sheena and Jazzmine launched into a teasing session about Zi Mei being the young mistress, maybe second wife material even. As she deflect their teasing, someone knocked on her door.

    "Oh, maybe it''s the bodyguard, poor guy must be thirsty and hungry standing out there for so long," Sheena said.

    She walked over to the front door before Zi Mei could stop her.

    "Oh it''s you!" Sheena exclaimed at the door, she slid the bolt open, unlocked it and threw open door happily.

    Darren came in and Sheena hugged him. "How did you know all of us are here? Come on in, we have plenty of food around," she said. Then she frowned.

    "The bodyguard didn''t stop you?" she asked Darren. She craned her neck to look outside but didn''t see the tall and thin man outside.

    "What bodyguard? There was no one there," Darren said. Sheena shrugged. Maybe the bodyguard went off for his lunch break.

    "Come on in, we are just teasing Mei about her rich and handsome boyfriend," she told Darren, dragging him inside.

 Chapter 74 - Things Are Not As They Seem

    The girls were drinking and eating, teasing each other, at Zi Mei''s house when there was a knock on the front door. Sheena had jumped up and ran to the front door to check if it was the bodyguard. It turned out to be Darren so she opened the door and invited him in.

    "Look who''s here!" she gushed as she linked her arm through Darren''s and dragged him inside.

    Zi Mei choked and spewed out the tuak she had just taken a sip of. What is Darren doing here? Jazzmine patted her back.

    "Hey, careful," Jazzmine was saying.

    "Don''t overreact, you already know about us Mei," Sheena said.

    Zi Mei was thinking about other scarier things than Sheena''s relationship with Darren. Her eyes immediately went to Darren''s index finger, the one that had elongated like a long rubbery snake. It looked normal now.

    Noticing Darren looking at her with a weird expression, she quickly looked away and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

    "It went down wrong, I wasn''t overreacting," Zi Mei told Sheena, putting on a casual smile.

    "So, you guys huh? I would have never guessed," she added. Jazzmine, suddenly realising that Sheena is holding on to Darren intimately, gaped at them.

    "Two of you are dating?" Jazzmine asked, shocked.

    "Well, we have been, ah¡­how do you put it delicately, yes, fucking each other on and off for a few months now," Sheena said, grinning.

    Darren blushed next to her at her choice of words. He rubbed the nape of his neck.

    "Sheena¡­" he muttered, appearing embarrassed.

    Zi Mei studied Darren''s expression and body language. He looked and behaved like good old regular Darren. The Darren whom she grew up with. Her best friend from childhood. Did she imagine the whole finger incident?

    She must have imagined it and the handsome Thorin Loong had probably played along. Or maybe he was mocking her? Ugh. She has to stop thinking about Thorin Loong!

    Darren pulled himself free from Sheena and took a seat next to Zi Mei.

    "I hope you don''t mind me not telling you earlier, Mei," he said to her, sounding genuinely apologetic.

    Zi Mei shook her head to indicate that she doesn''t mind at all.

    "No, it''s fine, I just can''t imagine you¡­and Sheena¡­" she replied. She gestured to Sheena. "Look at her, she''s wild and you, you are not," she said.

    "Hey! Why are you insulting me?" Sheena protested. Sheena picked up a piece of chicken and threw it at Zi Mei. Darren suddenly reached out and caught it easily.

    All three of the women gaped at him in surprise.

    "How¡­.?" all three of them said in unison, their eyes wide.

    Darren shrugged. "Super reflexes I suppose," he said.

    Then just as suddenly, he jumped up and grabbed a bunch of Zi Mei''s hair on the back of her head and dragged him close to her.

    "Tell me, where is Thorin Loong?" he snarled, his expression twisting into an ugly sneer, his eyes glowing red. A heavy putrid stench emitted from his mouth.

    Zi Mei gasped and stared at him, frozen in fear. Both Sheena and Jazzmine suddenly dropped to the floor unconscious.

    "I asked you, where is Thorin Loong?" Darren hissed at her again. Now, he no longer sounded like Darren. His voice is a raspy scratchy sound.

    "I¡­.don''t¡­.know," Zi Mei stammered and she galvanised into action, struggling against him. But this thing that looked like Darren is strong. His other hand came up and went around her neck, closing tightly around her neck.

    "If you want to live, you better tell me now," he rasped.

    "I told you! I don''t know!" Zi Mei exclaimed as his hand tightened around her neck. She began to choke as he compressed on her windpipe. Then he flung her against the wall when she felt her head hit against it and she fell to the floor, winded.

    Strangely, Zi Mei had another flash of deja vu. As if she had experienced this before. She tried to move but pain shoot through her whole body and she curled up for a moment, taking in shallow breaths to mitigate the pain.

    "Very well, I will kill your friend before your eyes, maybe then, you will tell me," the thing said. It picked up Jazzmine by her throat and then it was squeezing Jazzmine''s throat, holding her high up in the air.

    "No! Let her go!" Zi Mei cried. She crawled towards the thing, tears sliding down her cheeks. She must save Jazzmine!

    "Tell me where to find Thorin Loong now," the thing repeated. It continued to squeeze Jazzmine''s neck and her friend is wheezing now.

    "Okay, okay I  will tell you, release her now!" Zi Mei said in a last desperate attempt to save Jazzmine. She doesn''t know where to find Thorin Loong but she needed to buy time.

    The thing dropped Jazzmine on the floor and she crumpled in a pile, unconscious. Zi Mei crawled over to her and checked on her. She still has a pulse and is still breathing. Relieved, Zi Mei slowly clambered up to glare at the thing that looked like Darren.

    "Well?" the thing asked, its eyes glowing read and its face swirling and twisting, as if there was something underneath the skin surface. Zi Mei shivered in fear and repulsion.

    "He¡­his office is along Red Hibiscus Road," she blurted out. She remembered her googling Thorin Loong''s information and found his company address.

    "Are you toying with me human!???" Darren was not pleased with her answer. This time, its fingers - all of it on both hands - elongated and picked up both Sheena and Jazzmine, one in each hand.

    "I will kill both of them now if you don''t immediately tell me where Thorin Loong is," he said. He started squeezing both their necks.

    "NOOOOOOO!!!" Zi Mei screamed and launched herself against him. Taken aback, he dropped her friends and jumped back but not before Zi Mei managed to kick his shin and land a few blows and scratches on its face.

    "That''s enough, why are you terrorising mortals you stupid demon?" a deep voice behind her suddenly said.

    The thing flung Zi Mei away from him and stood to face the owner of that voice. Zi Mei, who fell a few metres away from the thing, pushed herself up amidst a ringing ache in her head to see who it was. It was the handsome CEO Thorin Loong.

    "Good. I knew I will hit the mother lode if I attack this mortal," the thing said, snorting.

    Thorin Loong was leaning against the wall casually, looking like he is not in the least perturbed to find a Darren lookalike thing attacking Zi Mei with two unconscious women on the floor.

    "Ugh. You made it sound so wrong, whatever load you are thinking of, ugh, thanks but no thanks," Thorin Loong made a disgusted expression. His eyes caught Zi Mei''s for a split second and in that split second, she knew that she and her two friends are safe.

    "Why you arrogant dragon!" the thing, whom Thorin Loong had called a demon, launched into a vicious attack, his fingers elongating into long tendrils of fiery black smoke to curl around Thorin Loong.

    "No! Thorin!" Zi Mei gasped and that was the last thing she saw before she slid into darkness, falling unconscious.

 Chapter 75 - Kidnapped...again

    Zi Mei had jumped on the thing that looked like Darren screaming and kicking as it held her two friends by their throats high up off the floor. That was when the handsome CEO Thorin Loong appeared and the thing, whom Thorin called a demon, flung Zi Mei to the floor.

    The last thing Zi Mei saw was the long tendrils of black fiery fingers from the thing reaching towards Thorin before she fell unconscious. When she wakes up a few hours later, her head aching and eyes blurry, she was lying on her bed and Thorin Loong was standing over her, his expression creased in worry.

    "How are you feeling? I checked, luckily it didn''t break any bones," he said.

    She sat up and winced as pain sliced through her head. Her whole body ached too, as if she was just run over by a truck.

    "Where''s Sheena and Jazzmine? Are they okay?" she asked.

    "Don''t worry, they are still sleeping soundly in the guest room, I checked them too, no broken bones or anything serious," he told her reassuringly.

    "What¡­what¡­about Darren?" she asked tentatively, if you can even call that thing Darren.

    His face darkened and he turned away. He stood up and walked over to her window to look out on the road outside for a few moments.

    "I''m sorry Lil Zi¡­.I can''t seem to find Darren, I don''t know what it did to him," he said quietly.

    What does he mean? Darren was just here¡­then she realised, it can''t be Darren who attacked her, Sheena and Jazzmine. It was something else that looked like Darren. Which was impossible. This is right out of some horror movie.

    "What about that thing? Is it still here? What was it?" she asked, shivering slightly at the memory of it attacking her, its face rippling as if something was under its skin, its eyes glowing read and its fingers.

    She stared at Thorin Loong''s neck, there were no traces of any injuries. She would have never expected Thorin Loong to be able to fight that thing. What is he? A secret shaman or priest or supernatural creature hunter or something?

    Thorin Loong sighed. He turned back to her and regarded her with deep regret on his face.

    "You know, I had wanted to protect you from all this but it just didn''t work out and they just will never let up," he said cryptically. "At least not till we win the war,"

    Protect her? Win the war? He doesn''t make any sense at all.

    "What are you talking about Mr Loong? I am so confused now, it doesn''t help that I have a splitting headache from being thrown twice by that thing earlier," she muttered, clutching her head gingerly.

    "The thing that looks like your friend Darren is a demon. It is coming after me and it was doing that by attacking you," he said simply.

    "Huh? That doesn''t make sense, why come after me? I am no one, I have not meddled with ¡­wait, did you say demon?" the whole situation was bizarre anyway, Zi Mei thought. The fact that the thing can elongate its fingers and it has glowing red eyes. So, it''s not a far stretch to call it a demon but her rational mind will not accept it.

    "I feel like this whole thing is a prank¡­I don''t believe in ghosts and demons¡­those are stuffs you find in horror movies, books and manga," she said.

    "Rightly so, if only it was truly a prank, life would have been simpler for everyone but they have crossed the line here and I promise you, I will win this war to make sure they never get any opportunity to harm you again," Thorin replied.

    This confused her even more. She doesn''t understand a single thing of what he just said.

    "You keep talking about some war, what is going on? Can you please explain everything?" she asked.

    "I can''t tell you more than I should and it would seem stationing Lim here is not sufficient. He was attacked and injured," he said.

    "I can''t be here all the time to protect you so I think you have to move back to my house first until this war is over," he said.

    "Move back? I have never lived in your house! What are you talking about? Why should I move to your house?" the whole situation is getting more confusing by the second and she is now more suspicious of this Thorin Loong.

    What is his motives for wanting her to move to his house? They barely knew each other! That is definitely a red flag right there. Is he some psycho who preys on young college girls? Maybe that thing that he claimed to be a demon is a fake setup. Maybe they were using some magic props and special makeup and effects to scare her. There is also the fact that he had entered her house easily. Surely Sheena must have locked the door after letting Darren in.

    "Look, I don''t know you all that well so no, I will not move to your house and Mr Loong, I think it is best you keep your distance from me from now onwards," she said.

    He looked at her with an odd expression.

    "I suppose I will have no choice then," he said. He went over to her, picked her up from the bed and carried her. Shocked, she struggled against him.

    "Let me go! What are you doing!" she exclaimed, pushing against him, flailing and kicking. He ignored her struggling and was unperturbed by her struggling and even her hitting out at him. Instead, he flung her over his shoulder, with her head hanging down her back and he held her on her hips, almost intimately.

    She gasped and kicked, screaming for him to let her down. What is he doing??

    "Let me go!!! What are you doing!!!" she screamed as he walked out of her room and went downstairs, then he turned to face a wall and seemed to walk towards the door as she screamed in fear.

    Suddenly, they are in a different place, facing a long corridor with french doors on both sides and verdant gardens beyond the french doors. Zi Mei gasped in shock and was silent for a moment.

    When Thorin Loong placed her on her feet, she turned to run back but there was another long stretch of corridor. She stood transfixed at the sight.

    The corridor seemed to stretch on forever with french doors flanking both sides. Bright sunlight filtered in and the gardens seemed to stretch on forever on both sides of the corridor too.

    She had another deja vu. It was as if she has been here before.

    "What is this? What is going on?" she asked confused and scared. The handsome CEO Thorin Loong had just kidnapped her and walked through a wall in her house into this strange but beautiful place. It all sounded like a dream. Like something from a fantasy book or movie.

    Maybe she is still asleep. Maybe she is having some weird dream. Zi Mei nodded. Yes, she must be dreaming. She closed her eyes and pinched herself hard. Maybe that will wake her up. She opened her eyes, nope. The strange corridor is still here and Thorin Loong is standing there regarding her curiously.

    "Are you done pinching yourself? I''ll get you settled in before I head out, I have a war meeting to attend," he said.

    "No! Take me home! TAKE ME HOME!!!" she exclaimed. She crossed her arms across her chest belligerantly.

    "I''m sorry, I can''t do that," Thorin replied.

 Chapter 76 - When He Bleeds

    The handsome CEO Thorin Loong had carried Zi Mei from her bed, took her downstairs and opened a doorway to his home and took her there with her screaming and struggling. When he puts her down, she was shocked to find herself in a strangely familiar place, giving her a strong sense of deja vu.

    At first, she had thought she was dreaming as all of it felt so unreal so she pinched herself but she is still there. Then she had demanded that Thorin Loong take her home.

    "Look, I have no interest to be your mistress or anything perverted that you are thinking about, I want to go home now!" she told him.

    Instead of being annoyed, Thorin Loong smiled at her response and sauntered to her. He run a gentle finger down her cheek and she shivered before jumping back from him. She glared at him.

    "Don''t you dare touch me!!!" she exclaimed angrily.

    Thorin Loong chuckled appreciatively and studied her.

    "Ever the little spitfire," he murmured. He glanced at his watch.

    "Very well, I really have to go now, the others are waiting for me, we have a war to fight, so, I''ll leave you to explore my home on your own, just think of whatever you need and you will find it," he said.

    He turned away from her and strode off in a hurry. She stared after him and considered chasing after him. Surely he needs to go out to wherever he is going and she needs to find the exit from this place too.

    Her mind made up, she ran after him, keeping her foot light so that it would not be too obvious that she is following him. However, he was too fast for her. His long legs took lengthy steps and when he rounded a corner, she ran there to find him gone.

    Cursing at the speed he was walking, she stared around the room she had ended up in. It looks like a luxurious living room with a huge gold and crystal chandelier, white leather sofas with gold finishing and pearlescent white walls.

    It brought on another wave of deja vu. It felt as if she has been here before. She went to one of the windows and it looked out to more of the gorgeous gardens she saw in the corridor. She checked all of the windows, all of it overlooked the same gardens.

    How did she end up in this place surrounded by beautiful gardens? That is so strange! She was just in her house. At the thought of her house, she remembered Jazzmine and Sheena. They were sleeping in her guest room, according to Thorin Loong. If he was telling her the truth, that is.

    She searched her pockets and was glad to find her new phone tucked into one of it. She took it out. The screen was cracked. Dammit. She just bought it too! It must have cracked when the demon threw her against the wall or maybe when it threw her off it. She tapped on the phone and hoped it is still working. It''s cracked screen lighted up, blinked a few times before it went dark.

    "AUGHHHHH!!! I just bought the phone!" she shouted, throwing the phone on the floor in frustration. Now she is stuck here in this strange house which is supposedly Thorin Loong''s house without a phone to get help.

    She might as well find a way out of this strange house. She started exploring it. She walked down the corridor and tried a few of the french doors. All of it opened up to different types of gardens. A rose garden. An English garden. An Eastern garden complete with gazebos and koi ponds. All of the gardens seemed to go on forever and she tried to get to the far end of one of it only to come to a tall thick hedge that she can''t get past.

    She gave up going into the gardens and walked down the corridor before coming to more rooms. At one point, she was hoping to find a toilet when she opened a door and there it is. After using it, she went out and continued walking.

    She walked and opened doors and walked and opened doors and each time, she seems to keep coming back to the same living room, the same corridor, the toilet. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she turned back to the living room and sat on the sofa in defeat. Her head is still throbbing and now she is dizzy too. She needed to sit down to rest her head.

    She is trapped here. There didn''t seem to be any door leading out of the house which was strange. She didn''t find a kitchen or even a bedroom. What a strange house. What house doesn''t have a kitchen or bedroom? She found a library, an office, a toilet, a living room and plenty of gardens.

    "Why did he kidnap me and put me here? What does he want with me?" she asked herself. Another wave of deja vu hit her. Why did she feel as if she has been in this same situation before?

    "Will he come back and rape me?" she thought and fear filled her. No matter how handsome he is, she will not give in to him.

    Especially when he had brought her here against her will on the pretext of ''keeping her safe''. How can confining her here with no way for her to reach anyone outside for help be ''keeping her safe''? Does he think she is some naive college girl who loves this kind of sick kidnapping dominating game?

    With nothing to do but to stare into space, Zi Mei found herself dozing off. When she wake up, a few more hours seemed to have passed as the skies outside the windows are dark and the lights in the living room are turned on. The chandelier glinted prettily. She admired it for a moment, stretched her aching body and sat up.

    She has not found anyone when walking around the whole place so who turned on the lights while she was sleeping? She looked around and saw a tray of food and drinks on the coffee table. That was strange. Thorin Loong must have servants too but she has not seen even one of them. She must have missed one of the doors leading to the kitchen and maybe even the servants'' quarters where the servants could be.

    She looked at the food and her stomach growled. She might as well eat. Surely he wouldn''t poison her. She picked up a plate and tucked into the carbonara pasta. It was delicious and satisfying. When she was done, she sat back and wondered what she should do next.

    Just then, she heard a door open and she turned towards the noise. Thorin Loong was walking in but there was something off about him. He was limping and her eyes widened in shock when she saw blood dripping from him, leaving a trail of red droplets behind him.

    She jumped up to go towards him despite her earlier reservations about him.

    "What happened? You are hurt!" she exclaimed.

    He looked at her. "You sounded concerned," he remarked coolly. He looked particularly pale. He winced and clutched at his side.

    "Don''t worry, I don''t die easily," he murmured just before he collapsed right at her feet.

 Chapter 77 - Seriously Injured

    Zi Mei had just eaten and was wondering how she could escape this luxurious prison Thorin Loong has brought her to when a door she didn''t notice earlier, opened. In walked the handsome Thorin Loong and he was behaving oddly. Instead of his confident strut, he was limping and she gasped when she saw blood dripping from him.

    He clutched his side and winced as he headed towards her before collapsing on her feet. She gaped at the unconscious Thorin Loong lying on the floor. She bent down to check on him.

    He is bleeding profusely from his abdomen from what appeared to be deep stabbing wounds. There were several gory stab wounds on his abdomen and blood is spurting out. Panicking, Zi Mei looked around for something to cover the wounds and stop the bleeding. She has learnt first aid, holding something against the wound could stop it for awhile until they get to a hospital.

    There were no throw pillows around or rugs or even a blanket on the sofa. The whole living room was too simplistic. Looks like she had no choice. She pulled off her t-shirt, she has a singlet underneath, and placed it against his wounds, pressing hard with one hand.

    Now what? She doesn''t have a working phone to call for an ambulance. There''s also the problem of not knowing the exit to this house. She looked at the door Thorin Loong just entered from.

    Right.

    That door should be the exit, she thought.

    Now she needs an ambulance. She used another hand to dig through Thorin Loong''s pockets, first his jacket pockets, then his pants pocket. He should have his mobile phone somewhere.

    "While I am flattered you couldn''t keep your hands off me, now is not a very appropriate time," Thorin Loong muttered under his breath when she was sliding her hand into his pants pockets.

    She gasped and withdraw her hands. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

    "You are awake!" she exclaimed, pressing her hand a bit too hard on his wounds. He grunted in pain.

    "Are you trying to kill me¡­" he groaned weakly.

    "Sorry sorry¡­I was looking for a phone, I need to call for an ambulance for you," she said.

    "No, no ambulance," he said. He closed his eyes and breathed in shakily. "I will heal¡­.eventually, I just need¡­.time," he said.

    What? Is he crazy? How is he going to heal from all these stab wounds?

    "Don''t be ridiculous! You are not some self-healing superhero, you need medical help, I will not sit by and let you bleed to death," Zi Mei told him.

    "Give me your phone, I''ll call the ambulance," she ordered him.

    He opened his pain-filled eyes again and gave her a weak smile.

    "Worried I''ll die here Lil Zi?" he asked.

    Her heart raced at the words Lil Zi and she doesn''t know why. It felt both familiar and intimate.

    "Yes, I don''t want to be accused of murdering the billionaire CEO in his home, I am covered in your blood!" Zi Mei replied. Her hands and clothes are covered in his blood. Her shirt that she held against his wound is now soaked through with his blood.

    "You are losing a lot of blood, please, we really need to take you to the hospital," she said. If he continues to bleed this way, he could die from the blood loss.

    "It''ll stop eventually," he rasped.

    If he wasn''t injured and looked like he is dying from serious wounds, she would have hit him for his stubbornness. She leaned forward and stuck her hand back into his pants pocket to find his phone.

    "Impatient aren''t you? We can get to it when I''m better," Thorin Loong murmured.

    Zi Mei ignored him. She couldn''t find his phone in that pocket so she tried another pocket. It wasn''t there either. Why doesn''t he have his phone with him?

    "Were you mugged? I can''t find your phone or wallet," she said.

    "You can sort of say that¡­" he replied. He winced again and closed his eyes. "Just let me rest for a moment," he said.

    Zi Mei remembered all those movies where in situations such as this, the person bleeding profusely must not be allowed to go to sleep. They might not wake up. So, she did what she saw most people did in the movies.

    She slapped him but not too hard, just enough to wake him up.

    "Wake up! Don''t sleep! You can''t go to sleep!" she said.

    He opened his eyes and winced. "Did you just slap me?" he asked.

    She nodded and glared at him.

    "I will not have you dying here on the floor with my hand pressing on your wounds, so don''t even think of closing your eyes again!" she said.

    She turned to look around. Where are his servants anyway? They should be here to offer help!

    "Do you have a way to summon your servants? We need them to get medical help for you," she said.

    "No, we don''t need them¡­I told you, I will heal¡­eventually," he said evenly. She growled in exasperation.

    "Mister Thorin Loong, you are one annoying stubborn¡­ughhh¡­I don''t even know what to call you," she said.

    The door behind them opened at that moment and in walked Jessica. She looked at Zi Mei pressing her hands over Thorin Loong''s wounds as he lay on the floor, weak and semi-conscious.

    "Thought you''d be here," Jessica said. She didn''t look in the least surprised or alarmed by the wounded and bleeding Thorin Loong.

    "Thorin, you know you heal better back at¡­" her words trailed off as she looked at Zi Mei. "Does she remember yet?" she asked instead.

    Thorin Loong shook his head slightly. "No, keep it that way," he said weakly.

    Jessica sighed. Zi Mei looked at first Thorin Loong and then his wife, Jessica. What are they talking about?

    "Remember what?" she asked Jessica, then she turned to look at Thorin Loong.

    "Nothing," Thorin replied. Jessica shrugged nonchalantly.

    Zi Mei snapped out of it. Here is a man bleeding out and his wife is standing there as if having a casual conversation with them.

    "Shouldn''t you be calling the ambulance now?!" she asked Jessica. The other woman raised an eyebrow and regarded her like she is some weird specimen.

    "There''s no need for that," she said. "A doctor is coming over," she added. She took out her phone and tapped on it.

    "What?" this is from Thorin. He struggled to push himself up but Zi Mei held him down.

    "Don''t move, you are injured!" Zi Mei told him sternly.

    "Pfffft," Jessica clearly stifled a giggle. Zi Mei glared at her. What is wrong with her? Doesn''t she care that her husband is bleeding and could be dying?

    "I don''t need a doctor!" Thorin said, lying back down.

    "Yes you do!" Zi Mei said. She turned to look at Jessica.

    "The doctor will be here soon enough," Jessica said. Then as if her work is done, she strode to the sofa and sat down on it, leaning back and sighing.

    "Cancel it!" Thorin Loong called out.

    "No! You need a doctor!" Zi Mei said.

    "I have already stopped bleeding," Thorin told her. She removed her hands to check. True enough, the open gaping wounds have stopped bleeding somehow.

    "How¡­..." She asked, staring at his wounds in amazement.

 Chapter 78 - The Demon King

    Jessica had arrived and informed the injured Thorin Loong that she had called for a doctor but she seemed unconcerned that her husband was lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor. Instead, she strode over to the sofa to sit down and scroll through her phone while Thorin Loong shouted that he doesn''t need a doctor.

    "No! You need a doctor!" Zi Mei told him.

    Thorin Loong informed her that he has already stopped bleeding so she can actually stop pressing on the wound. She didn''t believe him so she lifted her hand and her blood-soaked shirt from his wound. He was right. It has stopped bleeding and the wounds looked like it is drying up too.

    "How¡­." She asked in amazement. But she shook her head. He is still wounded and he is lying in a small pool of his blood. That''s still not good. Who knows how much blood he has lost.

    "You will need stitches! And who knows how much blood you''ve lost, you might go into cardiac arrest," she insisted.

    "I thought you are an art student¡­since when you became a doctor," Thorin Loong asked. The colour in his face is returning too. He is not looking as pale as when he first came in. It is so bizarre Zi Mei could not believe it.

    It must be the lighting in here, she thought.

    "Well, it doesn''t take a doctor to see the wounds you have and the pool of blood you are lying in," she replied. "What happened to you anyway? Were you mugged?"

    "The demons¡­Jessica, what happened after I left?" Thorin turned to his wife who was sitting on the sofa looking unconcerned and bored.

    "Demons?" Zi Mei asked. She still finds it hard to believe that demons existed but she can''t deny what she saw at her house. The thing that looked like Darren was obviously not human. The only plausible explanation is that it is a demon as Thorin Loong said.

    "Yes, demons, like the one that looked like your friend," Thorin Loong replied. "Jessica? What happened? Progress update please?"

    "Well, quit playing the victim and come over here to talk like a proper elder, honestly," Jessica replied, rolling her eyes.

    "What¡­aren''t you his wife? Why are you so cold hearted? He is injured!" Zi Mei exclaimed. Is this what Thorin Loong meant when he said Jessica is not exactly his wife? Were they on the verge of divorce? It sure looked like it.

    Thorin Loong placed his hands on hers, which is still resting on her t-shirt covering his wounds.

    "Don''t worry, you can let go now, my bleeding has stopped, I can probably walk now, if you help me,"he said.

    Zi Mei felt her face turning red, she is sure it is even redder than his pool of blood, at the way he is looking at her and the way his large warm hands covered hers so intimately.

    "Of course I''ll help you since your wife is not bothered," she said, glaring at Jessica who seems unperturbed. Jessica merely rolled her eyes, cross her long slim legs immaculately and studied her nails.

    "Enough with the theatrics and drama both of you, this is getting so tedious," Jessica said coldly. She made not move to come over to help.

    Why would she label it as drama when her husband is obviously injured, Zi Mei thought to herself. She is now confident that the couple must be on the verge of divorce or separated. No wife would behave like this if their husband is lying wounded on the floor in a pool of his blood.

    Thorin Loong is now sitting up, almost too easily for someone with serious wounds on his abdomen. He grasped Zi Mei''s hands, squeezed it and let go.

    "Are you sure you can stand up? Maybe you should sit here till the doctor comes," she suggested.

    Thorin Loong laughed. "Don''t worry Lil Zi, I will be fine even before the doctor comes," he said. He supported himself and struggled to a standing position. He handed Zi Mei''s blood soaked t-shirt back to her.

    "Thank you for this," he said, his eyes twinkling. He looked at her in her skimpy singlet. "I like what you''re wearing right now,"

    She blushed and suppressed an urge to cover her chest with her arms. Her singlet isn''t low cut at all but it is smeared with Thorin Loong''s blood. She moved to hold his arm to give him support and he grinned at her.

    "Aren''t you a regular nurse," he remarked.

    She didn''t reply and held him in a supportive manner as he walked towards the sofa slowly, wincing slightly at every step. Zi Mei was watching his wounds, worried that he might start bleeding again that she didn''t even notice the way Thorin was looking at her. When they reached the sofa, she helped him sit down on a spot across from Jessica. He folded his tall frame on it and sat down gingerly, wincing.

    "Phewww¡­been a long time since I suffered such injuries¡­a few hundred years at least," Thorin exhaled.

    "A few hundred years?" Zi Mei asked. What is going on here? Is he delusional because of the blood loss? She raised a hand and placed it on his temple. He might be burning up from an infection too, she thought.

    "Do you have a fever? Are you hallucinating now?" she asked him, worried.

    Thorin gave her a look and took her hand away from his temple.

    "I suppose I should explain everything but I have to keep my end of the bargain, you will forget everything anyway soon, so just sit quietly and let me finish this conversation with Jessica first," he told her.

    "What do you mean forget everything? Watching you bleed all over the floor is hardly an easy thing to forget or the attack by the demon either," she replied.

    "Oh keep quiet little girl. Let us talk first," Jessica snapped at her. Zi Mei clamped her mouth shut but she saw Thorin Loong glare at Jessica.

    "Don''t do that Jessica," he warned her. Jessica merely shrugged as if it doesn''t matter.

    Zi Mei was touched that he is taking her side and not his wife''s but she also felt guilty. It was if she is a mistress sitting in between a husband and wife and making him choose her over his wife. She felt like the third wheel here. She stood up.

    "I¡­errr¡­I''ll go wash my hands while you talk," she said. She headed to the corridor where it will lead to the toilet.

    After Zi Mei was gone, Jessica regarded Thorin for a moment.

    "Are you going to let her go again? We have resolved the whole demon situation," she said.

    "Tell me what happened after I left," he repeated.

    Thorin Loong had led a war against the demon attacks on all three realms - the human realm, the dragon realm and the demon realm - to rescue dragons and humans that have been abducted and harmed by the demons.

    Two dragon clans - the Heaven''s Descent and Sea Jade - have partnered to fight the demons, opting not to involve the three other dragon clans since the attack was only against these two clans.

    During a particularly messy fight with hundreds of demons at the demon realm, Thorin was stabbed straight through his abdomen by a strong demon that had levelled up its powers by taking an elder dragon''s essence.

    The demon had moved in to stab him again and absorb his essence so Thorin Loong had to disappear immediately since he was too weak to fight back. He had left the war, to come home to self heal, while others were still fighting viciously. Thorin had felt guilty about leaving but he knew if he had stayed, he would have died.

    "Well, the war ended when the Demon King appeared," Jessica said.

    "The Demon King? You mean he wasn''t behind the war?" Thorin asked, puzzled.

 Chapter 79 - Only You And Me

    Zi Mei had helped an injured Thorin to walk towards his sofa to sit down so that Jessica can update him about the war against the demons. Feeling like a third wheel between the husband and wife who didn''t behave like a couple at all, Zi Mei excused herself to go to the toilet to wash her hands.

    Meanwhile, Jessica told Thorin that the war had ended shortly after he was seriously injured and forced to escape before he was killed. If the demon had killed him and taken his essence, it would lead to dire consequences as it would give the demon the additional powers of a dragon elder. It could use that power to destroy a whole clan of dragons.

    "The war ended when the Demon King appeared," Jessica told Thorin.

    He was surprised. He had thought that it was the Demon King who had initiated the war against the dragons and taken humans to increase their powers.

    "It would seem one of their more ambitious demons orchestrated the whole attack, the demon was planning to take over the human realm and make all humans their slaves to feed their powers," Jessica told him.

    She said the Demon King had ordered his underlings to return all humans back in the human realm and to release all of the dragons they had captured.

    "The young dragon from the Sea Jade clan, Sabrina, was quite powerful, she managed to rescue the two elders that were taken by the demons and after that, she came to join the fight in the demon realm," she said.

    Thorin Loong nodded. He vaguely remember seeing her before he had to disappear. He still felt like a total failure to be seriously injured by a demon and for running away like that. He was leading a war. He should have fought on!

    "It''s not your fault Thorin, you can''t risk the demon taking your essence, if they had taken your essence, the rest of us will never stand a chance, we will all be dead," Jessica assured him, as if she read his mind.

    "So, any of the dragons died?" Thorin asked. He had to know. If a dragon died and a demon took its essence, the demon is still a danger.

    "We are fortunate. All dragons returned alive, some are heavily injured like you and some were on the verge but we managed to heal all of them, many are still recuperating," Jessica said.

    Thorin nodded. That is some good news there.

    "Can you check if they had returned Darren," he told her. "I will need some time to recuperate here, so don''t bother me for a few days at least," he added.

    "So, you will let her remain here?" Jessica asked. "Will you return her memories?"

    He thought about it for a moment. It was tempting to revive all of Zi Mei''s memories so that she will remember everything about him and their time together and yet, he was reluctant to do so. He seems to like the thrill of winning her all over again. Also, he likes that she doesn''t remember anything about her miscarriage. That was one painful memory he never want to restore for her.

    "Will you do me the favour of telling her that we are divorced but we have not announced it to the public yet because we don''t want it to affect my company stocks?" he asked Jessica. She rolled her eyes.

    "Sure, at your command, elder," she said. "Although, I do feel it is time that you initiate the actual divorce since you''ve already found your match," she added.

    They are married on paper in the human realm as a cover for Thorin Loong and Jessica to remain in the human realm without gaining too much unwanted human suitors. That still didn''t stop the number of women throwing themselves at Thorin on a daily basis or men trying to seduce Jessica. She is merely in the human realm to gain some experience with the ways and cultures of humans. She finds humans an interesting specimen to study.

    "So this means you are not restoring her memories?" Jessica asked. She sounded as if it was not a good idea at all.

    Thorin Loong shrugged. He liked this version of Lil Zi. She is somehow spunkier and not as timid. More confident and there''s also the fact that she was not devastated by a miscarriage.

    "Nah¡­I will just win her over again," he said.

    "Well, it''s your call, elder. I have to go now, I have told the healer not to come since you are not as badly injured as I had assumed earlier," Jessica said.

    She stood up at the same time that Zi Mei came back. Zi Mei''s hands are no longer covered in blood. Her singlet is slightly damp and stained from her efforts to try to wash out some of the blood smeared on it.

    "There you are. You can stay here and keep my ex-husband company while he recuperates, you can play nurse, I don''t really care, bye," she told Zi Mei. She turned to walk away but Zi Mei grabbed her slim arm.

    "Wait. Did you say ex-husband?? But yesterday you told me to stay away from your husband!" she said.

    "Well, yesterday I thought you were bothering him, that''s what I do, I help him get rid of annoying women who tend to fling themselves at him but he had informed me that you were not throwing yourself at him so I am telling you now that we are divorced," Jessica said.

    She pulled her arm away from Zi Mei and smoothed her silk long sleeved blouse.

    "Please, don''t go telling everyone and announcing this on social media, it might affect his company stocks so to the public, we are still married," Jessica added.

    She gave Zi Mei a terse nod and then walked away, heading towards the door which is presumably the house entrance. She opened it and left. Zi Mei wondered why she had missed that door. She was certain that she walked around this whole living room earlier and it was not there.

    She went over to Thorin Loong, who is leaning back on the sofa, his eyes closed, his hands on his bloodstained lacerated abdomen. She now understands Jessica''s cold behaviour earlier. They are really divorced.

    "When is the doctor coming? You really need stitches," she remarked. There was no response from Thorin. He appeared to be asleep or unconscious.

    She leaned over him and looked closely at his face. His smooth complexion. His sharp cheekbones. His long eyelashes fanning his cheeks. He is so good looking, it hurts just to look at him.

    "Mr Loong¡­are you okay?" she asked softly, tapping his arm gently.

    "Thorin," he mumbled.

    "What?"

    "Call me Thorin, none of this Mister Loong nonsense," he replied. He opened his dark eyes that glinted silver. Pools of deep warm velvet that seem to draw her in.

    "Will you stay with me while I heal?" he asked.

    Her heart thumped and her blood gushed in her ears like a waterfall. She swallowed and gazed at him, feeling the strong attraction to him pulling her towards him. She resisted it with all her might. She reminded herself that they are in his living room. He is on a sofa. They are alone. He is injured and she must not do anything to exacerbate it.

    "Of course, I will stay here till the doctor comes," she replied. She chose to sit on an armchair across from him.

    "The doctor is not coming¡­looks like it''s only you and me," Thorin Loong said, giving her a devilishly charming smile.

    Her breath caught and all she could hear now is her gushing blood and thumping heart.

 Chapter 80 - Kiss Me

    Thorin Loong, sitting on the sofa and leaning back, had just told Zi Mei that the doctor was not coming to check on his wounds. His ex-wife, Jessica, had left so it was only Zi Mei and Thorin Loong in the luxurious living room.

    "It''s only you and me," Thorin Loong had said.

    Zi Mei was facing a tumultuous mix of feelings at that. She was still wildly attracted to him and now that she knows he is divorced, she didn''t feel guilty about kissing him yesterday. Her body is yearning to go to him and hug him and kiss him while her rational mind reminded her that he is injured and she might risk hurting him.

    She is also hesitant to be involved with him. Also, there is this thing about demons and this mysterious man here seems to know more about them than he lets on. Regardless of all these rational thoughts, her body is reacting differently. Her heart is thumping, her blood is gushing and her belly is filled with butterflies.

    "So, uh, what happened to you? You never replied me when I asked you what happened and how you got so seriously injured," she asked.

    "Well, I was injured in a fight with a demon," he replied, opting to keep it brief. Since Zi Mei already knew about demons, no harm telling her a bit more about the demons.

    "A demon? Is it the same one that looked like Darren?" she asked.

    "No, it''s another one, I have already caught the one that looked like your friend," he replied.

    "Caught? Are you a demon catcher too? So other than being a CEO of a large corporation, you are also a demon catcher?" she asked.

    It sounded so unreal. Like from the plot of a fantasy series.

    "I suppose you can say that¡­I am so much more than that of course," he replied mysteriously, winking at her.

    She frowned at him. What is he trying to say?

    "So much more? Like what? You are also a runway model? A magazine model?" she asked sarcastically. He does have a lot of photos in various poses and different outfits in all the news about him.

    He chuckled.

    "I was a model, at one point in time¡­but it got tedious so I stopped," he replied.

    "Anyway, how are you feeling? Are you still having hallucinations? Tell me, how old are you now?" she asked.

    "I am feeling quite fine actually and you know what would make me better?" he asked.

    She looked at him questioningly. Does he need water maybe? Or painkillers? Right, he must be in terrible pain. She jumped up.

    "You need painkillers right? So thoughtless of me, I should have thought of that!" she said.

    "No, I need this," he tapped his lips.

    She looked at him puzzled. What does he mean?

    "Kiss me, I am sure I will feel so much better if you kiss me," he said suggestively.

    She blushed and her heart, her traitorous over-excited heart, started thumping loudly against her chest again.

    "I''m not falling for that!" she said indignantly, crossing her arms against her chest, trying to block out her heartbeat and the excitement her traitorous body seems to be getting from that suggestion.

    "It''s not like we haven''t kissed before¡­as I recall, you rather enjoyed it," he teased, grinning at her.

    "Ummm..where is your doctor anyway?" she changed the subject and went over to the front door.

    "Wait, don''t open it!" Thorin half shouted just as she reached for the door handle. She froze and turned to him, surprised.

    "I mean, don''t leave me please," Thorin said, coughing slightly and clutching his abdomen dramatically. "Please, come and check on my wounds¡­" he murmured.

    She narrowed her eyes at him. What was that? Is he worried that she will run off? Is she still a prisoner here in his house? Come to think of it, this is the best time to escape. He is injured so he won''t be able to chase after her. She look at the door and then back at Thorin who has flung his arm over his face and groaning in pain.

    Sighing, she walked back to him. Curse her soft-hearted behaviour who can never walk away from an injured animal or in this case, an injured human.

    "Tell me where you keep the first aid kit, I will try to find some painkillers and bandages while waiting for your doctor," she said.

    "He''s not coming,"he muttered.

    "What? Not coming? But but¡­then we shall have to go to the hospital then," she stressed.

    "No, no, please no hospital," he said, removing his arm and looking up at her. "The first aid kit is there, he pointed to a sideboard at the corner.

    "Well, I will dress your wounds first and then we shall go to the hospital," she said. She went over to the sideboard, opened it and saw a first aid kit inside. She took it out and went back to Thorin Loong. She opened the kit and took out antibacterial cream and bandages. She doesn''t even know if it will help. From the wounds she saw earlier, he would need it to be stitched up.

    "Remove your hands and let me see what I can do," she said.

    He moved his hands away. She gaped at what she saw. The gaping wounds are now smaller, as if miraculously healing on its own, the skin sealing close on its own. How is that even possible?

    "What is¡­.I think I am the one hallucinating now!" she said. She rubbed her eyes and leaned closer to look. Yes, the wounds are smaller and looks like it is healing. She was sure she saw large gaping wounds earlier.

    Thorin reached out and held her arm. He pulled her to him unexpectedly and she fell on his lap. He winced when she accidentally leaned on his wounds.

    "Oh no! Sorry, sorry! Oh my gawdddd why did you do that! I might have reopened the wounds!" she exclaimed in a panic. She quickly jumped up and tried to pull away but he will not let go.

    "You know how we can direct blood away from the wounds so that it won''t bleed?" he asked.

    "How? Is that such a thing?" she asked innocently.

    He gyrated his hips. "We can make all the blood gush down here so there won''t be much gushing out," he said, wriggling his eyebrows.

    It took her a moment to realise what he meant. Her eyes widened and she blushed again.

    "Ugh, that was so crude!" she said. She tried to pull away again but his grip on her was too tight. He leaned forward and held both her arms, pulling her down on him to straddle his lap.

    "There, you are helping me to focus my blood flow away¡­" he said, grinning. Before she could say anything more, he kissed her.

    She gasped and tried to pull away but when his tongue entered her mouth, she was lost. Passion and desire raced through her veins and she leaned into him, opening up to him as he deepened his kiss.

    He released her arms and curved around her waist, pulling her closer to him, directly on top of his crotch. She could feel his arousal pushing against her crotch and it excited her.

    "Hmmm¡­I have missed the taste of you," Thorin murmured against her lips before moving his lips down her neck and sucking on the sensitive spot at the base. She leaned her head back and moaned as pleasure raced from her neck down to the pit in her belly.. He had ignited a fire deep within her that she knew only he can quench.

 Chapter 81 - What Are You?

    Zi Mei was straddling an injured Thorin Loong on his sofa, letting him rain light erotic kisses down her neck, down to her chest, stopping just above the neckline of her singlet. All rational thoughts were lost as Zi Mei gave in to desire and Thorin Loong''s kisses.

    Her eyes were closed as she let him kiss and touch her, his hands caressing her back before sliding under her singlet and cupping her breast gently.

    Pleasure exploded behind her eyes when his thumb rubbed her nipples through her lacy bra and she moaned. He captured her lips again while his other hand cupped her butt, kneading it and pushing her against his straining arousal.

    He raised his head and again rained kisses down her neck. He pushed the straps of her singlet down and it dropped down, pooling around her waist, revealing her lacy bra covered breasts. He continued to kiss her neck, sucking and biting gently while she arched into him unconsciously, everything forgotten but the sensations she was drowning in.

    He pushed her bra aside and took a nipple into the moist domain of his mouth and Zi Mei groaned loudly. She could feel waves of pleasure rising within her as he suckled her nipple while another hand caressed the other breast, brushing against the sensitive hardened nipple.

    She could feel a strange pressure building within her as she shivered under his skilful touches. She rubbed her crotch against his hard arousal, imagining him inside her. Thorin moved his lips to the other nipple and she arched into him, revelling in the feel of his wet tongue against her tender skin and the soft suckling sensation that was driving her mad. She moved against his crotch, dry humping on him, wanting more and yet not daring to ask for it.

    "Oh what I would give to be inside you right now," Thorin murmured against the valley of her breasts. He stuck his hands inside her pants and found her dribbling wet centre. He plunged his fingers into her while simultaneously rubbed on her little hub of pleasure.

    It was all it took for Zi Mei to go over the edge. She found herself screaming in release as the spring that was coiling within her suddenly sprang, her whole body shuddering in a powerful release. She bucked over him, arching and shaking while he held her, his fingers continuing to plunder her while she tightened and convulsed around his fingers.

    Coming down from the release, she collapsed on to him, weeping from the tremendous release. She has never felt this sensation before. Thorin Loong grimaced from the pain of her inadvertently resting on his healing wounds but he didn''t say anything. Instead, he removed his hands from her pants and held her close to him, hugging her.

    It took a long while for Zi Mei''s heart rate to calm down and for her to realise what they had just done. She is leaning on Thorin Loong''s body with his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. She remembered his wounds and gasped. She sat up breaking Thorin Loong''s tight embrace.

    "Oh my god! Did I hurt you??" she gasped. She jumped off and bent to stare at the wounds on his abdomen. What she saw shocked her even more.

    The wounds have closed up entirely as if it never existed. What was left were only his blood stains and pale white lines where the wounds were.

    "What¡­.how¡­." She stammered in fear and then her gaze moved down the V of his abdomen to notice the huge bump straining against his pants.

    "That''s what happens when you sat on me and kissed me," Thorin Loong drawled huskily.

    "I sat on you? I kissed you??" Zi Mei repeated. "You kissed me and you pulled me down to sit on your lap!" she replied.

    "I initiated, you initiated, it doesn''t matter, what mattered was that you thoroughly enjoyed it," he said, winking at her.

    "Wait, wait, let''s focus here. I was asking, how did your wounds heal so fast???" she said.

    She had wanted to ask him before she got distracted by his large ''equipment''. Yet, in her mind, she couldn''t help but wonder what it felt like to ride him and take him inside her. Will it hurt? She has never done this before. She heard that the first time usually hurts.

    "I told you, because we were kissing," he replied. "You successfully diverted the blood flow to here," he pointed at his arousal straining against his pants.

    She narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed.

    "That doesn''t even make sense," she huffed. She crossed her arms.

    A thought occurred to her. Is he also a demon? Is that why he heals so fast? If he''s a demon¡­that meant she had just kissed and made out with a demon! She even let him touch her down there.

    She was mortified. She took a step back from him.

    "What are you??" she asked suspiciously.

    He smiled at her, his straight pearly white teeth glinting under the light of the chandelier.

    "I am Thorin Loong, CEO of Loong Group Holdings," he replied.

    She glowered at him. Why is he being so elusive? What is he hiding?

    "Are you a demon?" she asked fearfully.

    Thorin Loong threw his head back and laughed, a deep throated sound that sends tiny little shivers down her spine. He stopped suddenly and clutched his healed wounds, wincing.

    "Forgot that it might still hurt," he muttered. He regarded her without answering her question.

    Zi Mei took another step back. Thorin Loong the handsome CEO of Loong Group Holdings is definitely not human. No human can heal at the rate he heals.

    "Are you a demon?" she asked again.

    Thorin Loong exhaled and grinned.

    "If I''m a demon, I would have devoured you by now so in answer to your question, no, I am not," he said.

    Zi Mei was relieved but she still doesn''t know what he is. If he''s not a demon what then? Are there other supernatural beings that looked like humans? Behave like humans? Bleed like humans?

    "Who or what are you actually?" she asked.

    "You will find it hard to believe if I was to tell you so I''d rather not tell you," he said. He leaned back on the sofa and groaned. "I am still hurting, can you maybe ease up with the accusations for a bit?"

    Zi Mei stared at him. He didn''t look like he was in pain. He was still very much aroused. They had just made out and she even climaxed. But she doesn''t even know who he actually is.

    "Is Thorin Loong even your real name?" she asked relentlessly.

    "Yes it is, can you ask all these questions later, I honestly need to rest," Thorin Loong said, putting on a weak expression. Zi Mei studied him. He did look a bit pale. Did she accidentally leaned on his wound earlier?

    She took two steps to look at his healed wounds and his face. She still can''t get over the fact that the wounds have fully healed.

    "How is this even possible¡­" she mumbled under her breath, her mind thinking up all sorts of explanations but she couldn''t find any that makes sense in the real world.

    If this was a movie, he could be a vampire who heals super fast. Or an Alpha wolf, who also heals fast. But this is real life in the real world. There are no such things as vampires and werewolves.

    "Please, tell me, who or what are you?" she begged him this time.

 Chapter 82 - Thorin Reveals The Truth

    Zi Mei is confused and shocked that Thorin Loong had healed so fast, his wounds are already sealed. She asked him yet again who or what he is.

    Thorin Loong sighed. He continued to lean back and closed his eyes, his long lashes sweeping his sharp cheekbones.

    "Lil Zi, will you stay with me if I tell you the truth?" he murmured. He opened his eyes and regarded her with his deep dark magnetic eyes.

    Zi Mei took another step away from him. She is filled with a flood of emotions and confusion and need and fear. She is also so curious, she wanted to agree to whatever he is suggesting just so she can get his real answer.

    "Why don''t you tell me first before I agree to anything?" Zi Mei replied instead. Despite her curiosity, she refused to agree to something without any terms and conditions listed. She may be a college student but she is not a naive and stupid.

    Thorin Loong sighed dramatically and flung an arm over his face, covering his eyes. There was a pregnant silence. Zi Mei crossed her arms and waited. She will not back down. She needed some answers. He didn''t even tell her what had happened to him.

    "Look, you are right. I don''t deserve you, not when I ran away and left the others in a war, that was not cool at all, in fact, that was so cowardly, I don''t think I can live this down," he mumbled.

    Zi Mei has no idea what he was talking about at all. He was wearing his suit when he came back bloodied and injured. His suit is torn and stained with his blood but still a suit. Who wears a designer suit to a war? She didn''t realise there was any war in this country either. Did he go to some other country in the middle of the war? If so, it doesn''t make sense that he flew back all bloodied and injured and no one offered to help at all. Or maybe he was referring to something else metaphorically as a war?

    She looked at him. He is always well dressed. He is a billionaire and a CEO of a large company. Maybe he is also a mafia leader? Maybe the ''war'' he was referring to was a gang fight? That would make perfect sense, she thought. Many mafia big boss nowadays have large legit companies as a front to cover up their underworld activities. Maybe that is why he knew when those men from a gang came to threaten her at her house.

    "Okay, so which gang are you from?" she asked boldly. Nothing like asking directly. Maybe he will reply her.

    He lifted his arm. He opened an eye and regarded her with that eye.

    "What are you talking about?" he asked, puzzled.

    "Well, you talk about a war when there are no wars around here so it could only be a gang fight that you are referring to as a ''war''," she rationalised.

    Thorin Loong chuckled at her reply. He covered his eyes again with his arm and groaned.

    "I can never live this down Lil Zi," he mumbled again. He removed his arm and sat up, barely wincing over his healed wounds by now. He looked at her solemnly.

    Zi Mei crossed her arms. The handsome CEO Thorin Loong sounded so unsure of himself, so defeated and forlorn. Was he putting on an act, she wondered. She finds it hard to believe that someone so high up in society and so successful could sound so defeated and forlorn.

    "Just tell me what''s going on, I am so confused at this moment," she said.

    "I suppose I can tell you everything now," he sighed. He patted the empty space next to him. "Will you just sit down? I am getting a creak on my neck looking up at you," he added.

    Zi Mei chose the armchair across from him instead.

    "Fine, talk," she said.

    "I hope you will listen without interrupting me," he said.

    She nodded in agreement and waited.

    "I am a dragon shapeshifter and I am the leader of the council of elders of our Heaven''s Descent clan," he started.

    Zi Mei narrowed her eyes. It sounded as if he has decided to lie to her again. She bit her lips to stop herself from interrupting. She will see how far he will go with his lies. She crossed her arms and looked at him, keeping an expressionless face.

    "The demons started a war against us, to tilt the balance to their side¡­by the way, there are five different dragon clans and we are here to keep the balance of five elements," he continued.

    Zi Mei bit back a sarcastic remark that came up. She had agreed not to interrupt him.

    "So, one of the demons attacked you to get to me and it became a full out war and the war spread out, they took more humans and dragons to gain more power. In the fight with a particularly powerful demon, he managed to strike be through my abdomen," he pointed at his healed wound. "It went clean through and he stole some of my essence in the process,"

    He inhaled and exhaled deeply.

    "Like a coward, I disappeared and came here instead of staying on to continue the fight¡­I left the other dragons to continue the fight," he said sadly. "So, now you know,"

    There was an awkward silence. It was all so fantastical, Zi Mei felt a strong compulsion to laugh. Yet, she remembered the demon that looked like Darren clearly and how it had attacked her. This was the only reason that she did not fully doubt Thorin Loong''s story.

    It was one thing to believe in a demon that she saw herself. It was quite another to believe in dragons and a war between dragons and demons.

    "Dragon shapeshifter?" she ventured. She doesn''t even know what it actually meant.

    "What does it mean anyway?" she asked.

    Thorin Loong explained briefly that he is a dragon who can take human form. He opted not to explain the human match part.

    "Why would the demon get to me to get to you? We are not related in any way," she pointed out.

 Chapter 83 - Contracted Couple

    Thorin Loong had decided to tell Zi Mei the truth about the dragon shapeshifters and the war between the demons and the dragons. Zi Mei didn''t really believe him, thinking he was lying to her again.

    Yet, she remembered the demon so she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Instead, she asked him what had been niggling at her at the back of her mind.

    "Why would the demon get to me to get to you? We are not related in any way," she asked him.

    To this, Thorin Loong looked away evasively. It looked like he was reluctant to reply her. Which was odd.

    "Well, we are related, in a way, a while back," he said haltingly.

    This perplexed Zi Mei. What does he mean? She has never met him before he rescued her from falling down the stairs at her college.

    "What do you mean? Can you please explain everything clearly instead of dragging it out like some 200-episode family drama?" she prompted.

    "We were a¡­how do you say it¡­"he paused for a moment. "We were a contracted couple several months ago,"

    "What???!! You are lying!" Zi Mei jumped up. He must be delirious from the blood lost. She has never met him in person before yesterday. What is he talking about?

    "No, no, please, just listen," Thorin Loong raised a palm and looked at her, compelling her to listen to his explanation.

    "Well? You are outright lying. I will surely remember if I had met you before this and a¡­what do you call it, a contracted couple? What does that even mean???" she asked.

    Either he is lying or he is delirious or worse¡­maybe he is not so right in the head? She stole a look at the front door, it is still there. At least she knows there is still a way to run if she had to. To think, she had just made out with a mentally unsound man!

    "I wiped your memories to let you return to your normal life outside of my life because of the demons," Thorin Loong said.

    Wipe her memories? He sounded so insane at this moment, she is gearing to make a run for it if he so much as reach for her. She pretended to nod as if what he is telling her makes perfect sense.

    "I see," she murmured accommodatingly.

    "You don''t believe me, do you?" he asked. He noticed her stiff body language. It is so apparent that she doesn''t believe him at all. He should have expected it. Zi Mei was sceptical of him the first time around too.

    "No, of course, I believe you," she lied, smiling sweetly. She needs to strategise an escape from this lunatic. Too bad that he''s so good looking but he''s mentally unsound.

    "You don''t and you are getting read to make a run for it," Thorin Loong noted drily. He could read her body language like an open book. It was so obvious that she is gearing up to make a run for the door to escape.

    "I am too weak to do this but since you need some convincing," he muttered. He closed his eyes and turned into his original form, making sure to keep the glow of his powers low so as not to hurt her human eyes.

    Zi Mei gasped in shock at the sight of an Eastern dragon complete with scales and a long snake-like body before her. Only its eyes remained as Thorin''s eyes, deep and unfathomable. She took a step back and fell back on the armchair, her mouth gaping open at the dragon.

    She blinked and it was back to Thorin Loong, sitting there. He looked much paler than before the dragon appeared.

    "That took way more power than I anticipated¡­" he said weakly. "Look, I am telling you the truth and this time, I will give you the option to stay or to leave, it is entirely up to you,"

    "Stay or leave? What do you mean?" she asked. Then she remembered the part he said about ''contracted couple''.

    "Can you explain the contracted couple part? I don''t understand it," she said.

    "I offered you millions to be my mistress and to bear me heirs," he replied simply. He closed his eyes and leaned back. "You¡­.you¡­.." Then he fell unconscious.

    She looked at him. Did he just fainted? She went over to him and shook his shoulder gently. His head lolled to the side before his whole body fell over onto the length of the sofa.

    "Oh my god! Please don''t die! Oh no!" Zi Mei exclaimed. What should she do? Maybe she should go outside to shout for help.

    But wait¡­if he is really a dragon and she did see a dragon just mere moments ago, does it mean he can''t be treated by human doctors? Should she bring him to the vet? Does any vet knows how to treat a dragon?

    She bent to check on him, placing a finger under his nostrils to make sure that he is still alive. He is still breathing but it sounded shallow. She shook his shoulder gently again.

    "Mister Thorin Loong? Are you okay? Please don''t die," she said.

    There was no reply. It looked like he is out cold. Did turning into a dragon take so much of his energy? She is still reeling from the fact that dragons existed. He had also dropped a bombshell on her about them being a contracted couple.

    The last thing he said was of the offer of millions to her to be his mistress and to bear him heirs.

    Why is it that she can''t remember a thing? What sort of magic did he use to wipe her memories? It sounded so sinister instead of romantic. He had literally treated her like a prostitute by offering her money to sleep with him and to give him children.

    Zi Mei tried to think back to a time that she may have met him before. Tried as she might, she didn''t find any such memories.. Can a dragon really wipe out one''s memories, she wondered.

 Chapter 84 - Get A Doctor Or A Vet?

    Thorin Loong had told Zi Mei the whole truth about him being a dragon shapeshifter and how they were a contracted couple previously, when he had offered her millions to be his mistress and to bear him heirs. He fell unconscious almost immediately, leaving a panicked Zi Mei.

    She tried to make sense of the things he told her before he passed out. It didn''t sound very nice to be told that she was a mistress to a rich dragon and that she had signed a contract to bear him heirs. In short, she is his contractual baby making slave.

    She went over to the furthest armchair, curled on it and hugged herself as thoughts of her so-called contract with Thorin Loong swirled all around her head. It didn''t make sense at all. Not a single bit of sense. How is it even possible for him to wipe out all her memories and her friends'' memories and then plant new ones?

    Then she thought of the millions in her savings. Maybe she didn''t win the lottery after all. She gasped. Did she already give him babies? Maybe that''s why she''s back at home and not with him anymore.

    She lifted her singlet and looked at her smooth flat belly. No signs of her ever having delivered a baby. No stretch marks. Maybe he got rid of that for her too. Imagine, having the ability to eliminate stretch marks and scars. He would be rich, she thought. But then, he is already ultra rich. A billionaire. So, he doesn''t even need to sell his stretch mark healing ability, she thought.

    "Where are the babies then? Did he keep them somewhere? Maybe with a nanny somewhere else? " At the thought of babies, she felt a slight pang, like a heartache, of something missing. It was as if she had lost something and couldn''t remember what.

    Holding on to that feeling, she searched her memories again, trying to remember even a tiny bit. If she had indeed given him babies, surely she would remember them. What mother could forget their own babies? She tried to imagine babies that looked like Thorin and her but nothing came to mind. Then she tried to think of her pregnant, her belly round and large. She stroked her belly to try to remember but again nothing.

    What did he mean that she can choose to stay or leave? If she had already given him babies, why should she remain with him? Her job must be done. That was why she has the millions and was living a carefree life of a college student¡­until her father turned up. Until those gangsters turned up.

    Thinking about the gangsters reminded her that her father could still have been kept hostage. She had totally forgotten about the gangsters after Thorin Loong turned up with Lim, the bodyguard, and then Darren became a demon.

    Now she is frantic with worry. What if they killed her father? What then? She didn''t even know if they ever turned up at her house again after they were released by the police. Not that she has to worry about her own safety now since she isn''t at her house.

    "Jazzmine and Sheena!" she gasped. What if those men turned up when her friends are still in her house and just getting up? She doesn''t know how long they will still unconscious after the demon attack.

    She looked at the unconscious Thorin Loong. She looked at the front door. What is she to do? Should she leave and go check on her friends first, then get help for Thorin Loong?

    But how to get help? She can''t even go to a vet and tell the vet "I have an injured dragon in human shape,". The vet may think she''s crazy and call for the asylum to pick her up. She can''t go to a doctor and say the same thing either.

    "I''ll go check where the door leads to first," she said to herself. She doesn''t even know where it leads to. She got up and went over to the door, pausing to look at Thorin Loong for a moment when she walked pass him.

    At the door, she took a deep breath and hoped that it leads to a familiar place, then she opened it. She stared at the scene in front of her and her mouth fell open.

    It looked like an ancient oriental palace, the type one see in Chinese period dramas. There was a wide expense of flagstone covered land leading up to the main building of the palace. It is surrounded by several other buildings of the same architecture. On top of the main building, two intricately carved dragons sat facing each other.

    A few people, not dressed in period costumes, but wearing normal modern clothes walked around busily. One of them stopped and stared at her for a brief second before turning away and walking away.

    "Where is Thorin?" she heard one of them asking another one as they walked past.

    "Heard he went back to the human realm to heal," the second person replied.

    "That''s ridiculous, he would heal faster if he''s here," the first one said. They continued to converse as they walked out of hearing distance.

    No one seem to take any notice of her or maybe they didn''t really care that there is a young woman in blood-covered singlet gawping at them.

    She saw Jessica walking by and Zi Mei ran towards the woman, grabbing her arm.

    "Jessica! Come help your husband, he is unconscious!" she said.

    Jessica was staring at her in shock.

    "Whattt¡­.howw¡­." She gaped at Zi Mei for a second more. Then she pulled herself together and looked at Zi Mei with her serious expression.

    "How did you manage to get here?" she asked.

    Zi Mei pointed to the open door behind her. Jessica frowned.

    "That''s not supposed to happen¡­only dragons can open a door and come here, not a mortal," she muttered more to herself than to Zi Mei.

    "Maybe you left it unlock or something and when I open it, it still leads here," Zi Mei guessed. She doesn''t know how the door works but it was obvious that it got her where she could get help for Thorin Loong.

    "Maybe the door realised that its master needs help so it came here for me to get help," she said, giving this bizarre event of her opening the door to some sort of a dragon palace an excuse.

    Jessica gave a bark of cold laughter.

    "The door help its master? Girl, are you daft? The house and its doors are not humans with feelings, it is just a normal door and house," Jessica said, rolling her eyes.

    "Whatever, he is unconscious, maybe you should do something, I obviously can''t bring a doctor and I can''t bring a vet either," Zi Mei said.

    This time Jessica genuinely laughed.

    "Vet??? VET???" she gasped before laughing again. "You are hilarious," she said.

    Zi Mei crossed her arms and glared at the woman.

    "Can you get your dragon doctor or whatever you call them to come help him, you surely do not want him to die," Zi Mei said.

 Chapter 85 - Sleeping....beauty?

    After Zi Mei walked into the Heaven''s Descent palace accidentally through the door at Thorin Loong''s house and found Jessica, she had told the dragon shapeshifter to bring help for Thorin. However, Jessica did not seem to be worried or concerned that Thorin Loong was lying unconscious on his sofa in his living room.

    "Don''t worry girl, it takes much more to kill Thorin Loong, most likely he is sleeping," Jessica told Zi Mei. She didn''t even make any effort to go into Thorin''s house to check on him.

    Zi Mei will not let this rest. Thorin Loong had appeared pale and sickly when she walked pass him. She grabbed Jessica''s slim arms and tried to drag her towards Thorin''s house.

    "Please, just come and check on him," she pleaded. Zi Mei doesn''t understand why Jessica is so cold towards her husband. Ex-husband. Even if they are divorced, she could have shown at least a tiny bit of sympathy for someone she was once married to.

    "I am not a healer," Jessica told her and pulled her arm free from Zi Mei''s grasp. She looked around and spotted another person, a stocky young man with long green hair tied in a ponytail and large dark eyes. She signalled to him and he walked over to her, his expression questioning her.

    "Hey, Kei, do me a favour, follow this mortal to go check on Thorin," Jessica ordered.

    "Did you say Thorin? Me? I check on him??? Don''t you mean to get a senior healer?" he asked nervously.

    "Don''t worry about it, you know how Thorin doesn''t like healers to check on him, he prefers to heal himself but his match here is annoying me, so just go with her to appease her," Jessica gestured to Zi Mei.

    The man suddenly noticed Zi Mei standing next to Jessica. He was so focused on Jessica earlier, he didn''t even look at Zi Mei before Jessica pointed her out. He gave Zi Mei a shy nod.

    "Where is Thorin Loong? I will go check on him for you," he said to her.

    Zi Mei extended her hand. "I am Zi Mei," she introduced herself.

    "I am Kei," he shook her hand tentatively.

    "Pshhh¡­just go already," Jessica snapped, annoyed. This startled Kei and he looked at Zi Mei for her to lead the way.

    "Oh right, come with me," Zi Mei said. She turned around and walked towards the door which she had left open. Kei followed her meekly without saying anything.

    Once inside, he looked around in awe.

    "Wow, I can''t believe I am inside the Thorin Loong''s home in the human realm," he whispered in awe, as if he is in a highly sacred place.

    Zi Mei wondered why he held Thorin Loong in such high esteem. The handsome CEO must have a rather high position in his dragon world, she thought.

    She led Kei over to the sofa where Thorin Loong lay, still unconscious.

    "There, see? He is so pale and he is unconscious," she said unnecessarily.

    Kei went over to Thorin''s side and touched his hand tentatively. He frowned slightly and then quickly withdrew his hand. He stared at Thorin wide-eyed. Either in fear or in shock or both, Zi Mei isn''t sure. His expression itself is making her even more worried.

    "Well, what is it? Is he okay? Why do you look so panicked?" she asked. "Is he dying?"

    "No...no¡­" Kei stammered. He backed away slightly.

    Zi Mei studied his reaction and was concerned. Why did he look like Thorin Loong has some weird disease and he must avoid touching him? Did Thorin Loong suddenly contract a deadly infectious disease?

    "What''s going on? Why are you so scared?" she demanded to know.

    Kei took a few more steps away from Thorin Loong, careful not to make a sound. Zi Mei''s imagination is now going on overdrive. He must have a highly infectious deadly disease. Maybe it is something like the coronavirus but for dragons. Maybe it is ebola for dragons. Maybe it will eat into their internal organs and kill them slowly. Maybe¡­

    "Actually, the elder is asleep and I am worried that he might punish me for disturbing his sleep," Kei whispered.

    Zi Mei thought she heard wrong. Did he say Thorin Loong was merely asleep?

    "Did you just say he is asleep?" she asked loudly.

    "Shhhhhh!" Kei shushed her. He quickly but quietly walked away back to the front door.

    "We must not wake him¡­he is healing in his sleep and if we make any sounds to wake him, it will not be pleasant for me¡­you, he might not punish but not me, I am but a junior healer," he whispered.

    Then he suddenly turned and ran to the door, opened it and went outside. He turned back to close the door gently, giving her a wave as he did so. Zi Mei stared at the closed door in amazement.

    What just happened? She wondered. The poor man was so terribly frightened of Thorin Loong. She wondered if Thorin Loong was a fierce and horrible powerful dragon in his world. This must be it. Otherwise, why would the young man be so scared for him?

    Well, it doesn''t matter. She is not afraid of him and she will tell him that she has no intention to continue being his contracted mistress. But first, she must ask him whether they had any babies and if they did, she wants to see them.

    She is not the most motherly person, she is only 21 years old after all, but if she did have children, at least, she has to see her babies. Maybe even arrange to have shared custody of the children or something. She will not be an irresponsible mother and leave her children to their dragon father.

    She walked back to the sofa and stared at the ''sleeping'' Thorin Loong. She thought he was unconscious and she did try to wake him up but it didn''t work. Talk about sleeping like the dead. She sat down on the armchair and waited. She is itching to go back to check on her friends and her father but she is stuck here.

    It would seem only this sleeping man-dragon can take her home now.

 Chapter 86 - A Group Chat

    Zi Mei doesn''t know how long she sat there waiting for Thorin Loong to wake up but after a while, she got really bored so she went exploring his house again. She went back to the library to see if there is a computer there for her to use. There was none.

    She walked all around again, looking for a way out. She opened every door she came to only to find herself either at the bathroom, back in the living room, the library or the long corridor leading to the gardens. It felt as if she was going round and round in a circle.

    "Can''t I just go home from here? I remembered he brought me here through one of the doors directly from my house," she muttered to herself. She went over to the front door and hoped, crossed her fingers and hoped, that it would open up to her house.

    She held on the handle and pulled the door open. It took her a moment to register what she saw. The chaise lounge. The large screen TV. The coffee table. The sunlight streaming in the skylight. This was her living room!

    "Yessss!!!!!" she couldn''t help cheering. She went through the door right back into her living room, leaving the door open. The door is right on an empty wall in her living room, which is kind of weird and yet, strangely, it looked like it belonged right there.

    Not wasting any time, she ran upstairs to the guest room in search of Sheena and Jazzmine. She flung the door open and ran inside. The bed is neatly made and empty. She looked around the room. Everything is clean and neat as if untouched.

    "That''s strange," she thought. She left the room and went into her bedroom. It was also empty and her bed was also neatly made. That was even weirder. She remembered clearly that she didn''t make her bed at all. She checked her bathroom just to be sure. It was clean and empty too.

    It doesn''t matter. Since her phone is again broken, she will need to use her computer to try to contact her friends on messaging apps on social media. She took out her laptop and turned it on. Then she launched her social media accounts. She sent messages to both Jazzmine and Sheena, hoping both of them are fine.

    "Hi Jazzy, are you okay? My phone is broken, I have not gotten a replacement yet, so I am messaging you here first," she typed.

    She sent a similar message to Sheena.

    She stared at the screen, willing either of them to reply. A few minutes passed and she started to worry. Maybe something happened to them? What if the demon came to get them after Thorin was injured? She wouldn''t put it pass the demon.

    "I was wondering why I couldn''t get you! We must have been so out of it that night, I don''t even know how I got home but we were worried about you. Glad that you are okay," Sheena replied her.

    Zi Mei stared at the date and time. It has been a few days since they had a girl''s gathering where Darren turned into a demon. She was sure it has only been a day over at Thorin''s place. How could it have been a few days already?

    "So, uh, how''s Darren?" she asked tentatively.

    "Darren? Why are you asking me? Isn''t he your bff?" Sheena replied.

    Wait. What is going on? Did Sheena have a fight with Darren? It also appeared that she has no memory of the demon that looked like Darren.

    "Did you guys get into a fight?" she asked Sheena.

    "Fight? What are you talking about? I''m not that close to him at all," Sheena replied.

    Zi Mei is so puzzled, she stared at the screen and read the message again. What is going on? Aren''t Sheena and the real Darren dating? Or was it all an illusion created by the demon? She is so confused.

    "Hey! We were so worried about you! You went silent for a few days and according to Darren, you didn''t even show up at college yesterday," Jazzmine replied her in another window.

    So, Jazzmine has been in contact with Darren. Zi Mei wondered if this is the real human Darren or the demon. How will she know? There was nothing to differentiate between the demon that looked like Darren from the real Darren. Unless the demon decides to reveal itself.

    "Oh, you''ve been in contact with Darren?" she asked Jazzmine.

    "What''s the deal with Darren anyway?" Sheena''s message popped up.

    "Mei! Finally you are online!" another message popped up and this is from Darren''s account.

    Zi Mei stared at it. Should she reply? An image of the demon that looked like Darren came to mind and she shivered.

    "What happened to you? Where did you go? Is it your father?" Darren asked.

    She stared at it. Should she reply?

    "Aren''t you and Darren dating? I thought you guys hooked up?" Zi Mei replied Sheena instead. She needed to know what''s going on first.

    "WHAT??? Are you insane?!?" Sheena replied with a shocked face emoji. She sent a gif of a man getting a heart attack and falling over.

    "Since when did I hook up with the boring Darren?? Don''t tell me he told you that?" Sheena continued.

    Okay, so it would seem that the whole Darren and Sheena dating thing was something made up by the demon and now that the demon is supposedly gone, so the illusion is gone. At least that is what she assumed happened. So perhaps this Darren messaging her is the real Darren.

    "Hey Darren, did you hook up with Sheena?" she typed to Darren.

    "WHAT?? NO!" he replied. "Don''t be ridiculous! I like you, Mei, YOU!"

    Zi Mei stared at her screen. Did she just make Darren confess to her on a social media messaging platform?

    "We are best friends, Darren, of course you like me, I like you too," she replied.

    "You couldn''t get Darren? He was frantically looking fo you," Jazzmine''s message popped up.

    "Yep, he just sent me a message," Zi Mei replied Jazzmine.

    "You know, you guys should just start dating, it is painful to watch all the longing in his eyes and you behaving all shy and unsure," Jazzmine replied.

    "Hey, wait a minute! Darren has a thing for you¡­did you guys hook up and now you are trying to pretend that it didn''t happen?" Sheena''s message came up.

    Zi Mei stopped typing. She felt as if she is in an alternate reality. It felt so surreal. So, now it would seem that Darren has feelings for her and not Sheena. How could things change so much here?

    She created a chat room and added all three of her friends into it.

    "Hey guys, I was getting dizzy trying to message each of you separately so I figured we might as well do it in this group chat," she typed.

    "Hey everyone! Should we all agree that Zi Mei has a lot of explaining to do because she''s been missing for several days?" Sheena typed.

    "Yes, Mei, we were so worried," this came from Darren.

    "What''s important is that at least she is now chatting with us, safe and sound," Jazzmine typed.

    "Wait. Why couldn''t we contact you?" this is from Darren. Zi Mei has not told him about her broken phone.

    "My phone broke. Again. So I am without a phone yet again, this is why I have to resort to this web messaging app," she replied.

    "Again? How many times did you break your phone?" Darren asked.

    "Twice. And I hope the second time is the last time. I will go get a new one in a short while," she typed.

    "So, any word from your dad?" this is from Jazzmine.

    Zi Mei isn''t sure what her friends knew and what they didn''t know. She also wasn''t sure if this is the real Darren or the demon Darren. And if this is the real Darren, how much can he remember? At what point did the demon takeover?

    "So, Darren, I need to borrow some class notes from you¡­can you share some?" she typed.

    "?? Mei? Did you forget? I took a two -month break and just went back yesterday," Darren replied.

    Two months. This might meant that the demon has been pretending to be Darren for two months. What about the time she was supposedly with Thorin Loong? How long ago was that? How long was she with him? She looked at the year. It is 2021. She is still 21.

    So maybe she wasn''t with Thorin Loong for long. She couldn''t have been with him, gotten pregnant and delivered babies within months. Unless dragon babies are born within weeks. She is getting a headache trying to figure all this out. She will need to draw out a timeline to figure this out.

    "Hey, Mei, mind telling us what''s going on?" Darren typed.

    "Yeah, why the sudden disappearance?" Sheena asked.

    "Oh ah¡­I had to get away¡­you know, loansharks," Zi Mei typed the only thing she can think of. Telling them about Thorin Loong and the dragons and the supposed contract will be risky. They will think she''s insane.

    "Ugh. Again?" Sheena typed.

    "Poor Mei," Jazzmine typed.

    "Mei, maybe you should move out? Rent a place further away?" this is from Darren.

 Chapter 87 - The New Guy

    Zi Mei managed to connect with her friends on the messaging system through their social media account. She lied to them that she had gone missing for a few days because of loansharks coming after her. Darren told her to move out but she can''t tell him that she has no reason to actually move out, especially not when she has a door leading to Thorin Loong''s home within her home. So, she made up an excuse about not having enough money to move out.

    Then she quickly signed off after that. Darren had sounded like Darren. But she will have to see him in real life to see if he is in fact Darren and not the demon. After signing off the chat, she went back to check to see if the door to Thorin Loong''s house is still there. She had left the door open earlier.

    It wasn''t there anymore. She stared at the blank wall in surprise. She touched it, it is firm and hard. She knocked on it. It is a typical cement wall. No hollow sounds. On the bright side, she doesn''t have to worry about Thorin Loong walking back into her house. Although there is no saying that he won''t be able to make the door appear again.

    She decided to push aside all thoughts of Thorin Loong. After chatting with her friends and getting a slight semblance of normalcy, she doesn''t want to be involved with dragons and demons. If he does turn up again, she will tell him that. It was too messy and confusing. She is still having a hard time trying to wrap her head around it all. It felt as if she was stuck in a recurring dream.

    Zi Mei went out to get another new phone and set it up. Since she left her old phone in Thorin Loong''s place and did not even manage to back up all her contacts, she does not have many contacts in her new phone except for those whose contacts she had backed up long ago.

    She dug around for the police officer''s name card and gave him a call. She wanted to check if they had found her father. He told her they have not tracked him down at all and they were watching the men who had turned up at her house.

    "Don''t worry, if they were to turn up at your place again, we will be there," he assured her.

    This gave her the assurance that she needed. At least she doesn''t have to worry about them coming back to harass her even though she still couldn''t figure out what they wanted.

    The next day, Zi Mei went to college as usual. There were no surprises at her front door. Not even Darren turning up to walk with her to take the bus to college. For that, she is glad. She made it to college safely and hurried to her first class happily, glad that life is now back to normal.

    She took her usual seat and took out her notebook. Looks like everything will be just fine, she thought. That is, until a tall muscled man sauntered in and sat right next to her without asking. A few girls behind her giggled, whispering about this man who is obviously new. He has blue highlights in his glossy dark hair, light brown eyes that almost look reddish and strong chiselled features.

    "Excuse me, this seat is taken," Zi Mei told him. She has a partner in this class, Jonie, and the timid girl always sits with her.

    "Yes, of course, taken by me," the man smirked. He leaned back and ignored her.

    "No, this is Jonie''s seat!" Zi Mei told him firmly, glaring at him. How rude.

    "Oh?" he stood up and looked at the chair and then at the desk. "Well, I don''t see names engraved on it, so obviously anyone can sit here," he said arrogantly. He sat down again.

    Jonie came in at this moment and saw someone had taken her seat. Zi Mei waved to her.

    "Jonie! Come over, I was just telling him that this is your seat," she said.

    Jonie looked at the man and blushed. "No, it''s okay, he can sit there, I will do just fine, here," she said softly and took a seat several rows in front.

    "See? Free seating, don''t be so anal about it," the man told her insolently. He leaned back and propped a boot-covered foot on the table. The leather boot was clean but she is still disgusted. It is just next to her table!

    Annoyed, Zi Mei used a pencil to push his foot off the table but he refused to budge.

    "Don''t put your foot on the table! That''s so disgusting," she said after giving up trying to push his foot off.

    He raised an insolent eyebrow and slowly raised another foot. Now, both his feet are on his table. He leaned back and placed his hands behind his head.

    "Well, this is how I sit, deal with it," he retorted.

    That''s it. Zi Mei searched the classroom for another empty spot but everyone has already come in, many of them staring openly at the man next to her and whispering. There was no other spot.

    "Well, you shouldn''t have sat here!!!" she told him, her voice rising in frustration.

    "Good morning. Who''s so angry first thing in the morning?" it is just her luck that the professor walks in at this moment. This is her multimedia art class with Professor Meng.

    "Sir, he''s being annoying," Zi Mei said out loud, pointing to the man next to her. He is obviously new because she''s never seen him before.

    "Ah, so, you''re Damon King?" Professor Meng asked the man. The man swung his long legs off the table and stood up. He gave the professor a bow with a flourish.

    "Yes, prof! I am glad that finally I get to attend your class, I had specifically switched colleges and move to this city because of your class," he said.

    Zi Mei wanted to roll her eyes. That sounded like so much bullshit. What a suck up just to get the professor''s attention, she thought. The worse part about this the professor was flattered by this Damon King''s fake nonsense. The professor actually laughed.

    "Well, good, good, I am looking forward to meet your expectations, let''s settle down and start," the professor said.

    The man, Damon King, sat down but this time, properly without propping his feet on the table. But he still lean back as if he is there relaxing, watching a movie. He did not take out any notebooks from his backpack. He merely watch the professor and seemed to be listening intently.

    "Look, I know I am good looking, but please pay attention to the professor," he muttered to her and she realised she has been staring at him for a few seconds straight.

    Ugh. She quickly looked away and back down at her notes. What is wrong with her. She doesn''t even find him the tiniest bit good looking. Arrogant pretentious asshole, she thought. She decided to ignore him.

    The moment class is over, she gathered her things and stuffed it into her bag. She needed to get away from that annoying new guy. She stood up to walk away but her bag seem to have sniffed on something and pulled on her. She turned to look only to see Damon King holding on to her bag.

    "Hey what''s the hurry?" he asked her, winking at her.

    "What are you doing? Let go! I have another class to go to," she said, pulling on her bag but he refused to let go.

    A few of their female classmates came up to them.

    "Hi, Damon, I am Jeanie, if you need help being shown around, I can show you around the campus," one of them said.

    "Hi Damon, I am Sam, I can show you around too," another girl said, shoving Jeanie aside. A few others crowded around them, ignoring Zi Mei, but giggling and smiling at Damon.

    Zi Mei took the opportunity to snatch her bag from him and push past the girls. They quickly fill in the gap she left. She glanced back, there were at least 10 women surrounding the new guy.

    "Hah! Serve you right," she mumbled. It will take him a long time to extricate himself from the giggling flirtatious women. She has seen how they hone in on a good looking guy and not let him escape.

    She made it to her next class - industrial design with Professor Josie - early and took her usual seat. Darren takes this class too but she didn''t see him in the seat next to hers. He usually sat next to her. Maybe he will be along soon. She has yet to see him and she is slightly nervous about seeing him after that demon attack.

    Other students are now filing in and Damon King sauntered in. He honed in on the empty seat next to her and made his way to it. She quickly placed her backpack on the chair.

    "Someone is sitting here, he went to the washroom," she told him.

    "Nope, that''s your bag," Damon King said audaciously. He picked up her bag and handed it to her, then he sat down on it like it was his seat all along.

    "Why are you following me?!? There are other seats here!" she hissed at him.

    He rolled his eyes at her.. "Please, don''t flatter yourself, I have no interest in you at all," he said rudely.

 Chapter 88 - The Men Around Her

    There is a new guy in Zi Mei''s classes and he is annoying her by choosing to sit next to her. He has once again chosen the seat next to her in her second class of the day. When she told him to stop following her, he rudely told her that he has no interest in her at all.

    "Please, don''t flatter yourself, I have no interest in you at all," he told her insolently.

    "Good! I have no interest in you at all either. So please go sit somewhere else," she retorted, glowering at him.

    "Well, I like this spot and you have no right to tell me where I can or can''t sit," he drawled. Then he leaned back and propped both his feet on the table again.

    Zi Mei jumped up. She looked around the classroom.

    Somehow, while arguing with this rude asshole, the others had come in and filled in all the other spots. Even Darren. He is sitting a few rows behind. He did not even stop to say hello to her when he came in, which was unusual. She try to catch his eye but he was not looking at her or maybe he was avoiding her. She is not too sure about that.

    Annoyed that she has to once again sit next to this insolent rude guy, she sat back down and huffed.

    "Oh? Changed your mind? Decided you prefer sitting next to me after all?" Damon King asked, smirking at her smugly.

    "Just leave me alone, Damon King," she told him. She sat as far from him as possible and shifted so that she is angled facing away from him.

    When Professor Josie comes in, Damon King swung his feet down and greeted her loudly as if he knew her. He praised her for a research paper she had published and more or less repeated the same line he fed Professor Meng.

    "Well, welcome to our college Damon," Professor Josie replied, pleased that a student had read her research paper.

    "Suck up," Zi Mei mumbled under her breath. Nothing she hates more than those students who suck up to the professors but actually don''t even do their assignments and barely passed their exams. She is certain this Damon King is one of those kind of students.

    The same thing happened for the next three classes. It would seem Damon King had taken the exact same classes as her and had chosen to sit right next to her in every single class. By the time lunch comes around, she was glad to run out of the class and head over to the canteen.

    Sitting next to the annoying Damon King was torturous. He tends to lean his legs against his table and then jiggle his legs, causing his table to shake which then shook her table too as it was adjacent to his. Some of her notes were filled with wobbly handwriting no thanks to Damon King. She had hissed at him to stop it but each time she did that, he would jiggle his legs even more.

    At the canteen, she searched for Darren. At this rate, she will take her chances with Darren still being a demon than having to face the annoying Damon King. When she saw him sitting by himself at a corner, she made a beeline towards him but of course, at this right moment, she walked right into a hard wall and almost bounced against it to fall if not for the ''wall'' grabbing her arms.

    "Whoa¡­watch where you''re walking Tan," the wall said. It was the annoying deep husky voice belonging to Damon King. He is as tall as Thorin but bulkier and more muscled. Bumping into him was like walking into a wall, literally.

    She pulled her arms free and took a step back to look up at Damon King''s reddish brown eyes. They were filled with amusement and arrogance.

    "Stay out of my way King," she said, using his last name just like how he had used her last name. They are not friends so they are definitely not on first name basis.

    He drew up to his full height, towering over her and looked down at her.

    "You are the one who walked into me, what an odd way to apologise," he remarked pointedly.

    "You stepped in front of me!" Zi Mei spluttered. How dared he??? It wasn''t as if she sought him out to walk into him on purpose.

    "Nope, I don''t think so," he fired back, crossing his arms on his chest.

    "You are so full of yourself, King! Just get out of my way," she told him before side stepping him and walking towards Darren. But after her altercation with Damon King, her best friend was no where in sight. Not even at the table he was sitting at. She searched the whole canteen and even the outdoor seatings but couldn''t find him.

    Zi Mei wondered why Darren was avoiding her. This was so strange. She took out her phone to text him only to find that he had texted her.

    "Mei, I think we need a break, I can''t talk to you at this moment, so let''s just cool it for now," he texted her.

    What does he mean? She is perplexed. What had supposedly happened for him to need to ''cool'' it? What does he mean ''a break''? It wasn''t as if they are dating. Do best friends take ''a break'' from each other?

    She found a chair outside and sat down, staring at Darren''s text in confusion. Was it due to the demon attack? Had some things changed because of that? It looks like she will have to navigate through it all to see what had changed.

    Zi Mei was glad that she didn''t have the same classes with Damon King for her next two classes after lunch. It was blissful to finally sit with someone who doesn''t jiggle the table or prop their feet on the table before the professor comes in.

    After the last class, she walked out alone. It is lonely without Darren but she will get used to it. Maybe it is time she makes friends with her other course mates. She realised she had always stuck with Darren in the past that she did not even try to mix with her other course mates.

    As she was walking to the bus station, a car stopped next to her and honked. She stopped short and stared at the heavily tinted windows. This looks like Thorin Loong''s car. Now what?

    Thorin Loong, looking healthy and uninjured, alighted from the other side of the car and opened the back passenger door for her. He is dressed immaculately in his crisp white shirt and designer navy blue suit.

    "Come, let me take you home," he offered, smiling at her gallantly.

    He looked good and in tip top shape. Her heart thumped at the sight of him and at his intimate smile. Then she shushed her own heart and reminded herself that she has decided not to be involved with him. A few of her classmates walked by, whispering and giggling when they noticed Thorin Loong standing there. A few of them shot her envious looks.

    "Mr Loong, I think we should stop seeing each other," she told him quietly, ignoring the gaggle of girls that have gathered nearby observing them. She could hear them gasping at what she said and then they erupted into more whispering.

    Thorin Loong was unperturbed. He slid his hands into his pockets casually and tilted his head slightly, looking at her earnestly.

    "Really? Are you breaking up with me?" he asked coolly. This elicited more shocked gasps from the bystanders and more whispering.

    "Breaking up? Wait, we were never together¡­what are you talking about??" Zi Mei had stepped closer to him and hissed this at him under her breath. She doesn''t need those gawping girls to hear their conversation. This is not some TV drama for them to watch.

    "My dear Zi Mei, you can''t do that to me, you used me and now you want to leave me? I can give you everything," Thorin Loong said out loud dramatically. Another round of gasps and whispering.

    "Mister Loong, stop it!" she is now so flustered, she grabbed his arm to drag him into his car but he is resisting her.

    "Let me take you home," he murmured into her ears. "Or we can continue this charade for the benefit of your classmates,"

    "Ugh. Fine! Take me home," she hissed in response. She slid into his car. Thorin Loong bowed to the bystanders, eliciting a round of giggles before he slid in next to her and closed the door.

    "Do you have to do that?!? What was that?!?" Zi Mei asked him angrily the moment the car pulled out into the traffic. She doesn''t care if Thorin Loong''s driver can hear her.

    "I am merely taking you home, that''s all," Thorin Loong said infuriatingly coolly.

    What is wrong with all the men around her today? First there''s the annoying new guy. Then Darren was avoiding her and now this CEO-dragon-man is annoying her too. She huffed and sat back against the luxuriously soft leather seats, crossing her arms.

    "Well, at least explain why are things so different when I came back," she said.. Might as well ask him now. "Also, did we have any babies together?"

 Chapter 89 - When The New Guy Held Her Hand

    Zi Mei is sitting inside Thorin Loong''s car next to him after he coerced her into entering it. Her pulse is racing at his proximity and there is that strong attraction she felt for him. She ignored all these and try not to think about it. So, she is now demanding for answers from him, mostly to distract herself from this strange yearning she has for him.

    "Why are things so different when I came back," she asked. "Also, did we have any babies together?"

    "No, we don''t have any babies, although it''s not for lack of trying," Thorin replied, winking at her, his voice full of amusement.

    She cleared her throat uncomfortably. Is it hot in the car? Why is she feeling so much heat on her face. She fanned her cheeks for a moment.

    "Then why are things different?" she asked, telling herself to focus and not be distracted by him being so close to her and his allusion to what they must have been doing to ''try'' for babies.

    "It''s how we have to manipulate some things here to erase the humans'' memories of demons and since the demon that attacked you did quite a lot of damage, we have to erase and replace quite a number of memories, let''s just call it a reset," Thorin explained.

    "But, I remembered everything!" Zi Mei said.

    "Yes, that''s because¡­you are my¡­.." He paused for a moment. "You are my contracted partner so you are considered one of us, in a way, so there was no need to erase and change your memories,"

    "Then why don''t I remember about our contract and what we¡­uh¡­did¡­" she blushed at that. Suddenly images of her and Thorin naked and entwined together on a bed came to mind.

    Maybe those are actually memories and not fantasies. She quickly bury the fantasy-memories. This is not the time and space to be thinking of that.

    "You wanted out and I released you from the contract so I had to erase and change your memories," he replied simply.

    "But you didn''t erase and change my memories from the demon attack?" she pointed out.

    He merely shrugged. He leaned close to her, much too close for her comfort. She shrank back from him although she also wanted to lean in close to him.

    "I want you back Lil Zi, will you come back to me?" he asked, his deep mysterious eyes she can feel herself drowning in, looked deeply into hers.

    The word ''yes'' was hovering on her lips and she almost blurted it out but she stopped herself. No! Stop thinking with your crazy sexual desire, she told herself harshly.

    "Nnnnnooo!" she forced herself to stammer out.

    Thorin Loong didn''t look saddened by her answer. He broke eye contact and leaned back to his side. He looked to the front nonchalantly.

    "I don''t expect you to answer right away," he said. He gave her a small smile. "I will give you time to think it over,"

    "No. I said no. No. No. No! Look, you are a dragon and there were demons after you¡­I think that is way too complicated for a college student like me, so let''s just not," Zi Mei finally managed to force out. She is fighting an inner desire to fling herself at him and beg him to take her back with him.

    Shameless hussy, stop lusting after an old dragon, she admonished herself. She doesn''t remember his actual age anymore. But surely, he must be ancient.

    "The demons issue have been resolved so no more demons, only a dragon, me," Thorin replied her, giving her another smile.

    "Whatever¡­just leave me alone, let me live a normal human life without dragons, please," she said. She has had enough excitement over the past week or so to last her a lifetime.

    "I will give you time to think it over," Thorin Loong repeated. The car has stopped. Zi Mei looked out. They are right in front of her house. She got down from the car.

    She turned to look at Thorin Loong.

    "The answer is no, please, just leave me alone," she said and this time, she meant it. She is exhausted from dealing first with that arrogant Damon King and then having her best friend avoid her is the worst feeling ever and now this.

    She just can''t seem to catch a break. At all.

    "Alright then, if that is what you wanted but if you ever change your mind, I am but a call away," Thorin Loong nodded regally. He leaned over to grab the car door and closed it in her face. Then the car sped off.

    She stared at the car speeding off for a long moment until it turned a corner and was no longer in sight. Did she just make a big mistake?  Did she actually just turned down the handsome CEO Thorin Loong who also happens to be a kick-ass dragon shapeshifter?

    To think that a while back, she didn''t even have a boyfriend and she was envious of Sheena for her bold ways in snagging boyfriends and hooking up with men easily. Now, it felt like centuries ago.

    She spent the rest of the evening trying to occupy herself with her assignments and studying. When she finds herself staring at the same page for an hour without actually reading, she gave up and went to turn on her TV. She chose a particularly interesting series and binged on it.

    *******

    The next day, Zi Mei woke up exhausted. She could barely sleep last night, agonising over her curt decision to turn down Thorin Loong. She is still not sure if she had made the right decision and she didn''t feel like confiding in Sheena or Jazzmine. They probably would not understand, she thought. There was also the matter of Darren asking for ''a break'' and avoiding her.

    "Ugh. Men are the bane of all women''s existence," she announced loudly while brushing her teeth. She quickly got ready for college, putting on some makeup to cover up the dark circles under her eyes.

    "Panda eye Mei I am," she muttered at her face in the mirror. Even her concealer could not cover up the dark circles. It merely lightened it slightly. Giving up, she left it at that and headed to college.

    Today, her first class is fine art by Professor Jem. Surely, that annoying new guy is not in this same class, she thought. She hurried to the class and is glad to see that she is among the first few to arrive early. She took her seat and watched other students entering the class nervously.

    "Please, please, please¡­don''t let him be in this class too," she kept repeating under her breath, keeping her fingers crossed on both hands. If she could. She would have kept her toes crossed too.

    Then what she had been wishing against walked in. The unmistakable blue tinged hair, the large tall frame and that annoying smirk with his reddish brown eyes. He smirked at her and took the seat next to her. She got up to change seat but he grabbed her arm.

    "Sit down Tan, don''t kick up such a fuss," he told her. There was a slight steely tone to his voice. She looked at him to see if she had heard him wrong. He smirked at her but his eyes were shuttered and mysteriously devoid of any feelings or expressions.

    She shook his hand off her arm and sat down slowly.

    "If you grab me so rudely again, so help me, I will report you for sexual harassment!" she hissed at him.

    He raised his hands palms up defensively.

    "Hey, I didn''t do anything, I merely asked you to sit down and not block the model up front," he said, gesturing to a model who is sitting primly on a chair up front. The professor has not come in yet so the model is still not striking a pose but was casually tapping on her phone.

    "Class has not even started yet," she mumbled. She decided to ignore the annoying new guy. She shouldn''t let him rile her up like this.

    Professor Jem came in and class started. Soon, she was so engrossed in her sketching that she forgot about Damon King. Then he kicked her table, causing her to draw a long line across the model''s face.

    "Hey! Why did you do that!" she exclaimed, glaring at him. He put on an innocent look.

    "What? I didn''t do anything?" he said. He looked down at his sketch and continued drawing.

    Zi Mei glanced at his art work and her jaw fell open. He is a very good artist. His drawing was so realistic and accurate, it looked exactly like a monochrome photograph. They were only an hour into the class. How is that even possible?

    She looked at her own sketch. She has only completed the outlines and is now adding details like the model''s features before he kicked her table. It was obvious that he had intentionally kicked her table to sabotage her.

    "Asshole," she muttered under her breath as she rubbed off the error he had caused her to draw.

    Then she continued adding details but somehow, she can''t seem to get it right. Erasing it and redoing it a few times.

    "Here, let me show you how it''s done," Damon King suddenly said and his warm large hand wrapped around her hand that was holding the pencil. She was startled and tried to pull free but he held on fast.

    "Like this," he said, as he guided her hands to draw the strokes easily.

 Chapter 90 - Zi Mei Stands Her Ground

    The new guy, Damon King, was holding her hand, guiding her on how to draw the model''s features in her life sketch. Zi Mei was surprised at first but suddenly felt shy with his hands covering hers. She tried to pull away but he refused to let go.

    "Stop trying to shake me off, this is how you do it," he said. He guided her hand to complete the face of the model. Then he released her hand.

    "See, that''s how you do it," he said smugly. He gave her a wink and turned back to his art.

    Zi Mei stared at her work, the part he helped her complete was perfect. She is still far from having that kind of skill. She glanced at his art that he is now completing. He is really a talented artist, she thought. He had somehow made it look even more realistic in the few minutes after he released her hand.

    "You need to practise more instead of gawping at my work," Damon said as he continued drawing without even looking up at her. She realised she is staring so she looked away and back at her own work.

    In comparison to his drawing, her work looks like an elementary school kid drew it. It''s like her drawing is of a stick man while his drawing is the Mona Lisa. She really needs to practise more if she wants to be as good as this Damon King.

    After class, she hurriedly kept her things. She wanted to leave for the next class and hope that she won''t be plagued by this Damon King taking the seat next to hers yet again. While she admired his drawing talent, she has decided that she doesn''t like his arrogant annoying behaviour.

    In the next class, she intentionally took a seat far in the back, hoping the new guy wouldn''t notice her and try to sit next to her. She really doesn''t need any complications with yet another guy. She has had enough of men at this moment. She just wants to live a normal life of a college student.

    She noticed Darren coming into the class and waved to him. Having Darren sit next to her will surely be better than having that annoying new guy sit next to her. Also, she needs to determine if Darren is back to his usual self and no longer a demon.

    Darren saw her waving and gave her a slight polite nod but made no move to sit with her. He took a seat in the front row. So, he must really meant it when he texted her about needing ''a break'' from her. He is behaving as if they were mere acquaintances. She might as well be resigned to the fact that her friendship with Darren will never be the same again, she thought.

    Fortunately for Zi Mei, the rest of the day passed without Damon King insisting on sitting next to her. When he saw her sitting way in the back row, he had smirked at her and sat at the seat she usually sat in. Zi Mei was relieved that at least she has managed to stop him from annoying her, even if it meant her having to sit far in the back, alone.

    After classes ended, Zi Mei walked to the bus station on her own. She made no attempt to send a message to Darren to walk with him. It was obvious that he was avoiding her and she doesn''t feel like engaging with him to ask him what was wrong.

    She was walking forlornly when someone jumped in front of her.

    "Hey, where to?" it was the annoying Damon King.

    "Home, please leave me alone King," she told him. She sidestepped him and walked on.

    "Hey, I''m going to this new place that offers this all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet, wanna come along?" he asked, ignoring the fact that she had avoided him.

    "No, go away," she told him curtly. He would not give up. He jumped in front of her again, causing her to stop in her steps. He stared into her eyes.

    "You look sad¡­come on, ice cream will cheer you up," he said, grinning at her.

    Zi Mei glared at him. Why is he so annoying? Can''t he take no for an answer?

    "I said no, go away," she repeated. She again sidestepped him to walk away but he raised an arm and blocked her.

    "A bit of ice cream won''t hurt you¡­come, join me," he said.

    What does he want with her anyway? Why is he annoying her right from the beginning? She glared at him coldly.

    "Look, I am not interested in you, please leave me alone," she told him.

    Damon King laughed. A deep rumbling laughter.

    "Don''t flatter yourself, I am not interested in you either," he said in between laughter. Zi Mei coloured in embarrassment.

    "Well, then, that''s good¡­ so leave me alone!" she retorted. She pushed his arm away and walked away.

    "I was just offering to be a friend," he hollered behind her.

    "Thanks but no thanks King," she shouted back at him.

    When she reached the main road, she found Thorin Loong standing outside his luxurious car, looking for all intent and purposes as if he is waiting for her. She is beginning to feel as if she is having deja vu all over again.

    She walked up to the well dressed CEO who is drawing attention from her college mates, especially the female ones. They were whispering and giggling as they admired his tall frame, his handsome face, his sharp features and his debonair aura.

    "I thought I told you my answer is no," she said softly to him. She didn''t want to attract any more attention.

    "I heard you loud and clear but that doesn''t mean I can''t continue trying," he replied.

    "Ah¡­that''s why you are rushing away¡­you have a hot date with this guy," Damon King came up to them. He tried to place an arm around Zi Mei''s shoulder but she avoided him and stepped away.

    Thorin Loong''s eyes widened when he saw Damon King, as if he recognised him, but a shutter came down on his expression immediately. The two men regarded each other coldly.

    "I am Zi Mei''s guardian, you are?" Thorin Loong asked Damon.

    "What? Guardian?? NO YOU ARE NOT!" Zi Mei protested.

    Damon smirked and again tried to put his arm around Zi Mei but she again avoided him, ducking out of his arm.

    "I am Zi Mei''s classmate and I am protecting her from some perverted predator waiting for her outside college," Damon said.

    "Perverted predator? You have some nerve," Thorin Loong said quietly. He sounded icily angry.

    Damon King was unperturbed. He gave Thorin Loong a confident smirk.

    "Well, you are so much older than her and here you are, stalking her," Damon King said.

    "I am protecting her, what do you know, you¡­." Thorin started to say but Zi Mei stepped in between of both of them.

    "Hey! Stop it, look I am not related to either one of you, why don''t both of you date each other huh?" she told them, glaring at both of them.

    By now, a small group of her college mates have gathered nearby whispering and watching them. At this rate, Zi Mei knows that she will become known as the ''slut'' of the college who has two men fighting over her in front of the college.

    "Can both of you please disappear and stop bothering me???" she hissed at them.

    Thorin looked around at the small group gathered around. He gave them a charming smile and waved.

    "Hi everyone, I am Zi Mei''s boyf¡­" Zi Mei didn''t give him a chance to finish what he was about to say. She jumped on him and slapped a hand over his mouth.

    "Don''t you dare!" she hissed at him.

    His hand came up to hold hers and pulled it away from his mouth gently. He kissed it and she felt her pulse suddenly racing. She suddenly realised that she is leaning against his firm body and they are so close together, all he needed to do was to bend down and their lips would touch. She jumped back and pulled her away from his. He grinned at her.

    "Well, then, let me take you home," he offered.

    "Leave her alone, pervert," Damon said, stepping up to stand between Thorin and Zi Mei.

    Thorin glared at him. "You leave my woman alone," he replied. There were gasps from the crowd at the mention of ''my woman''. A few of the college girls were sighing dreamily and some were whispering ''why her?'' ''she''s not even that pretty?'' jealously.

    "Hah! She''s not yours!" Damon retorted. He looked at Zi Mei. "Right? Tell him," he egged her.

    Zi Mei is still trying to recover from her racing pulse from being so near Thorin just moments ago. Despite her best intentions, her body is still so attracted to him. It will not be easy to forget him.

    "Lil Zi, come, let me take you home, no hanky panky, I promise," Thorin said cordially, ignoring Damon entirely. He opened the door to the passenger seat of his car.

    "Ignore him, you don''t have to go with him at all," Damon said, grabbing on to her arm.

    Zi Mei looked at Damon and then at Thorin. She shook off Damon''s hand from her arm.

    "Why don''t both of you date each other? You seem to suit each other perfectly!" she told them.

    Zi Mei stalked away from the two men as they gaped at her.. The other people gathered there also gaped at her in surprise.

 Chapter 91 - Lets Date Like Normal Mortals

    Zi Mei had stormed off from two extremely good looking men while a group of curious onlookers whispered and gossiped. She doesn''t know how she''s going to face all these people in college tomorrow. They will surely be talking about the mediocre college girl who has two men trying to make her follow either one of them outside the college gates. She knows she is no stunning beauty but Thorin Loong is so handsome, he probably has a fan club of his own while the new guy, Damon King, is also good looking in a rugged, bad boy way.

    After the initial surprise at her reaction, Thorin Loong snapped out of his surprise and chased after her, easily catching up to her due to his long legs. He grabbed her arm to stop her.

    "Lil Zi, stop, stop," he said softly but she was not about to stop. She flung his hand off her and continued speed walking away. She noticed a few of the curious onlookers have also followed suit so she sped up even more, half running.

    Thorin Loong was unperturbed. He kept pace with her. Then she heard Damon King''s heavy footsteps coming close towards them.

    "Hey, stop, why are you running off," he called out. He is also getting quite close to her.

    It was as if they are filming a drama. However, Zi Mei doesn''t intend to be the slutty female lead being chased down the street by two handsome male protagonist.

    She stopped suddenly causing Thorin Loong and Damon King to almost crash into her. Damon stumbled to a stop while Thorin was just a mere few inches from her.

    "Can both of you leave me alone? I am not interested okay?" she told them.

    "Oh the nerve! I would have chosen Thorin Loong any second," she heard a girl said out loud.

    She turned to glare at the girl, whom she recognised as one of Damon King''s ''fan club'' but she couldn''t remember her name. The girl  - she has long curly hair with pink streaks in it and a sexy figure 8 body - narrowed her eyes at Zi Mei and flipped her hair arrogantly. She stepped out of the crowd and boldly came up to Thorin Loong.

    "Mister Loong, she is a loser, I will do anything you want me to do," she offered, placing a coquettish hand on his lapel. She fluttered her eyelashes at him seductively. "I am Mia, I can do anything," she whispered.

    "Well, looks like you have your hands full," Damon drawled, raising an eyebrow at Mia and then giving Thorin Loong a smirk. He turned to Zi Mei.

    "Come, let me walk you home," Damon offered, going up to her and offering her his arm.

    Zi Mei stared at Damon''s arm as if it was diseased and shrank away from him.

    "I told you I am not interested in you," she told him coldly. From the corner of her eyes, she was trying to see how Thorin Loong was reacting to Mia.

    He had cordially moved away from Mia and told her coolly that he is not interested. Zi Mei was relieved. For a moment, she thought he will take up Mia''s offer. She noticed Thorin Loong looking at her so she quickly turned and started walking away again.

    "Hey Tan, I promise I won''t do anything you don''t like," Damon is now walking alongside her. She can''t help but noticed that Thorin Loong is no longer following her. She was tempted to turn and look back to see if he had left but she controlled herself.

    She was supposed to be avoiding him! And this Damon King too. Why is he following her?

    "Look King, I can''t say this enough, go away, I am not interested," she repeated. She felt like a broken recorder who kept repeating the same lines over and over.

    "Well, he''s gone so you can stop running," Damon King said, making no attempt to stop following her.

    Before she could stop herself, she turned to look and sure enough Thorin Loong is no longer following her and his car was also gone. Disappointment rose within her. She tried to stop feeling upset about it. She did tell him to go away and he did exactly what she wanted.

    "Oooooo¡­what''s that face¡­I thought you were avoiding him? Looks like you were making him chase after you," Damon King remarked.

    She glared at him.

    "Why are you still following me?" she asked. They had reached the bus stand where she takes the usual bus back home. She stood behind a queue already forming there. Her bus should be here soon.

    "What? I am here to take the bus, it''s not illegal to take a bus right?" Damon King replied. He stood behind her as if joining the queue.

    Zi Mei knows he is lying. She has not seen him take this bus route yesterday. It can''t be a coincidence that he takes the same bus route as her. He is probably following her.

    "Whatever. Just don''t talk to me," she told him. She turned away from him and ignored him. She took out her phone and texted Jazzmine and Sheena through their group chat until the bus came.

    She boarded the bus without looking at Damon King and she was glad that there were no available seats and it was rather crowded. At least he won''t try to find some excuse to sit next to her.

    A few other girls from college takes this bus route too and they obviously recognised Damon King. A couple of them were giggling and one of them started talking him the moment they were squeezed together in the crowded bus. Zi Mei took that opportunity to move to the back of the bus, near the exit. She could see the girl giggling and flirting with Damon King while he had a long-suffering patient look on his face.

    She almost giggled in glee while thinking ''serve him right''. It will not be easy for him to get rid of the clingy flirtatious girl. She quickly got off, a few stops before hers, the moment she thinks his attention was on the girl. She doesn''t mind walking a bit more, as long as Damon King didn''t follow her home.

    Zi Mei trudged back home, feeling as if she had fought in a battle. Why is it so tiring to avoid people? What is it that new guy wants from her? He had told her that he wasn''t interested in her and yet he had followed her and worse, took the same bus as her too.

    When she walked up the street to her home, she was not even surprised to see Thorin Loong''s car and the man standing casually outside her home. She felt a thrill of excitement and pushed it down immediately. She was not supposed to be excited to see him! However, it looks like it will not be easy to shake him off.

    Zi Mei walks up to Thorin Loong and stood before him.

    "What do you want from me? I told you to leave me alone," she said.

    "I want you back, I think we can make it work," he said without preamble.

    "I told you I am not interested," she replied although her heart tripping over itself was saying otherwise.

    "How about you give us a chance?" he suggested. "How do you know it won''t work if you don''t even want to give us a chance?"

    "Look, I didn''t say it won''t work¡­I just don''t want to¡­it is way too complicated for me¡­you, dragons, demons, the supernatural¡­I mean do I need to carry salt and a bottle of holy water with me everywhere I go??" she asked.

    Thorin Loong threw his head back and laughed. He run his hand through his hair and somehow, that made Zi Mei want to do the same, bury her hands in his thick luscious hair.

    "Lil Zi, let''s just date like normal mortals, I pick you up from college, we go on dates, dinner, movies, the works," he said. He took a step towards her. She could feel his body heat and her traitorous heart is already flipping over itself.

    "I promise, I will not do anything that you don''t consent to," he murmured huskily, placing a gentle finger under her chin to tip her head up to his. He bent as if to kiss her and her heart almost stopped.

    "Nothing you don''t like¡­" he whispered a mere few inches from her lips. Zi Mei could feel her eyes closing and her lips parting, ready to feel his lips on hers.

    The kiss never materialised. He removed his finger and stepped back.

    "I won''t kiss you if that is not what you wanted," he said, amusement colouring his voice.

    Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him aghast. Did she just lean over and wait for him to kiss her? Oh her traitorous body! She cleared her throat uncomfortably and stepped back from him. She smoothed her clothes unnecessarily, doing something with her hands to distract herself.

    "Well?" he asked. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if he was asking her if she wanted him to kiss her then she realised he was waiting for her answer to his question about going on dates.

    This is Thorin Loong, the handsome CEO and magical dragon. Surely dating him will not be all that bad?

    "Okay, maybe we try dating for three months?" she conceded finally.

 Chapter 92 - No Sex

    Zi Mei has agreed to dating Thorin Loong for three months as a trial period.

    "Okay, maybe we try dating for three months?" she had told him.

    Thorin Loong looked more than happy with her reply. He looked as if he wanted to sweep her off her feet in a hug and kiss her but he held himself back. Instead, he took a step towards her and offered his hand.

    "Let''s shake on it then," he said, grinning at her. Zi Mei took his hand tentatively and shook it. It felt so strange. It was as if they had signed a business deal and are shaking hands over it.

    "So, I do have conditions," she said.

    "Can we maybe talk this over inside? We are standing outside in the middle of the street," Thorin pointed out. He gestured at his driver in his car and the driver drove off with the car, leaving them standing there.

    "Right, uh, okay," she mumbled. She has never had a boyfriend before, she doesn''t even know how this works. She took out her key and unlocked her door, letting herself in and then waiting for Thorin Loong to enter before locking the door behind him.

    "I suppose we can talk in my living room," she said, leading him inside. It''s not as if he has not been here before but she suddenly felt awkward. She doesn''t know what to say or how to behave with him.

    How does one behave with a man you just agreed to date for three months? They weren''t exactly strangers, since she did kiss him and they even made out in the living room of his home. Her face reddened when she remembered how she had given in to her desires with him in his living room when he was injured.

    Stop thinking such lewd thoughts, she told herself.

    She took a seat at the lounge chair and gestured for him to take a seat in any of the chairs there. Thorin Loong chose one across from her, sat down comfortably and regarded her, his expression mysteriously closed.

    "So what conditions?" he asked after a few minutes of pregnant silence.

    Zi Mei tried to gather her thoughts and come up conditions that she thinks will be fair for both of them.

    "Okay, so, uh, this is only for three months," she said.

    Thorin Loong nodded without saying anything, waiting for her to continue.

    "No sex," she blurted out. She doesn''t want to complicate things. She needs to know that what they have is not purely physical. A relationship based on primal sexual desire doesn''t mean anything.

    "Are you sure?" he lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "You thoroughly enjoyed our last encounter," he murmured.

    Zi Mei blushed. She cleared her throat uncomfortably.

    "Well, that was a mistake¡­let''s keep it PG-rated," she said.

    "What does that mean?" he frowned, perplexed. "Can I even touch you? I need you to be more specific,"

    "It means there can be hand holding, hugging, kissing but nothing more than that," she said.

    Thorin Loong seemed unconcerned by that. He shrugged.

    "Sure, your loss," he muttered. "Don''t come begging me for it," he drawled, giving her a cheeky wink.

    She lifted her chin and glared at him.

    "I will not beg you for anything!" she said firmly.

    At this, Thorin Loong stood up, went to her and leaned over her, his face only a mere few inches away from hers. He bent to whisper into her ears.

    "I hope you know what you are saying," he said and blew ever so lightly into her ears. She shivered as arousal raced through her veins. She shifted away from him but he took this opportunity to sit next to her and lean on the lounge chair, barely touching her.

    "Can you¡­uhh¡­please go sit over there¡­" she stammered. Her blood is now gushing in her head and she can''t think clearly with him so near her.

    Thorin Loong gave her a grin but made no move to get up. He leaned back, placing a hand under his nape and unbuttoning a few buttons of his shirt.

    "Come on, you didn''t say I can''t sit here with you¡­I am not even touching you¡­very PG-rated," he said.

    Zi Mei finds it so hard to tear her eyes away from the bare flesh his unbuttoned shirt revealed. She swallowed uncomfortably and forced her eyes to look away.

    "So, um, as I was saying, no¡­uh¡­sex," she repeated. What was she about to say after this?

    "Yes, so you mentioned¡­although it would be such a waste of opportunity¡­" Thorin Loong said. He undid another button, revealing a wider expanse of his smooth, firm muscled chest. Zi Mei quickly averted her eyes.

    She is certain he is doing this to distract her. Well, two can play the same game, she thought. She is also wearing a button down blouse today. She unbuttoned the top three buttons, revealing the tops of her lacy bra and her cleavage. She leaned back on the other side of the lounge, letting the open collar fall open wider. She noticed Thorin Loong''s eyes darkened but he didn''t say anything.

    "We decide on dates together," she said.

    "Of course, that is a given," he replied conciliatory. He flicked a glance down her cleavage. "Tell me, is touching allowed?" he asked. His eyes are slowly running down her body and she could almost feel the heat from his hungry stare.

    She swallowed. She is feeling so flushed and hot right now.

    "Um...touching¡­only¡­um¡­" she stammered, thinking of the last time he touched her and how it ended. Her face turned red at the thought. "No, no touching!" she exclaimed.

    Thorin Loong frowned. "Hmmm..you said we can hold hands, kiss and hug but no touching?"

    "Right," she conceded. She did say that. "So, we keep to hugs, holding hands and kissing, that''s all, you don''t ah¡­cannot¡­touch here or here," she said gesturing to her breasts and her lower body.

    "Hmmm¡­are we even dating then?" he asked. "It sounds like I''m dating a nun at this rate,"

    "Well, if¡­.if¡­you don''t like it¡­we can call this off," she stammered.

    Thorin Loong shrugged. He unbuttoned the rest of the buttons on his shirt and left it hanging open, revealing his smooth firm chest and abs. There was no sign of his wound. It

    "I suppose it''s your loss then because I don''t have such rules¡­you are most welcomed to touch me anywhere," he said.

    Zi Mei swallowed nervously. "I¡­uh¡­thank you but¡­uh¡­no¡­thanks," she said.

    "Well, anything more?" Thorin asked.

    "We call this whole thing off the moment I feel uncomfortable about it or if there are problems like the demons attacking and whatnots," she said.

    This time Thorin sat up and frowned.

    "Did another demon come after you?" he asked.

    "No, no, it''s not that¡­.I am just saying in case it happens again, I am out of this," she said.

    "I see," he said, looking relieved. He leaned back on the lounge, looking so gorgeous in his pose that Zi Mei was tempted to lean over on him and cuddle close to him.

    She snapped herself out of that line of thought.

    "Please don''t show up outside my college like you did today and get into this whole macho contest with my classmate," she added.

    "What do you mean? If we are together, the least I could do is to come take you from college every day isn''t it?" he said. "Isn''t that what most women like?" his brow creased in confusion.

    "Well, I am not most women!" Zi Mei retorted.

    Inwardly, she did like the thought of him picking her from college but she didn''t like how this seem to create unwanted attention on her. She doesn''t even know how she''s going to faced all the gossiping in college tomorrow.

    "I have rules too," Thorin Loong spoke up.

    Zi Mei stared at him in surprise. That was unexpected.

    "Stay away from that Damon King," he said.

    "He''s my classmate, it''s not easy to stay away from him," she told him. She didn''t take him for the jealous type but it seemed that he was jealous.

    "Just don''t talk to him, he''s bad news," Thorin Loong said firmly.

    "Ugh. You don''t have to tell me twice¡­he is annoying," she agreed. Zi Mei realised that they have been talking terms but she forgot to ask him one main thing. She looked him deep in his eyes.

    "Tell me, why are you so keen on dating me?" she asked. "What do you like about me anyway?"

    This time, Thorin Loong looked uncomfortable. He shifted and broke eye contact. This raised several red flags. What is he hiding from her?

    "I like you Lil Zi," he turned to look at her. This time, he lean over and took her hands in his. "You are beautiful, you are gentle, you are sweet and despite what you faced at home, you are strong," he said, sounding genuinely honest.

    Zi Mei found herself drowning in the deep pools of his warm dark eyes while her heart tripped and thumped at his words.. She has no words to reply him.

 Chapter 93 - The First Relationship

    *Badump*

    *Badump*

    Zi Mei''s heart is thumping loudly as she stared into Thorin Loong''s deep dark eyes that seemed to draw her in and keep her there. It makes her want to sink into his arms and let him hold her. She held on to her will power to keep herself from doing anything like shamelessly throwing herself at him.

    "Are those good enough reasons?" Thorin Loong asked, his lips curling into a smile. He brought her hands up to his luscious lips and kissed it gently. Zi Mei''s heart fluttered and she let out a soft gasp. He slowly placed her hands back on her lap and then he leaned back again, looking at her, waiting for her reply.

    She cleared her throat and tried to think of a reply but her mind is blank. She couldn''t think of anything except for how luscious and inviting his lips are. And the glimpses of his smooth firm abs and chest from his half open shirt weren''t helping either. She has this strong temptation to reach out and run her hands over his abs and chest.

    "Well?" he raised an eyebrow enquiringly.

    "I¡­uh¡­that¡­was¡­uh¡­I wasn''t expecting that at all," she stammered out finally. This handsome man, who is also an ancient dragon, just told her that she is beautiful, gentle, sweet and strong.

    That was more than anyone has ever said about her to her. No one has ever praised her or called her beautiful. She doesn''t know what to do with the compliments and she doesn''t know how to respond to it at all.

    Is this what it is like to have a boyfriend who likes you for you? She wondered.

    "What about you Lil Zi? What is it about me that you like?" Thorin asked, his deep baritone silky and his eyes curious.

    She was slightly surprised by that question. What is it about him that kept drawing her to him?

    "Well¡­you uh¡­are handsome," she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. It was true. The strong magnetism of his startling good looks, his strong cheekbones, his piercing dark eyes, his wide shoulders and tall frame¡­all of it made an amazingly attractive package that no woman could resist.

    He chuckled.

    "Is that all?" he drawled.

    "Yes¡­no¡­I mean¡­well, you kept pushing me to take you back and I can''t even remember when we were together, so I was just giving you a chance," she said.

    "I want to remember our time together before," she added.

    His face became serious. He regarded her for a long moment.

    "Are you sure you want to remember everything? It might not be pleasant at all," he told her.

    Her eyes widened. Does this mean he could help her regain her memories?

    "You mean, you can help me get back my memories?" she asked.

    He nodded slowly. He sat up and looked at her darkly.

    "It will not be pleasant at all, I would suggest that it is best that you don''t remember what had happened in the past," he advised.

    She thought about it. What was he trying to stop her from remembering? Was it something so bad? How bad can it be?

    "Why? What was so bad about memories of our time together? Did something bad happen? Did someone die?" she asked lightly.

    He did not reply but his expression said it all. He actually blanched at the mention of ''someone die''. He looked like she had guessed right. Now she is beyond curious. Who had died? Jazzmine, Sheena and Darren are still around so it couldn''t be them. Even her father is still around.

    "Who died?" she asked softly. She can''t imagine who had died in the past when she was with Thorin Loong that would have affected her. She didn''t exactly have a lot of close friends.

    "I can''t tell you that," Thorin said. He sighed.

    He grasped her hands again and pulled her to him in an embrace and all thoughts of the death of someone flew out of her mind. She is suddenly enveloped in the warmth of his arms, his firm chest against hers, his arms around her, his fresh minty scent assailing her nostrils. He kissed the top of her head gently.

    "Lets start anew, I promise, I will never hurt you," he murmured.

    She let him hold her and her arms went around his waist. It felt so warm and comforting to be held by him this way. She leaned her face on his shoulder. It felt so natural. She wanted to stay this way for a long, long time.

    "So, uh, any other dating rules?" she asked him, trying to sound normal.

    "Let me spoil you," he said.

    The butterflies are fluttering in her stomach now. Her heart felt like it could burst from how sweet and gentle he is to her.

    What did she ever do to deserve someone like him?

    "I will never do anything you do not consent to, that is my promise," he said. He lifted her from his chest to look into her eyes. He tilted her chin up.

    "I want to kiss you now, is that okay?" he whispered, his lips just inches from hers. She is already drowning in his eyes. She nodded slightly and her eyes fluttered close as his lips came down gently to capture hers.

    Zi Mei''s breath came out in a soft sigh against his lips. The kiss was both gentle and passionate as he traced her lips with his tongue, seeking entry. She let him in and he deepened the kiss. His arms curved around her waist, pulling her close to him as he drink her in and she returning his kiss passionately.

    When they finally parted, slightly panting, Zi Mei was almost sorry that he had broke the kiss.

    "I better stop before we went too far," Thorin Loong said, giving her a rueful smile. "It is not easy to control myself around you,"

    Zi Mei wanted to throw caution to the winds and tell him to lose control because she is on the verge of losing control right now too. It was at this moment that she realised there was a hard bump between them. She leaned back from him and blushed when she realised it was his arousal pushing against his pants.

    She jumped up from the chair and turned away. "So, uh, right¡­I have never been in a relationship before, what''s next?" she asked.

    Thorin Loong chuckled next to her. He leaned his full length on the lounge chair, placing his hands under his nape.

    "Beats me¡­I have never been in one before too," he replied.

    This made her swirl around to stare at him in surprise.

    "What do you mean?? You were married!" she exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes at him. Why would he lie to her about this? That''s not a very good lie too!

    "Right. The marriage to Jessica was a fake one, none of it was real, there was no relationship," he told her.

    "Fake? And you couldn''t tell me that before all this?" she asked. She finds it hard to believe. Why would he fake a marriage to someone as gorgeous as Jessica? Any man would marry Jessica in a beat. Surely, they would have slept together at some point, she thought. The thought of Thorin with Jessica made her heart ached.

    "We were never a real couple, dragons rarely get together with dragons," Thorin told her, as if he read her mind.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well, dragons usually mate with mortals to get offsprings because if dragons were to mate with dragons, we cannot produce offsprings," he explained.

    "Wait a minute¡­so are you now trying to win me over to become your baby making machine?" she asked suspiciously.

    Were all his sweet words and compliments all a farce to win her over? Was getting her pregnant with his babies his ultimate goal? He did say they were a contracted couple before this. Maybe he now wants to continue with the contract.

    "No, Lil Zi, no," Thorin protested.

    But the seed of doubt was already planted. No matter how Zi Mei sees it, the obvious reasons for Thorin Loong to want her to be with him was to get her pregnant. He merely wanted a surrogate mother for his children. In other words, a baby making slave. He must be an accomplished liar to be able to lie to her face about her being beautiful, sweet and strong.

    Tears filled her eyes. It hurts to think that he was actually lying to get her to date him so that one day she might agree to carry his babies. He was only using her. She knew it was too good to be true. He was too good to be true.

    In what reality would a handsome rich CEO chase after an average looking college girl and insisted that she dates him? Things like that never happens Zi Mei, she told herself. It was obvious he wanted something from her and in this case, he wanted her to have his babies.

    "Lil Zi," Thorin got up to hold her, bending slightly to look into her eyes but she looked away. She wiped away the unshed tears and bit her lips. She can''t trust herself to say anything at this moment.

    "I assure you that was not my aim¡­I really want to be with you, even if we never ever have sex again and never make any babies for the rest of our lives," he said.

 Chapter 94 - Wine And Draw

    Thorin Loong had just told Zi Mei that he only wanted to be with her and it would not matter that if they never have sex or have children. Zi Mei finds it hard to believe although he sounded genuinely honest about it.

    "Look, I am no longer interested in getting heirs, I just want to be with you and I want you to come back to me," Thorin Loong said. Zi Mei finally looked up into his eyes. His eyes were gleaming and Zi Mei believed they were slightly moist too.

    "I promise you, I will not do anything you don''t like and if after three months, you don''t want to be with me, we part ways and never see each other again," he said. "So what do you say?"

    She nodded timidly. Thorin''s face brightened into a wide smile. He gathered her into his arms in a big bear hug and she let him hold her.

    "Now, that you have agreed to date me, let''s go on a date," he murmured, still holding her close to him. Zi Mei didn''t want him to release her. It felt so safe, warm and comfortable in his arms.

    "What sort of date do you have in mind?" she asked him, resting her face on his bare chest.

    The feel of his silky smooth and firm chest is not only thrilling but also comforting. She ignored her racing pulse and the desire whinging through her veins. She linked her arms around his narrow waist, blushing shyly as she did so but it felt so natural, she held on to him. She was glad that he couldn''t see her red face at this moment.

    "I don''t really know¡­what do couples do on a date other than dinner and movies?" Thorin asked.

    Zi Mei giggled. She looked up at him and he genuinely looked perplexed. She reluctantly released him and moved apart. She went over to pick up her phone.

    "Let''s check the internet for suggestions," she said. She sat down on the lounge and scrolled through her phone.

    Thorin came over and sat next to her, casually placing an arm on her shoulders. Zi Mei ignored the thumping of her heart as she continued to scroll through the results of her search for ''date suggestions''.

    Most of it were boring. She typed a more specific search for ''fun dates for couples'' and more results came out.

    "So, this website suggests that we take a class for something new, try a go-kart track, go sky diving or bungee jumping, go camping, take a dance lesson, go zip lining, do yoga together, go horseback riding, go bowling¡­"she rattled off the long list.

    When she finished reading about 50 suggestions, she stopped and looked at Thorin.

    "Well? Which do you want to do?" she asked him.

    "I suppose we can take an art class together, I know of a wine and draw class that''s quite interesting," Thorin Loong said thoughtfully. "You like to draw and it sounds interesting,"

    That was a rather good idea, Zi Mei thought. She has never been to one of those classes before although she has heard of it. It was one of those things that couples usually do together so she didn''t want to join one alone and appear pathetic.

    "I would love to! Shall we find one to join now?" she replied excitedly. It should be fun! She searched for one such place nearby and found one just a short drive away. She showed him the location.

    "Alright, we shall have a wine and draw date then," Thorin agreed, smiling at her unbridled excitement.

    "The class starts in an hour, we better hurry, I need to change out of these clothes into something comfortable," she said. She immediately ran upstairs without waiting for his response.

    Thorin took out his phone and called his driver, ordering him to come over immediately. A few minutes later, Zi Mei practically flew down the stairs wearing a simple tank top and khakis. She wants to make sure she dresses comfortably for a painting class.

    "Aren''t you going to change your clothes? You are wearing that?" she asked Thorin. He has buttoned up his crisp white shirt. He is dressed in a fashionable business suit, looking very much the businessman he is.

    Thorin Loong looked down at his clothes and brushed aside imaginary lint from it.

    "What''s wrong with my attire? I am immaculately dressed," he said assuredly.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes. "You look like you are going to a business meeting, not a wine and draw class, don''t you have anything casual?"

    "Casual?" he asked, sounding highly affronted. "I don''t do casual¡­ugh," he shuddered. Thorin Loong never dresses casually. Every single piece of his attire is tailored perfection to showcase his tall, lean frame to maximum advantage.

    "Really? You might get splashed with paint¡­that white shirt might not survive it," Zi Mei warned him.

    "Splashed with paint? I have gotten blood on them, it never bothers me, I have many others," he said.

    Zi Mei went over to him and started peeling off his jacket for him. Surprised, Thorin Loong let her take off his jacket. She placed it carefully on the back of her chair, then she regarded him.

    He looked like a dream in his spotless white shirt and navy blue dress pants. She swallowed. How does one resist a hunk like this? Telling her heart to shut up, she went over and started folding his long sleeves up.

    "What are you doing Lil Zi?" he asked, surprised but he did not stop her.

    "Making you look as casual as possible with what you are wearing," she told him without looking at him. She folded the sleeves up to the elbow and then worked on the other sleeve, folding it up nicely.

    "There, much better," she said. She tilted her head slightly. He now looks like a CEO who is taking some time out to relax, rolling up his sleeves.

    Something is still missing, she thought.

    Thorin looked at what she did and then he grinned. "I see¡­" he murmured. He unbuttoned two buttons, showing hints of his chest. Then he reached up and ruffled his perfectly coiffed hair, tousling the gorgeous thick waves.

    "Is this what you are aiming for?" he asked, striking a casual pose, with a hand in his pocket.

    He looks relaxed and yes, perfect, Zi Mei thought.

 Chapter 95 - Let Me Help You

    Zi Mei and Thorin have agreed on going for a date by joining a wine and draw class. They reached the wine and draw class early, with just five minutes to spare, and made their way up to the first floor of the old building where it was located.

    Several other couples were already there early and there were a few groups of girls who signed up together too. It was a rather large class of about 30 participants. The teacher, a nice elderly lady by the name of Joyce, showed them to two easels placed next to each other at the corner of the class.

    A few of the group of single girls were also placed near them and they were giggling as they eyed Thorin Loong. He barely even looked at them while they tried to catch his attention. Instead, Thorin was looking at Zi Mei as she check out the easel, the canvas and paint they gave. After everyone has settled down, Joyce called the class to attention.

    "We did not expect such a large crowd today what with it being a Wednesday, nevertheless, let''s have fun tonight!" Joyce said.

    She begin by explaining the rules for the class which is rather simple. They were supposed to paint the bouquet of flowers placed on the table up front but they can paint it in any way they like, whether it is watercolour, gouache or plain charcoal.

    "There are no rules to art, just let the creativity flow," she said.

    There will be free flow of wine for all participants but she warned that rowdiness due to drunken behaviour is forbidden.

    "You can drink as much as you want but remember, if you feel tipsy and if you are a rowdy drunk, please know when to stop, we will not hesitate to kick you out if you become a nuisance," she said.

    She introduced the choice of wine for the night, which will be a shiraz. There will also be simple snacks to go with the wine.

    "So, now, let''s begin," she said. She begin by explaining the basics to sketching the flowers that Zi Mei has already learnt in college. She immediately started sketching out the flowers while Thorin looked confused and slightly loss.

    "Do you need help?" one of the girls near them asked him when he has not started drawing while Zi Mei is fully concentrating on her sketch. Thorin Loong shook his head and then turn to frown at the canvas before him.

    Surely it can''t be that hard, he thought. He took a sip of the wine. Alcohol doesn''t really affect dragon shapeshifters but he occasionally likes to drink wine. It tasted quite good so he finished his glass of wine and poured more for himself.

    He looked at Zi Mei. She is frowning in concentration as she looked at the flowers on display and then draw it on her canvas. She seemed to be enjoying this, he thought.

    He picked up the pencil they provided and placed it on his canvas. He started to draw but no matter how he tried, it came out in squiggly lines. He stared at his sketching and then looked at Zi Mei''s. Hers looked exactly like the real flowers while his¡­he tore his paper off, crumpled it and threw it in the wastepaper bin.

    Zi Mei turned to look at him. Thorin was frowning at his blank paper.

    "Do you need help?" she asked him. He looked annoyed. He shook his head.

    "I am sure I can do this," he mumbled. He tried again. This time, Zi Mei watch him and this made him even more nervous. He tore it up again and threw it away.

    He looked so adorable when he''s annoyed and frustrated as he gritted his teeth and tried to force his hands to draw the flowers, Zi Mei thought. She hid her smile and went over to him.

    "Here, let me help you," she said. She placed her hand over his and she remembered this was exactly what Damon King did to her earlier in college but she shoved the thought of that annoying new boy out of her mind. She needs to focus on Thorin Loong, her boyfriend, right now.

    "I can do it," Thorin had insisted and wanted to remove her hand but she glared at him.

    "Don''t be so stubborn! Let me help you," she hissed at him. He turned back and let her guide his hand. The flowers began to take shape under their linked hands and a smile tug the corners of Thorin''s lips.

    "You are a genius, Lil Zi," he murmured, impressed by what she has helped him draw.

    "What do we have here? Oh, that''s what we call couple''s art," Joyce was walking towards them. She looked at what they had drawn together approvingly.

    "That looks great, continue on," she said, smiling at them before moving on to the other participants. At that moment, Zi Mei caught a few jealous glares from the single girls near them but she ignored them.

    It felt good to have a boyfriend at such classes. Especially a highly attractive one, she thought. She continued to guide Thorin''s hand till they completed the sketch.

    Then she stepped back to go back to her easel but Thorin held on to her hand. He pulled her to him and kissed her hand gently.

    "Beautiful," he said, looking at her and Zi Mei blushed, knowing very well that he did not mean the drawing.

    "Ahem¡­puh-lez..we are here to paint not make out, go get a room," one of the girls complained loudly. Zi Mei pulled her hand from Thorin and went back to her easel.

    "Hmmm¡­maybe we should, right after this," Thorin Loong murmured. He sauntered over to Zi Mei, picked up a cube of cheese and placed it against her lips. "Here, eat this before you drink," he told her.

    Zi Mei reached up to take it but he moved it away. "No, let me feed you while you paint, my darling artist," he said.

    The girls nearby gasped and sighed while Zi Mei blushed as she took the cheese from his hands with her mouth. Thorin Loong winked at her and went back to his easel. The girls were all staring at Zi Mei jealously but she ignored them. She stared at her drawing blindly as she tried to slow down her racing heart.

    How will she ever stop getting all excited whenever he is near her?

 Chapter 96 - Trying Something New

    The wine and draw class ended about two hours later with Thorin Loong abandoning his art work completely to stay by Zi Mei''s side to feed her snacks and wine. When the teacher, Joyce, asked him why he isn''t painting, he merely gave her a look and she hurried off without saying anything more.

    Zi Mei was thoroughly enjoying herself. She found herself relaxing as she painted the flowers and for the first time, she seems to be able to bring the flowers to life on canvas easily. Even Joyce was suitably impressed.

    "That is really good!" Joyce gushed. "Are you by any chance an art student?" she asked.

    Zi Mei nodded shyly, basking in her praise. Her art works often get criticisms and frowns from her professors in college so it felt good to be praised here even though this is a casual art class for hobbyists.

    "Of course, my girlfriend is a talented artist," Thorin Loong boasted proudly, pouring another glass of wine for himself. He has downed two bottles of wine thus far but since alcohol doesn''t have any effects on him, it was as if he was drinking juice.

    "Oh dear, you should go easy on the wine," Joyce said, noting the two empty bottles of wine. Though the programme had offered free flow of wine, they did not expect anyone to go beyond three or four glasses since there was a condition that they must not get drunk in class.

    "Don''t worry, I am not in the least tipsy," Thorin assured her, winking at her. The elderly lady blushed and bustled away to check on the other participants in the class. All participants are allowed to bring back their art work so they have to leave their names and contact numbers to come collect their paintings after it dries. The participants are slowly filing out of the class.

    Thorin turned back to Zi Mei. "Shall we go now?"

    Zi Mei stared at her finished painting. She has never done such beautiful work before. She is so happy. She turned to Thorin and hugged him to his surprise. His arms came up to hug her back.

    "Thank you! I love this! I have never painted something so good," she told him happily. She released him and walk up to Joyce to fill in the form to collect her painting on another day.

    "I must say dear, you will make a good artist," Joyce told her. Zi Mei beamed at her happily.

    "Thank you! That was my goal one day," she said. Thorin came up to them and he gave Joyce a nod.

    "This is a nice way of helping people to loosen up and learn to paint," he told her. "If you ever need any investors, I can help," he took out his business card and handed it to her. Joyce took the card politely and thanked them.

    They walked out of the place hand in hand, Zi Mei brimming with joy over her art work while Thorin was smiling at her exuberance. She is feeling a slight buzz from the wine too but she only took sips of one glass of wine throughout the whole session. She is also enjoying holding hands with Thorin, her small hands enclosed in his large warm hands. She felt so safe and secure with him this way.

    "Maybe we should book another session next week?" Thorin asked her. Zi Mei turned to him and beamed happily.

    "Maybe we should but there are so many other things to try, let''s try other things too," she said. Her stomach took that moment to growl loudly. It is quite late and she hadn''t eaten much the whole day. She grabbed her stomach in embarrassment. Thorin Loong chuckled in amusement.

    "Let''s get you something to eat, those snacks are barely enough," he said. "So, what do you want to eat?" he asked.

    "I will eat anything, you can take me to any restaurant you like," Zi Mei replied. She is not so picky about food given her circumstances growing up. In fact, she is always grateful to have enough to eat now compared to the years growing up when she had to scrimp and save for food.

    "I don''t have any preference actually," Thorin told her. They both stopped walking and stood by the street. Thorin''s driver and car is waiting for them by the curb. "Let''s think about it in the car," he suggested.

    But Zi Mei has other ideas. Since Thorin doesn''t seem to have any preference, she is thinking of taking him to the nearest roadside food stalls for an experience surely he has never had before. He is a billionaire CEO, surely he has never eaten food at a roadside stall which is usually frequented by the working class and college students.

    "No, I have an idea, let''s go there," she pointed to a direction down the street. She knows of a place where there were a few roadside food stalls1 offering satisfying local food like boiled skewered seafood (this is called lok lok locally), fried noodles and barbecued skewered chicken (this is called satay locally).

    She tugged Thorin to follow her and she walked down the street. Thorin followed her without protesting, strolling in his effortless way.

    "I need to remind you that we dragons don''t really need to eat," he told her as they walked companionably down the street.

    "Remind me? Did you tell me that before?" Zi Mei asked. She can''t remember if he did tell her. Or maybe it was their time together prior to him wiping her memories. She shrugged. It doesn''t matter. They are starting anew after all.

    "It doesn''t matter¡­you still can eat right?" she said. She has spotted the first of the stalls, the lok lok stall. Her favourite! She headed towards it and chose a metal table where a boiling pot of water was in a hole in the middle of the table. The whole table is covered by plates of skewered seafood, pork, chicken, vegetables and fish balls. There were several containers of sauces too.

    She pulled out the metal stool and sat down, gesturing for Thorin to sit down too. He made a face at the heat emanating from the boiling water and the fact that the table is placed on a sidewalk under a large canopy. He pulled out a similar metal stool and sat next to Zi Mei, grimacing in the heat. Noticing how uncomfortable he looked, Zi Mei grinned at him.

    "This is the reason why I said you should dress casually, we are in the tropics after all, you are allowed to wear t-shirt, shorts and slippers," she said.

    Thorin looked highly affronted at her suggestion. "Ugh. Never! I can never dress like that, that would be an insult to this excellent body of mine," he said, gesturing to his tall wide-shouldered frame that is now folded uncomfortably to sit on the stool. Sweat is now beading his forehead and he took out his handkerchief to wipe it.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes. Right. Her boyfriend is Mr Ultimate Vainpot. She started placing skewers of food that she liked, squids, fish balls, cockles and mushrooms into the boiling hot water.  She took an empty plastic plate and place it in front of him and took another one for herself.

    "Would you like some sauces? Spicy sauce or not so spicy?" she asked as she scooped a few types of sauces for herself and poured it into her plate.

    "It doesn''t matter, I think I will skip this, you can eat," Thorin said, looking at the skewers of food disdainfully. He looked out of place and very uncomfortable.

    Zi Mei frowned at him. If he wants to date her, he will need to get used to her ''low class'' ways. She was not born rich and she has never felt comfortable in fancy restaurants. She likes eating at these roadside food stalls. They are cheap and comforting and delicious.

    "This is how I eat growing up so get used to it," she told him.

    She started taking out the skewers that she had placed in the boiling water. Most of it are fully cooked. She used a fork to remove the food from the sticks and place it in her plate where she mixed it all in her sauces. She took a bite of the squids. The burst of its juices mixed with the sauces filled her mouth and she groaned in pleasure.

    "This is really so good," she told him. She speared a squid and offered it to him. "Here, try it," she said.

    Thorin looked at the tiny morsel of squid on her fork covered in sauces. He swallowed nervously. He doesn''t really get food poisoning but the place didn''t look sanitary and the sauce-covered squid looked gross to him. He remembered the time he took Zi Mei to a fancy restaurant and she ended up sick due to the food. She later told him that the food was horrible too.

    Surely, the food here would be worse, he thought. They are sitting outside on a pavement by the roadside after all.

    "Come on, are you scared? You won''t die from this Drags," Zi Mei said, pushing the fork under his nose.

    Thorin''s eyes widened in surprise. She just called him Drags. Is she regaining her memories? He studied her but she is shaking the fork at him.

    "Just one bite, if you hate it, you don''t have to eat anything else, you can watch me eat," she said.

    "Wait, what did you call me earlier?" he asked her.

    She tilted her head, puzzled. Then she smiled up at him knowingly.

    "Are you trying to avoid eating this?" she pushed the fork near to his lips. "Just one bite, try it!" she insisted.

    Thorin Loong sighed and took a bite.

 Chapter 97 - Sweet And Vain

    Thorin Loong took a bite of the squid from the fork that Zi Mei was offering to him out of courtesy. She had insisted that he would like it. The moment the squishy sauce-covered morsel entered his mouth, he wanted to spit it out. The texture itself was grossing him out but the flavours was not as bad as he had thought. He forced himself to chew it and then swallowed it.

    "There, it''s not so bad right?" Zi Mei was looking at him expectantly. She had noticed his slight grimace when he was chewing the squid but Thorin still ate it instead of spitting it out. She had half expected him to spit it out in disgust.

    "It''s okay," Thorin said noncommittally. He pushed his plate aside. "I¡­uh¡­am not hungry at all, like I said, I don''t need to eat¡­so you go ahead," he added. He tried to keep a neutral expression.

    Zi Mei grinned at him. "Are you sure? This is nice too," she speared a cockle and brandished it in front of him. "Sure you don''t want to try this too?"

    Thorin tried to stop himself from grimacing in disgust at the shrivelled piece of seafood and shook his head. "No thanks, you go ahead and enjoy yourself," he said. He sat back and crossed his leg regally, placing his hands on his knee, his long elegant fingers linked.

    Zi Mei regarded him for a moment. He looked like a model striking a pose on a metal stool by the roadside with the smoke from the boiling water billowing around him. In fact, it looked like a perfect pose for a poster to advertise the food stall. It would make a nice painting too, she thought. Thorin Loong raised an eyebrow when he noticed at her looking at him with a slight frown on her brow.

    "Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked. "Did I get something on my face? One of the sauces dripped on my shirt?" he looked down at his still-pristine white shirt and then he touched his smooth face.

    Zi Mei grinned at his self conscious reaction. He is definitely Mr King of Vain.

    "I am wondering something," she asked him as she chewed on her fifth serving of skewered seafood.

    "What is it?" he asked politely.

    "What''s your specialty as a dragon?" she asked. "Are you like the Chief Vainest of all the Vainpots? Maybe the Vain Dragon King?" she teased and then giggled, snorting and almost choked on her food.

    Thorin Loong frowned at her. "Right, you think you are so funny, haha," he responded dryly.

    "I mean, you are so vain about your looks¡­your attire¡­I have literally never met a man as vain as you," Zi Mei pointed out.

    Thorin Loong sat up taller and smoothed his lapel. "What is so wrong about making sure I am well dressed and always looking my best?" he asked. "I don''t ever want to look dirty, messy and unpresentable," he shuddered delicately.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes. She can''t believe she won the lottery in getting the most vain boyfriend on earth. Possibly even in dragon world too.

    "Right, you just sit there and pose for The Most Vain and Well-dressed Man magazine while I enjoy my messy meal¡­uh¡­messily," she told him.

    She is sweating from the heat of the steam coming up from the boiling pot and specks of the sauces are dotting her top. Zi Mei doesn''t care. She swept her hair back in a messy ponytail and tie it with a scrunchie. Thorin Loong sat patiently and waited for her to eat. After she was done, he paid for her meal with a hundred-dollar bill and told the hawker to keep the change.

    "Shall we go?" he asked her, getting up quickly as if he couldn''t wait to get away. Zi Mei nodded and got up. It was a satisfying meal, one she thoroughly enjoyed although Thorin was behaving like a crusty rich man who has never eaten at a roadside stall before. She will surely help him get used to this because this will not be the last time she drags him to such a place for a quick convenient and delicious meal.

    They walked down the street and Thorin Loong took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Where do you want to go next?" he asked her.

    Zi Mei couldn''t help smiling at the nice warm feel of his large hand enclosing hers. This is something she definitely can get used to. She checked her watch. It is getting late, almost 11pm. They''ve been together for almost the whole day since she got back from college but time seem to flew by.

    "It is quite late actually, maybe time for me to get back home and¡­.oh my gawwwwwdddddddddd!!!" Zi Mei dropped Thorin''s hand and exclaimed. She slapped her forehead.

    "What happened?? What is it? Are you getting a stomachache? I knew it, the food was unsanitary!" Thorin Loong exclaimed, looking at her in concern.

    "No, no, no, I forgot I have a project due tomorrow and it is 11pm!! I am so DEAD!" Zi Mei said. She turned to him. "Can we go back right now? I can say good bye to sleep tonight, I need to hand it in tomorrow, oh fuck me," she said.

    She has an art project due tomorrow. She was supposed to have started work on it a few days ago but due to the string of incidents, it totally slipped her mind. Thorin was relieved that she was not exactly sick or in pain. He chuckled in amusement. He took out his phone and called for his driver.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll get us back real fast," he said.

    Sure enough, the car arrived within minutes and they arrived back at her house in record time. Zi Mei alighted from the car, turned to wave at Thorin with a rushed "Thank you Drags" and then rushed to her door.

    Thorin Loong came out and stood behind her as she unlocked her door and then followed her inside to her surprise. She turned to look at him.

    "I have to rush my project now, I think you should go home now, don''t you, like, have work or something tomorrow?" she asked him.

    Thorin Loong shrugged casually. He turned to lock her door for her.

    "Don''t mind me, you go ahead," he said.

    She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "You are not going to stay the night here right?" she asked him.

    "I will try to help you in any way I can," he said.

    "Uhmmmm¡­I doubt that you can help¡­it''s an art project and the class earlier this evening has established that you suck at art," she pointed out.

    Thorin smiled at her. "I don''t mean help you with your project¡­that will be cheating, I meant with other things, like maybe get you water, massage your shoulders, massage your feet, keep you company, you know, the stuffs that boyfriends do,"

    Zi Mei''s heart fluttered at his words. His offer is so sweet and she didn''t have the heart to turn him away. She went to him and hugged him.

    "Thank you, you are so sweet," she told him. She reached up to kiss his cheek but he turned and caught her lips with his. The kiss turned into a deep passionate kiss as Thorin drew her close to him. After a long moment, Zi Mei had to forcibly tear herself away from him.

    "You are distracting me," she murmured, panting from the hot, passionate kiss. Thorin released her and held up his hands, palms up.

    "I apologise, I will not do that again," he said. He turned and head towards her living room, turning on the air conditioner and the lights for her.

    Zi Mei went over to her study table and turned on her laptop. She will need to access her project instructions to make sure she get the details right. Thorin had taken a seat on her sofa and was thumbing through a magazine she had left on the coffee table. It was an art and design magazine.

    Zi Mei read her project requirements. It looked like she had to create and draw a character design in various poses including in 2D and 3D in full colour. Zi Mei groaned. Creating a character design will take hours not to mention drawing it, fleshing it out and colouring it in 2D and 3D. She really can forget about sleeping tonight.

    She took out her drawing paper and art supplies and set to work. A few hours later, fully engrossed in her drawing, she had totally forgotten about Thorin''s presence. She gave a start when Thorin came over and gave her a glass of warm water. She looked up at him gratefully and take a sip of the water.

    "Here, take a short breather," he told her. He rubbed her shoulders and gently massaged it. "You are all tensed up, you didn''t even stop for a break in the past 4 hours," he added. Zi Mei massaged her tired eyes and stretched her hands. Thorin''s gentle hands on her tensed and knotted shoulders actually felt good. She leaned against his warmth as he worked on the knots in her shoulders. She closed her eyes and relaxed into his massage.

    "Thank you Drags," she murmured, subconsciously using the old nickname she had given him.. Thorin Loong paused for a second at the word but continued massaging her without saying anything.

 Chapter 98 - Overnight Project

    Zi Mei managed to complete her project as dawn breaks and morning sunlight started streaming in from the windows and the skylight. Her character designs were not her best work but since it was a last minute thing, it will have to do. She stared at it the several sheafs of paper, the proportions were correct but somehow, there was just something slightly off about it.

    She stood up and stretched. She is exhausted. Thorin came over to her, looking as fresh as laundry just out from the dryer, and looked at the drawing papers spread out on her table. His hair was not even out of place and his shirt was miraculously spotless and uncreased.

    "Are you finally done?" he asked.

    "How do you do that?" she asked as she stifled a yawn. She looked at the clock. It is just past six which means she has a couple hours to catch a nap before heading to the first class at nine.

    "Do what?" he asked puzzled, noticing her exhaustion and sleepiness. "Why don''t you go on up and sleep? It looks like you''ve completed your project," he said.

    Zi Mei could stop herself from yawning again, covering her mouth. Her eyes could barely stay open.

    "You know, looking so fresh as if you did not just stay up the whole night accompanying me, getting me coffee and giving me impromptu massages," she mumbled and yawned again.

    Thorin grinned at her. There was not even a tiny hint of a dark circle under his eyes while Zi Mei is certain she can compete with a panda right now.

    "I don''t really need that much sleep either because of my powers," he told her.

    She rubbed her bleary eyes. It sure is nice to have some of that powers. "I wouldn''t mind if you could lend me some of that," she mumbled. She yawned again. "I really need a nap right now," she said. She turned to head upstairs but Thorin held her arm and pulled her back to him.

    His long arms enveloped her from behind, pulling her whole body against his. He held her this way for a moment and her heart fluttered. She leaned back against him.

    "You did well Lil Zi, I would give you some powers if I could," he murmured.

    Then in one smooth motion, he swept her off her feet into his arms, his arms bracing her under her knees and behind her back. She gasped and held on to his neck for dear life. He gazed down at her and kissed her forehead gently.

    "Let me help you upstairs to bed," he said. She was too exhausted to protest and it felt so nice to be pampered this way. She leaned against his strong firm chest and let her eyes fall close.

    He started walking easily towards the staircase, as if she doesn''t weigh anything. He carried her all the way up and went into her bedroom. He gently placed her on her bed and with a wave, had the air conditioner turned on and the curtains closed to shut out the bright sunlight. Zi Mei snuggled into her soft bed and sighed. It felt so good to lie down, she thought.

    "Thank¡­nigh¡­" she mumbled and fell asleep mid-sentence.

    Thorin sat on the edge of the bed and gazed at her sleeping peacefully. He wondered if Zi Mei is regaining her memories or her subconscious is trying to remember the things he had wiped out from her memories. It was not a coincidence that she called him Drags subconsciously a few times last night. Once again, he wondered if he should consider returning her memories.

    How will she feel when she remembers everything? He will observe her for a few more weeks first before making a decision. As he watched her sleep, he sensed someone coming up to the front door. He got up and went downstairs, taking two steps at the same time.

    Thorin Loong reached the front door just as a group of men reached it and one of them, who appeared to be the leader, stepped out to knock on it. Thorin unlocked the door and threw it open before he could knock on it, hitting him on his forehead before he could jump out of the way.

    "Hey! Watch it asshole!" the man, a tall and stout man with ruddy complexion, said.

    "Ah¡­it''s you, pretending to be someone I sent here the other time you came here to threaten my girlfriend," Thorin said. He had observed what the men were doing outside Zi Mei''s house the other time but did not want to interfere unless they do something drastic that could endanger Zi Mei.

    The man, who had introduced himself as Yeow to Zi Mei the other time, grinned sinisterly.

    "Right, Mr Loong, it''s good you are here, then we can talk business, can''t we?" he said. His men, five of them, started to surround Thorin.

    Thorin stepped out and closed the door behind him, making sure it clicked lock. It has an auto lock but he used his powers to quietly slide the internal deadbolt in place. He is glad that Zi Mei has installed a deadbolt inside. He didn''t want any of the men to sneak in while the leader distracts him. He knows all too well about this kind of diversion tactics.

    "I don''t have any business with you at all," Thorin told the leader calmly.

    He regarded all of the six men standing around him menacingly. All of them were humans without a single trace of demon energy. So this is definitely a human problem. Probably brought on by Zi Mei''s father, Thorin assumed.

    "You said that college girl is ya gal? Then it is your business," the leader sneered at him. He gave Thorin a once over.

    "You are quite old for that young girl innit?" he asked. "Must be nice fucking a sweet young thing like that eh? We wouldn''t mind getting a taste ourselves," he leered.

    Thorin gave the man an icy glare. "You touch even a single strand of hair on her head and you will regret that you were ever born," he warned coldly and quietly.

    The man was surprised by Thorin''s warning. His eyes widened before he exchanged looks with his gang members and all of them burst out laughing.

    "Hahahah¡­ya think ya sumthing great?" the leader asked. He spit on the floor and went up to Thorin.

    He is about Thorin''s height so he could look at Thorin eye to eye. "Ya sum rich man with smooth skin and gym muscles, ya think we scared of ya?"

    Thorin did not even flinch. He has come across all these so-called ''tough'' men who are actually cowards if someone else bigger and stronger than them were to beat them up. Mortal bullies are always cowards in the end. He raised his hands and spread it wide open.

    "Come at me if you dare but like I said, you will regret that you were ever born but if you do this the right way, you might even walk away from this a rich man, your choice," he said silkily.

    The man leaned against him and glared at him, his foul breath against Thorin and Thorin''s noses wrinkled at his unwashed body''s stench wafting from the other man. He will need to burn his clothes after this encounter. He will never be able to get rid of that disgusting unsanitary stench, he thought.

    "Ya think we scared of ya pretty boy?" the man growled but his men hesitated. They seemed to sense something dangerous in Thorin and they did not miss his offer of making them ''rich''.

    "Hey, Yeow, he offering money, let''s see how much he givin''," one of them said.

    "Yeah man¡­he''s rich ain''t it," another one said.

    "I can give all of you $2 million each to walk away and never come back again," Thorin said calmly. All of them gaped in surprise at him.

    "Cash in unmarked bills," he added.

    Yeow, the leader, stepped back from him and rubbed the stubble on his chin. He regarded Thorin suspiciously.

    "How we know ya not lying?" he said.

    Thorin reached into his pocket and all of them jumped back, a few of them brandished switchblades at him.

    "Whazzat!!" Yeow said, jumping back.

    "I''m taking my phone out to make the call," Thorin told them. He slowly took out his phone and showed it to them. They eyed him warily.

    "If ya call the cops, we will take ya girl and have our fun with her when ya not around, we promise ya that," Yeow warned.

    Thorin called Jessica. She picked up after a few rings. "Jessica, get $12 million cash ready in unmarked bills and bring it over to Zi Mei''s house pronto," he ordered.

    "What? Don''t tell me your mortal is demanding for more money?" she asked incredulously.

    "Not her," Thorin said. "Just do as I say," he ordered.

    "Right, as per your order boss," Jessica said sarcastically before hanging up.

    Thorin Loong turned back to the group of men.

    "I only have one question. Why are you harassing my girlfriend?" he asked.

    "Blame it on her father. He cheated us of our money and we told him that we will track him down and his family will pay for what he did," Yeow replied.

    "How much did he cheat?" Thorin asked.. He had expected as much that Zi Mei''s father would be behind this.

 Chapter 99 - Almost Panic Attack

    Thorin Loong is confronting a group of gangsters in front of Zi Mei''s house while Zi Mei is still asleep. They told him that Zi Mei''s father had cheated them of money so they were here to seek revenge and to get the money back from Zi Mei. Thorin Loong had already promised to pay them $2 million each to leave Zi Mei alone.

    "How much did he cheated? And how is that even possible? Do you men make it a habit to hand out money to desperate habitual gamblers for no reason?" Thorin Loong asked them.

    Yeow glared at him.

    "Don''t try to be funny pretty boy, don''t think we can''t rough ya up and put a nice long scar on that pretty face of yours," he snarled.

    Thorin Loong crossed his arms on his chest casually. He is not in the least intimidated by these mortals. Their switchblades will not do a thing to him. Even if they were to brandish swords, it will not harm him at all. Mortal weapons have no effect on a dragon shapeshifter of his level.

    "So? How much did he managed to con out of your people?" he asked them conversationally.

    "About half a million," Yeow said.

    Thorin Loong sniggered.

    "I can''t believe you men actually hand over half a million to a desperate habitual gambler¡­what are you, dumb?" he said.

    Yeow growled and wanted to punch him but his men pulled him back.

    "Boss, let''s wait for his money to come first!" they said.

    "He put this house and his daughter as collateral, that was why we took his deal, he told us he could bring us back three fold the sum in a cryptocurrency investment deal," Yeow said.

    Thorin was not amused. Why did Zi Mei''s father do this again? Why did he use his own daughter as collateral again?

    "We checked and made sure that this house belonged to him and it was registered to a Tan Zi Mei, his daughter, fully paid too, so we know his collateral stands," Yeow said. He dug into his pockets and took out a document and unfolded it for Thorin.

    Tan Zan Chun signed it offering Tan Zi Mei and her assets as collateral. Anger flashed in his eyes when he read that. He has seen how depraved mortals can be in all the centuries he spent in the human realm but he could never get over how some mortal parents could do things like this to their own children.

    Not for the first time, he wondered if Zi Mei is actually Tan Zan Chun''s real biological daughter? The way he had again and again try to sell off his daughter to settle his gambling debts were just to despicable to fathom.

    "You will hand me that agreement the moment I give you the cash and I never want to see any of you here ever again," Thorin told them.

    He fixed them with his steely cold glare that could cause even the strongest and most arrogant of men to cower in fear. Yeow and his men actually stumbled back and trembled in fear.

    "Of course, we only want money, nothing else," Yeow said, his voice trembling.

    "If I see any of you at anywhere 50 feet near Tan Zi Mei or this house or wherever she goes, be very sure that you will regret doing so for the rest of your life," Thorin Loong warned.

    At that moment, his car arrived and three of his staff came down carrying six large bags. They came up to them and started handing out the bag, one each to the men and then they went back to the car and it sped off.

    The men hurriedly unzipped the bags and when they saw the stacks of cash inside, they were flabbergasted. They stared at it transfixed and then stared at Thorin Loong in awe and wonderment. Yeow started counting the stacks of money inside, checking to make sure each stack are all real $1000 bills and not fake or paper. It took him all of 10 minutes before he is fully satisfied.

    "Alright, it looks like you kept to your side of the deal and we will keep to our side of the deal as agreed," he said finally. He handed Tan Zan Chun''s agreement to Thorin Loong. "Here, do what you will with it, we have no more dealings with the Tans," he said.

    Yeow and the men, clutching the bags close to their chest, immediately left, running off and disappearing down the street. Thorin is sure that this will not be the last time he see them. They will be back for more. The greed of humans are such that they will never be satisfied and they will keep coming back if they knew there is more for them.

    That will be a problem somewhere in the future for him to settle. For now, they will stop bothering Zi Mei. He will station a few dragon guards around her house just to make sure but he will not tell her that. She might not like it at all. He will tell the dragon guards to stay invisible so that she doesn''t know.

    Thorin Loong tore up Tan Zan Chun''s agreement with the thugs and make it disappear. He is certain they have a few copies. They will probably use another copy sometime in the future. He unlocked Zi Mei''s door and went back inside. It looks like it is nearing eight o''clock, so it is time to wake her up so that she is not late for class.

    He went upstairs and paused at her bedroom door. Zi Mei is still fast asleep and looking so peaceful and pretty, he almost didn''t have the hear to wake her up. But he knew that if he didn''t do so, she might get angry and maybe even sad that she wasted the whole night working on her project only to be late and unable to hand it in. He went over to her bed and touched her shoulder gently.

    "Lil Zi, time to wake up, or else you might be late," he said as he shook her gently.

    Zi Mei mumbled and swatted his hand away. Then she turned to her side. Thorin again held her shoulder and shook her gently.

    "Time to wake up, you need to go to class soon," he said.

    "No, go away," Zi Mei mumbled and pushed his hand away.

    "Zi Mei! You are late to class, it is 10 o''clock!" he shouted and shook her again.

    At the mention of 10 o''clock, she sat up in panic and screamed.

    "What???!!!" she jumped up and started scrambling around looking for clothes to change. She ran to her bathroom and slammed the door. She ran out a few minutes later, her hair mussed, her shirt untucked and she ran downstairs.

    "Fuck¡­why didn''t you wake me! Oh fuck fuck fuck!" she mumbled as she gathered her project papers into a file and stuffed her books into her backpack.

    "Hey hey, I was lying¡­it''s only eight," Thorin stopped her from rushing off. She stopped and stared at him for a full minute. Then she turned slowly and looked at the clock. It was only eight o''clock.

    "You!" she threw her backpack at him and Thorin easily caught it. "You made me panic!!!" she exclaimed. She sat down on the chair and exhaled.

    "Here, have breakfast before I take you to college so you won''t be late," Thorin told her. He pushed a plate of toast, ham and eggs to her. She was in such a rush earlier, she didn''t even notice the plate of food on the table. She wondered if he went out to get her breakfast or he ordered his staff to get her breakfast or he magicked the breakfast.

    "Did you magicked this out of thin air?" she asked him out loud. Thorin nodded slightly.

    "Not exactly out of thin air¡­and this is not exactly magic either¡­I used my power to¡­." He tried to explain but Zi Mei held up her hand.

    "It''s okay, whatever, I am still so exhausted and the almost panic attack you gave me did not help at all," she told him. She got up and went to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. Then she came back out, pick up the plate of food and sat down on her sofa to eat it. She finished it within minutes and this time, checked her backpack that Thorin Loong had placed on her study desk.

    After making sure she has everything that she needed for college, she turned to Thorin.

    "Thank you for breakfast, I really need to go to class now," she told him.

    "The car is waiting outside, lets go," Thorin said. He took her hand, linked his fingers with hers, and walked with her outside. True enough, his car is waiting outside.

    Zi Mei arrived at her college at 8..45am, plenty of time for her to walk to her class and choose the seat far in the back, away from her customary seat to avoid the new guy, Damon.

 Chapter 100 - [Bonus ] Date Me Instead

    The first class Zi Mei had to attend that day is comic designs that she loves. It was also the class which she had almost forgotten her assignment and which she had spent the whole night rushing through it. She was early again so she took a seat at the back of the class, in hopes of avoiding the annoying Damon King.

    She took out her portfolio of character designs that she drew in one night. It was not her best work but it will have to do. She can only hope to get a B- for the work or at the very least, a C+. She is definitely not proud of her design. The fact that she rushed through it really showed. It was not as polished as she wanted it to be. While she was busy brooding over her portfolio, someone took a seat next to her and jolted her table intentionally.

    Zi Mei looked up and it was Damon King. Why must he sit next to her again?

    "Why must you choose a seat here? There are plenty of places up front!" she asked him in annoyance.

    He smirked at her, combed through his unruly hair and instead of answering her, stared at her portfolio.

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­looks like someone rushed through that, it''s so rough along the edges, are you sure you want to hand that in?" he asked.

    Zi Mei quickly closed the cover over her work and glared at him.

    "None of your business!" she snapped at him. Inwardly, she had to agree with him but she has no other choice. At least getting a C from a rushed work is still better than not handing in anything at all.

    Damon took out his portfolio and deliberately flipped in open. Zi Mei couldn''t help but stared at his work and her jaw fell open. His character, that looked like a devil, was so real it was as if it could walk right out of the paper.

    That was an amazing 3D colouring skills there, she thought enviously.

    "You know, you need only ask and I am more than willing to tutor you on how to improve your drawing skills," Damon said condescendingly. He was smiling smugly at her. Zi Mei closed her gaping mouth and turned away. She cleared her throat.

    "Er. No thank you, I can manage on my own and with the help of the professors here," she told him icily.

    It was good timing the Professor Carson came in at that time. The professor immediately started talking about the project he had tasked the class with.

    "I expect each of you to come up front and present to the whole class your design and the rationale behind it, the colour schemes and why you design it that way," he said.

    Zi Mei''s heart plunged. What is she going to do now? She had drawn her character on the fly without any thoughts on why she designed it or why she chose the colours she had used for it.

    She looked at her character. It was a hybrid of a humanoid looking dragon that looks very much like Thorin. She didn''t have any idea at all last night so she decided to draw Thorin and combined it with some dragon features such as claws and scales to make it look like a fantasy creature. She added leathery wings that were often depicted in Western dragons to make it look more unique. She can''t tell the professor that she drew this based on her dragon shapeshifter boyfriend. They might send her straight to the mental institution.

    "Right, I will call out the names of the students and they will come out front to present their work. Make it short, simple and easy to understand, I don''t want a two-hour lecture on how great your design is," Professor Carson said.

    Zi Mei frantically think up some theme for her character and hoped she won''t be called up front in the first few groups. Damon King happened to be the first group and when he sauntered up front with a few others, the girls he walked past giggled and simpered, casting him adoring glances.

    In Damon''s group of five, his work stood out the most. The others'' work paled in comparison and when he spoke, everyone gaped at his work in awe and listened to his every word. Zi Mei was frantically thinking up her theme, name and rationale for her colours to notice until he has finished talking and everyone clapped and cheered. Startled, she looked to the front. Even Professor Carson is smiling and clapping.

    "Well done, Mr King, that is quite impressive work for a college student," he said grinning. He patted Damon King''s shoulder. "Are you sure you are not a professional artist?" he asked in jest.

    Damon grinned at the professor. "Aww¡­you gotta be kidding me prof!" he batted the professor''s arm playfully. "I still have much to learn from you," he said.

    Professor Carson actually preened at Damon''s words. He grinned back at Damon. "It''s good to have such a good student," he murmured. Zi Mei rolled her eyes. It is now obvious that Damon King is a suck up and teacher''s pet.

    Professor Carson told the students to go back to their seats and read out another five names. Damon King came back to his seat and closed his portfolio. He turned to grin at Zi Mei as she continued to scribble on her notebook about her theme and rationale.

    "Let me help you. Just say it''s a dragon shapeshifter in the process of shifting into a human shape, a Dragonszen," Damon King suggested. Zi Mei stopped scribbling and frowned at him.

    What does he know about dragon shapeshifters?

    "Tan Zi Mei? Are you here?" Professor Carson called her name. She raised her hand and went down with her portfolio but not before shooting a look at Damon King. The annoying blue haired man has now become more interesting.

    After fumbling and stammering through her presentation, feeling awkward and shy especially with her rushed art work, Zi Mei exhaled in relief when Professor Carson didn''t openly criticise her work. He had thanked her group and all of them trudged back to their seats.

    Once she is back in her seat, she turned to Damon King.

    "What do you know about dragon shapeshifters?" she asked him.

    He raised an eyebrow at her in surprise. "What do you mean? I have read my fair share about them in fiction and manga, although your character luckily doesn''t resemble any of the manga I''ve read otherwise, the professor might fail you for plagiarism," he said.

    Fiction and manga? Zi Mei supposed he could be telling the truth. There are plenty of manga and novels on shapeshifters so it shouldn''t surprise her that there are dragons too. She should really stop jumping into conclusions over everything.

    "So, that rich guy yesterday¡­is he your boyfriend or some weird stalker?" Damon King asked her.

    "He''s my boyfriend so you should really stop stalking me everywhere," Zi Mei told him. Maybe he will stop sitting next to her and following her after classes end for the day.

    "Ugh¡­why are you dating an old man?" his face crinkled in disgust. "Can''t you date someone your own age?"

    "He''s NOT old!" Zi Mei snapped at him. Technically Thorin is old but that''s different, she thought. He doesn''t look a year over 30. Damon King pushed his chair near to her and grabbed her hand.

    "Leave him and date me instead," he said, staring deep into her eyes.

    ******

    Dear readers,

    First, I would like to apologise for the delay in updates over the past two weeks. I was supposed to update three bonus chapters too! I had to go for surgery on my hand so I was unable to type for the last two weeks.

    I am so sorry to make you wait. * bows deeply in remorse*

    Now that my hand is much better, I will continue to update regularly, probably once every two days. Thank you for staying with Thorin and Zi Mei throughout the past 100 chapters! It has been one heck of a journey and yes, there is more to come!

 Chapter 101 - Power Of Invisibility

    Zi Mei snatched her hand away from Damon King as if burned and glared at him. Of all the nerves!

    "I told you from the beginning that I am not interested in you!" she snarled at him.

    Damon King was unperturbed. Instead, he gave her a wide grin and then pushed his chair back to his place. He shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Hey, your loss," he said. Then he turned back to the students presenting their work up front, categorically ignoring her.

    Good. He should ignore her at all times, Zi Mei thought. Maybe after this, he will stop following her and annoying her at every turn. It was getting exhausting not to mention the attention they get from the other girls in college. She is certain that the whole drama with Thorin Loong and Damon King outside the college is being spread as gossip among the students.

    She looked around the class and sure enough, she was getting strange looks and students whispering amongst themselves as they gave her furtive looks. She sighed inwardly. Zi Mei has not made any real friends in college and now, she is certain that she will not make any friend at all. She wondered if Darren will talk to her now.

    By the time break time comes around, Zi Mei rushed off to the cafeteria to look for Darren. He was no where in sight. Disappointed that she didn''t get to talk to him, she went to get some sandwiches and chose an unoccupied table to sit down forlornly. She texted Jazzmine and Sheena instead. Both of them didn''t reply so she assumed they must still be in class. She tried texting Darren.

    "Hey, Darren. Wru?" she typed, using the short form for ''where are you''. She waited a moment before Darren replied.

    "Hi Mei. I have switched colleges, I have decided art is really not my thing either," he replied.

    She stared at his text in shock. Darren switched college so suddenly she was certain it was to avoid her. Will their friendship be irreparable forever? It looks like it.

    "Are you avoiding me? What did I do?" she texted back.

    "No, not everything revolves around you Mei. Other people have their own lives and own reasons for what they do," Darren replied. It sounded abrupt and cold. He obviously is still mad at her.

    "What''s wrong Darren? You can call me and we can talk or I can call you," she replied.

    "No, I''m busy, can''t talk," he replied.

    "Can we meet up later then? My classes finish at 3pm today," she texted back hopefully.

    There was no reply after that. He left her at ''read'' and didn''t reply. Not even the single word ''k'' that he loved to use sometimes.

    She slide the phone back in her pocket and munched on her sandwich sadly. It seems that she has just lost a best friend. Was it due to the demon? Darren had asked for ''time off'' to cool down but she doesn''t even know what he wanted to cool down from, apart from the fact that he likes her. Maybe she rejected him and forgot about it.

    Ugh. Things are so complicated when such complex feelings are involved. She should just stick to female best friends, less issues.

    "Hey, Tan, why are you pouting alone here?" it was annoying Damon King. He sat across from her and gave her a cheeky grin and a wink. A few other girls walked past and they whispered amongst themselves whilst looking at Zi Mei and then at Damon.

    "Get out of my sight, King," she told him. She is now fully conscious of how the girls and even some boys in the cafeteria are staring at them and whispering amongst themselves.

    However, to her horror, Damon King stood up, jump up on the table and stood up tall on it proudly. He clapped his hands and a silence fell all over the cafeteria. Everyone turned to stare at him in surprise.

    "Hey everyone! I would appreciate it if you could stop gossiping about me and my classmate here, Tan Zi Mei!" he shouted in his deep voice.

    Zi Mei cringed and slide down on her chair, covering her face in mortification. She has never wished so hard for the ground to open up and swallow her. She prayed that she suddenly gets the power of invisibility and disappear from view. She will never be able to live this down. The rest of her college years will be doomed.

    What is that annoying Damon King doing?? Why is he even doing this?

    "If you want some juicy gossip, maybe you should talk about Sam Khoo and her recent breakup with a famous artist, go ahead, ask her who was her boyfriend," Damon King added.

    There were gasps from a few of the female groups. There were a few claps and then the students started chatting amongst each other again. A few of them took out their phones to scroll through it.

    "Damon King, get down from there before you fall over and get hurt!" Professor Meng strode into the cafeteria.

    "Yes, sure, prof! Anything you say," Damon King bowed and then he jumped down in one swift lithe move.

    He straddled the chair in front of Zi Mei and stared at her. She is still hiding her face under her hands and she had slide down so low in her chair, she is almost falling off it.

    "Tan, why are you hiding? No one is staring at you, I promise," Damon King said.

    Zi Mei peeked out of her hands tentatively. True enough, everyone seemed to be going about their business, chatting and laughing. No one was paying them any attention. Did they actually obey what Damon King told them to do?

    She looked up at Damon King and for the first time, suspicion rose within her. Maybe he is not human. Is it possible that he is also a shapeshifter? He can''t be a demon, otherwise, Thorin will know and would have gotten rid of him immediately.

    She sat up and leaned over the table to him.

    "Are you a shapeshifter?" she half-whispered to him. His eyes widened and then he laughed. A loud belly-aching laugh.

    "Tan, I know you like those fantasy stuffs but honestly!" he guffawed.

    She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him. She leaned back in her chair.

    "What is in your sandwich Tan? Weed?" he continued to laugh.

    Right. Fine. So he is not a shapeshifter.

    "I was just kidding, hahah," Zi Mei said as she tried to giggle but it soundly hollow and fake.

    Damon King stopped laughing and he leaned over the table towards her.

    "I am a King, not a shapeshifter, you really underestimated me," he murmured and before she could react, he stood up and sauntered off.

    Zi Mei rolled her eyes. He probably meant that he is a King because of his family name. Nothing more. But why did he deny being a shapeshifter when he had laughed it off as ''fantasy stuff''? What does he mean by her underestimating him? Did he mean he is a King of shapeshifters? Does shapeshifters have kings?

    Maybe she should ask Thorin about this.. She made a mental note to ask Thorin this when he comes over to pick her up from college later.

 Chapter 102 - When Damon Meets Jessica

    By the time 3pm came and went, Zi Mei couldn''t wait to pack her bag and rush out to the gates. She told herself it was because she wanted to ask Thorin about shapeshifters but her pulse was racing as if she was going on a first date with the handsome CEO. As she hurried out, Damon King suddenly appeared and walked alongside her.

    "Hey, let me walk you home today," he offered cheerfully.

    "I told you I am not interested and I have a boyfriend, remember?" she reminded him through gritted teeth. What is wrong with him? Doesn''t he understand rejection? Is he so full of himself that he thought that no one will ever reject him?

    "Who said anything about interest and dating? I am merely offering to walk you home," Damon King retorted.

    "King, let me say it loud and clear, no, N - O , NO," Zi Mei said, as she continued walking, trying to speed up but the annoying Damon King could easily keep up to her without even blinking.

    "Why are you so adamant in avoiding me? Can''t we be friends?" Damon King asked, sounding sad. This actually made her stop in her tracks. What trick is he playing now?

    "Are you seriously telling me that after all the shenanigans you did, you only wanted to be friends?" she asked him incredulously.

    Damon King smiled slyly at her.

    "I only wanted to be your friend, honest, cross my heart and hope to die if I am lying," he said, crossing his heart for good measure.

    Zi Mei narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. He is behaving so suspicious now, she wondered what he is planning.

    "What about that nonsense you pulled in class¡­you grabbed my hand and asked me to leave Thorin and date you!" she asked him accusingly.

    Damon raised an eyebrow and grinned cheekily.

    "Why? Regretting turning me down? Wished you had agreed to date me instead? Don''t worry, I am always open to date you, you are just too cute and pretty not to like," he said, opening his arms wide as if to hug her.

    Zi Mei took a few steps back from him.

    "You just said you want to be friends and now¡­what is this¡­what do you actually want??" she spluttered in confusion.

    Damon King chuckled in amusement. He stuck his hands in his pockets.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to grab you or anything, I am merely giving you options, a romantic relationship or a friendship, whichever you are comfortable with, I am fine," he said.

    "Why? Why me? There are tons of other girls in college!" she asked.

    She gestured to the groups of girls walking pass them, some of them whispering and casting longing looks at Damon King. A few of them were actually standing nearby observing Zi Mei and Damon, obviously trying to eavesdrop into their conversation. Zi Mei look at her watch. It is almost 3.30pm.

    Thorin might be waiting outside. She didn''t want to let him wait for too long. She decided to ignore Damon King. She turned around and started walking again. Damon King continued walking alongside her.

    "Want to know why I chose you? Maybe after we''ve become friends, I will tell you why," Damon King murmured next to her.

    Zi Mei is intrigued but she refused to give him the satisfaction of responding to his bait. It was obvious that he was using her curiosity to bait her.

    "Whatever, King, I have to go, my boyfriend is waiting," she replied casually instead.

    She hurried out the gates to find Thorin''s car waiting there. However, Thorin was not lounging against it as what he had done previously. Maybe he is waiting inside the car. She went over to the car and before she could open the door, Damon King slide in front of her and block the door.

    "Your boyfriend is not here today, so, why don''t we be friends and go out for tea time like what friends do?" he said.

    Zi Mei glared at him. What is wrong with him?

    "My boyfriend is inside, what do you mean he''s not here?" she hissed at him. She tried to push him aside but he refused to budge.

    "No he''s not," he said.

    "Yes he is!"

    "Uh, no, I am sure of it!" he said adamantly.

    Zi Mei kicked his shin and he winced but still did not move aside.

    "Move aside and I will show you that you are wrong!" she told him.

    Presently, the door on the other side opened and out came a tall, slim woman with almond-shaped brown eyes and creamy smooth skin.

    "What''s the hold up here Tan Zi Mei?" Jessica said in her cold voice. Her eyes widened perceptibly when she saw Damon King facing Zi Mei. She walked over to them and regarded him coolly.

    "Oh what do we have here! An extremely gorgeous woman I must say," Damon King said. He grinned Jessica and this time, he stepped aside and went over to Jessica, as if he has suddenly lost interest in Zi Mei. Zi Mei looked at them and saw a flash of recognition in Jessica''s eyes before a shutter came down and her eyes are again cold and unfeeling, he expression like a mask.

    "Damon. I didn''t expect to see you here," Jessica said.

    "I''ve been hoping to bump into you one of these days," Damon King winked at her. He went over to her as if to hug her but she shifted expertly to avoid him and held up her hands warily.

    "Wait¡­do you know each other?" Zi Mei asked them.

    "What are you doing? Please, keep your distance," Jessica told him, ignoring Zi Mei''s question.

    Damon King chuckled. He looked at Jessica and then at Zi Mei. He shook his head and run his fingers through his hair.

    "I must be losing my touch¡­there is only so much my ego can take¡­to be rejected by two women in a day, that is too much, I must say," he said.

    Jessica merely sniffed coldly.

    "Do you want a meeting with Thorin Loong? I can arrange it if that''s what you want," she said.

    "Loverboy? Why do I want to meet him? I saw him yesterday¡­not impressed at all," Damon King said dismissively.

    "Can someone please tell me what is going on?" Zi Mei asked again in confusion. It sounded as if Jessica and Damon King knew each other. So, he is possibly a dragon shapeshifter too. But why doesn''t Thorin know him?

    "This is strictly business, nothing to worry your mortal head over," Jessica told her in a condescending tone.

    "That''s no way to talk to a dragon''s mate," Damon King said. He smiled at Zi Mei. She gasped in surprise and looked around to make sure no one else was eavesdropping. A few students were milling around and watching them.

    "Can we all get in the car and talk inside?" she said in a low tone.

    Damon King looked at Jessica and she nodded. Zi Mei opened the door as Jessica went over to the other side to get in. Thorin was not inside. So Damon King was right after all.. Zi Mei got into the car and Damon King followed behind her.

 Chapter 103 - [Bonus ] A Meeting House

    All three of them sat in the spacious interior of the passenger seat of the car with Zi Mei in the middle. Jessica orders the driver to drive and then a heavy silence fell over them. Zi Mei has so many questions now. She stole a glance at Damon King.

    The boy - no, he is a man, definitely not a boy - was grinning and looking like a cat after it ate a canary. Smug and proud as if he had achieved something monumental.

    "Are you a dragon too?" Zi Mei finally blurted out, breaking the silence that was stretching longer and getting uncomfortable.

    This elicited a deep laugh from Damon King.

    "You couldn''t be more wrong than that!" he said.

    "Well, then, since you know about dragons and you are not one, then what are you?" Zi Mei tried again. Could it be that he is a normal human who knew about dragons, just like her? But then Jessica knew him.

    "Wouldn''t you want to know," Damon King said, winking at her cheekily.

    Jessica huffed loudly.

    "Look, Mister King, I don''t know what you are playing at but please explain why you are hanging around Thorin''s mate?" she asked Damon, sitting up to look at him. Damon King sat up and returned her gaze.

    Zi Mei, caught in between both of them, sank as far back into her seat as possible.

    "Why? Is that forbidden? I merely find mortal places of education amusing and I had time to burn," Damon replied flippantly. He leaned back and looked out the window.

    "Even though you had helped in ending the war, that doesn''t mean Thorin will take your presence here, especially around her, lightly," Jessica said, referring to Zi Mei.

    Zi Mei is perplexed. She doesn''t understand what is going on except that Damon King had helped end a war. She wondered if it was the demon war that Thorin got injured in.

    So, Damon King is definitely not human if he is powerful enough to end a war. Once again, she wondered what he is. He can''t be a demon¡­can he? But if he was a demon, Thorin would know when they were both running after her. Thorin spoke to Damon and did not find him suspicious at all.

    "Oh don''t be such a stickler to keeping within the rules of the realms," Damon King said dismissively.

    "These rules exist to maintain the harmony of the realms," Jessica replied, her tone slightly annoyed.

    Zi Mei glanced at her. It sounded like the Ice Queen is getting angry, she thought.

    Damon King shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Since I am already here, I am merely having some fun, you know, to relax and de-stress, think of this as a vacation for me," he said.

    "Hanging around Thorin''s mate in college does not seem like a vacation to me, more like a threat," Jessica bit out.

    Zi Mei sat up at this. Did she say threat? Is this Damon King dangerous?

    "Now look what you did! You frightened my new best friend!" Damon said, noticing the alarm on Zi Mei''s face. He smiled reassuringly at her.

    "Hey, chill, I will never threaten your safety, after all, best friends look out for each other eh?" he said, using his wide shoulder to jostle her in a friendly manner.

    "We are not even friends¡­much less best friends," Zi Mei replied. The nerve.

    "Awww¡­you are breaking my heart¡­my poor heart¡­rejected and trampled over when my intentions are pure and innocent," he said, clutching his chest in jest.

    "Zi Mei, it is in your best interest to avoid him in future," Jessica told her.

    "Hey come on! I am not that dangerous, honestly, why are you prejudiced against me from the start?" Damon King protested.

    "You are the demon king, who can be more dangerous than that?" Jessica retorted. This time, Zi Mei shrank away from him and stared at him in shock.

    "WHAT???" she exclaimed. "Yet you invited him to sit in here with us!!!"

    Damon King rolled his eyes and sighed exaggeratedly.

    "Hey, there''s some misconception going on around here," he said. "If the devil can give up hell to set up a posh bar and live here, why can''t I be a student here and live a normal mundane life?"

    Zi Mei is still gaping at him in shock. To think that the last few days he had been annoying her at every turn and she has been rude to him more than once. Actually, most of the times. He could easily have killed her.

    "Come on Tan. I am harmless," Damon King said, giving her shoulder a soft push.

    "You are a demon!" she said accusingly. She turned to Jessica. "Why didn''t Thorin realise that when they met outside my college?"

    "That''s because he is THE Demon King so he has camouflage powers that even a dragon elder could not get pass," she replied.

    Zi Mei is now panicking inside. Does this mean even Thorin will not be able to defeat this Demon King? Is he here to kill her too?

    "I am not here to kill you if that is what you are thinking right now," Damon King said, as if he read her mind. She shrank further away from him, crowding on to Jessica''s side, practically leaning on the dragon.

    "No, I can''t read your mind¡­I only know how most humans think," Damon King said. He looked at Jessica.

    "Okay, fine, I will tell you why I am here," he said. He gestured towards Zi Mei. "How much does she know about the war?" he asked.

    "Enough," Jessica replied cryptically.

    "Hmm¡­so it''s okay to talk about why I''m here in front of her? Sure, she won''t freak out even more?" Damon asked.

    "Excuse me, ''she'' is sitting right here. I can hear you," Zi Mei piped in.

    "There, you have your answer," Jessica told Damon King. "But I think it is wise that we talk with Thorin around," she added.

    "Right. Thorin. The dragon elder who was fatally wounded and managed to come back from the brink of death," Damon remarked.

    "Brink of death? What?" Zi Mei interrupted. She thought back to finding Thorin unconscious and bleeding from a wound. She had thought he was dying too.

    "Just shush," Jessica told her. She glared at Damon King. "He is meeting his mate at her house so we can all head there together and hold the meeting there," she told him.

    They are now talking over Zi Mei as if she wasn''t sitting right there, between them.

    "Meeting at my house? So now my house is a meeting house?" Zi Mei interjected but they ignored her.

    "That sounds like a good plan, so let''s go to the meeting house," Damon King replied Jessica.

    "Yes, lets. I hope you will stop following this one around after the meeting," Jessica said, referring to Zi Mei as ''this one''.

    "Hey!" Zi Mei protested.

    "I find her rather cute, why can''t I hang around her?" Damon King shot back.

    "You know why! You could adversely affect her," Jessica said.

    Damon King frowned at that. He looked at Zi Mei this time.

    "You are not pregnant are you?" he asked boldly.

    "What?!?" Zi Mei exclaimed in surprise. "That''s a rude question!" she added.

    "No, it''s not. I need to know for the safety of your child and you," Damon King replied.

    "What?" Zi Mei felt like a broken recorder that kept playing the same words out loud repeatedly.

 Chapter 104 - No Ordinary Demon

    Damon King, or rather the Demon King, studied Zi Mei contemplatively. Then he shrugged and grinned widely at her.

    "Nah¡­don''t think you are pregnant," he said. "So, you are safe from any adverse effects due to my proximity," he said.

    "What adverse effects?" Zi Mei asked, still trying to absorb the fact that the Demon King has been following her around and she didn''t even know that!

    The car stopped at that opportune moment. Damon King did not reply her but opened the car door and jumped out instead. Jessica did the same, except she didn''t jump out, she slide out regally. Zi Mei followed her out and the car zoomed off. All three of them are in front of her house. Thorin was no where in sight.

    "Thorin is not¡­."Zi Mei started to say but her front door opened and there he was, his tall broad-shouldered figure filling the doorway. She gaped at him. How did he get in? She didn''t give him her house key.

    Thorin''s expression darkened when he saw Damon King standing there with them.

    "What is he doing here?" he asked Jessica, his tone annoyed.

    "He wishes to have a meeting with you," Jessica replied.

    "Come on, lover boy, lets talk serious business, you ran away before I could even introduce myself the other time," Damon said cheekily. He walked casually over to Thorin at the doorway while Zi Mei and Jessica followed behind.

    Thorin''s face is now thunderous. It looked like he was about to explode. Or murder Damon King. Or both. He glared coldly at Damon.

    "Hey, let me in," Damon said.

    "No," Thorin said. His eyes glinted dangerously. "I knew I sensed something different about you, how did you mask your demon self from me?" he asked coldly.

    "You seriously want to talk out here where everyone in this neighbourhood could hear us?" Damon asked. He seemed unperturbed by Thorin''s cold fury. In fact, he looked like he is here on a social visit.

    "Thorin, we should talk inside," Jessica said reasonably.

    "Yes, Thorin, lets go inside," Zi Mei agreed. She looked around. A neighbour is walking by and blatantly staring at them curiously.

    "This is your house Lil Zi, I can''t let the likes of him enter and smear it with his negative energy," Thorin said quietly. He glared at Damon who is now standing face-to-face with him.

    "Come on, lover boy, you should know by now I am no ordinary demon," he said, his tone now slightly steely. He reached out to grab Thorin''s shoulder but the dragon was fast, he shifted and Damon found himself flung to the ground with Thorin''s foot on his chest.

    Damon''s eyes glowed red and he snarled before swiftly getting out of Thorin''s foot to stand before him yet again.

    "Look here dragon, I am not here to pick a fight," he hissed at Thorin. "If not for me, more of your kind would have been dead in that unnecessary war," he added.

    "It''s true Thorin, please, let''s go in and talk," Jessica interjected.

    Zi Mei, amazed by both the dragon and the demon''s speed, didn''t want them to create a spectacle for her neighbours to watch. Who knows what other humans see¡­they could be thinking they are watching two men fight over her. Ugh. She will never live it down.

    "Jessica said it''s fine, let''s go inside," Zi Mei said.

    Surely Jessica can''t be wrong. Besides, Damon King can''t harm her with two dragons there with her, right? She went up to Thorin and grabbed his arm. "Come on, lets go inside and sort it out without everyone in this street watching and listening," she dragged him inside.

    Surprisingly, Thorin relented but not before he threw a warning look at Damon King. "You harm her and you are dead," he told the Demon King.

    Damon rolled his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. "If I wanted to harm her, I would have done so a few days ago," he retorted as he followed them inside with Jessica bringing up the rear. Jessica closed the door and locked it before all of them headed inside to her living room near the skylight.

    Damon King immediately went to her lounge chair and jumped on it, leaning on it and stretching as if he has had a long tiring day. Thorin merely stood there with Zi Mei still holding on to his arm. Jessica chose an armchair and sat down. Z

    i Mei released his arm but Thorin''s hand came up and held her hands on his arm firmly. "Keep it here," he muttered to her quietly. She blushed and tried to cool her over excited beating heart.

    ''Shush you stupid heart'' she told her heart inside. ''This is not the time for this!'' She tried to concentrate on Thorin, Damon and Jessica. The tension between Thorin and Damon is thick as they glared at each other.

    "Don''t get yourself comfortable, say what you need to say and leave," Thorin was telling Damon. Damon sat up and gestured to the sofa.

    "Please, sit down and talk like a professional, will you? I don''t want to get a creak on my neck," Damon said.

    Thorin reluctantly went to the sofa, pulling Zi Mei along. He sat down and she sat next to him. She tried to pull her hand loose but he linked his hand with hers and held it firmly, resting their linked hands between them. Damon looked at their linked hands and chuckled.

    "Always the lover boy eh," he remarked. "No wonder you are so smitten with him," he grinned at Zi Mei. Zi Mei blushed again.

    "Cut the nonsense. What do you want demon?" Thorin asked.

    "Ahem. Demon King. I am not a mere demon," Damon corrected him. Thorin was surprised. He looked at Jessica for confirmation and she nodded. He quickly schooled his expression into his usual cold arrogance.

    "It doesn''t matter. You are still a demon," he said.

    "Sigh. Jessica. Didn''t you tell him I was the one who saved everyone in that frigging unnecessary war?" Damon asked.

    Thorin looked at Jessica. Before she could say anything, Damon continued.

    "Okay, okay, let me tell you what happened. You were seriously injured so you left to lick your wounds somewhere, some other dragons came to continue the fight, someone finally told me what was happening so I went back and I stopped my demons from completely destroying all your dragons," he said. "So, TL:DR, demons start war, dragons losing, Demon King stopped war,"

    Zi Mei''s head is spinning. Was this the so-called war that Thorin got injured in? Were demons more powerful than dragons? How could dragons be losing to demons?

    "Don''t flatter yourself Demon King, we would have won without you but a lot of your demons would have been destroyed and captured," Jessica said.

    "Are you sure about that? I remember arriving to a rather sad scene of dying dragons in the demon realm," Damon said. "In fact¡­"

    "We would have won the war, you demons started the war so what do you want now?" Thorin interrupted.

    Damon studied Jessica and Thorin''s expressions. He shrugged.

    "Fine, lets just say you dragons would have won, you did capture a lot of my demons," he conceded. "Which brings me to the reason for this meeting. Do you happen to have Dorian with you?"

    "Who may that be?" Thorin asked.

    "You know, the demon that tried to eat her," Damon gestured to Zi Mei. Zi Mei gasped. Did he mean the demon that looked like Darren?

    "I remember I clearly sent him back to your realm, his powers properly docked," Thorin said, frowning.

    "Well, then, he must have gotten away. Dammit." Damon cursed. "He was the one who started the whole demon revolution in an attempt to destroy you dragons so that they can take over the human realm,"

    Thorin regarded him, a look of disbelief on his face. "I don''t believe you, they would not have acted without your orders, do not try to lie to me!"

    This time Damon did look slightly guilty. "It was partially my fault, I left Dorian in charge while I went on a holiday in the other realms¡­I mean, have you been to the fox realm? Talk about foxy ladies," he smiled dreamily then looked at Thorin''s annoyed face and cleared his throat.

    "But I digress. You see, Dorian was in charge for a long time¡­a couple decades in human time I  think¡­and it got into his head that he wanted to play with the humans but you dragons are such stickler for the laws of the elements so he decided to wage war instead,"

    "Play with humans??? What??? Are we toys???! " Zi Mei exclaimed.

    Darren held up his hands. "Hey, not me, it was Dorian, I have the highest respect for all beings, humans, foxes, dragons¡­" he turned back to Thorin.

    "Come on, before all this, have you ever had trouble from me? Not the stray demon or so, I mean orders from me? Heck, I''ve never given any orders pertaining to apocalypse, zombie invasion or violence against other beings," Damon said.

    He grinned at Zi Mei. "I love how humans have such beautiful art, I even dabble a bit in it, ask her,"

    But Zi Mei was distracted by the mention of zombies.

    "Are you saying zombies are real too?" she asked.