3. He finally responded!

The birds chucked themselves with the crumbs before excitingly chirping and jumping on the ground.

All of them were white in color and their sizes were too small, appealing to one's eye.

Alas, they couldn't fly.

Fei outstretched her palms toward the birds with a smile on her face and her giggle sounded when she felt their small beaks poking on her skin as they ate the crumbs from her hand.

"Hungry?" She asked, her voice laced with love. "Eat all you want." The way she was crouched down and the way she was offering the birds her kind loving smile made her look harmless in the eyes of them, so instead of eating from the ground they started to get swarmed around her hand, chirping in content as they ate from her hand.

Only a few of them on the ground were obediently trotting here and there to have their fill too.

Fei was in the backyard of the manor, although there wasn't much to see in this place, it still held a peaceful greenery environment that she preferred so after asking the head maid, she made it a place to keep her birds.

Now they were free and could live the world outside the cages and as the days went, the backyard became Fei's only favorite place in the whole manor, the only place where she could roam freely without fearing the outcome of being seen by others.

The place wasn't too big but she was content with that. At least she could gaze at the open sky instead of peeking from her window sill.

She had even planted some of her favourite plants in the corner of the field beside the small pond.

Too focused on her pet birds, she didn't hear the approaching sound of footsteps.

"Mistress," the head maid called out, earning her attention smoothly.

"Maid Bao," Fei greeted her before giving a helpless smile because she couldn't stand as her hand was busy serving the birds.

"Is there something wrong?" Seeing the conflict look on the head maid's face, she asked in concern.

The older woman's brows furrowed. "There is something you must see."

"Huh?"

...

It wasn't just something, in fact it almost seemed as though he'd bought the whole city for her. Jewels, silk clothes and a lot of things she couldn't even imagine that he'd send for her.

Huh?

Her confused eyes fell on the maids for answers but they were too awestruck to give a meaningful response.

What did.. he mean by this?

The only thought in her mind as well as others.

Fei slowly touched a velvety red jewel case which was placed neatly above the table, this piece caught her eyes because it was separated from the other jewelleries.

Seeing that, the head maid calmly spoke up,"The worker who'd delivered all these has specifically told us to hand this one to you, saying that it's per Master's order."

Fei nodded, too lost.

The earlier troubled look on the head maid's face was long gone. As the only elder among them, she had the responsibility to handle things no matter how unreasonable and absurd they would be.

She quickly snapped at the maids to arrange all the gifts in the mistress's wardrobe. Scared of being scolded, the maids hurriedly got back to their given task.

It will almost take a week to arrange these. Seeing the fine jewels and expensive porcelain antiques, they couldn't hide their envy.

This news will surely change the whole rumored opinion about the mistress being an abandoned bride on her wedding night.

As for Fei, this sudden weird situation felt too unreal for her. After so many months, he finally responded.

That felt too unreal.

The husband she'd never seen or talked to in person, he finally responded. But like this..? She never expected this kind of response even in her dreams.

In a daze, she sat down on the sofa and traced her finger on the jewel case before deciding to open it carefully.

Inside the box was a beautiful pearl necklace, it was really pretty that a smile couldn't help but make a way on her beautiful face.

On observing the neck-wear, the pearls looked bigger than the normal pearls and must've been really pricey by the looks of it.

They beautifully shone on her skin when the chandelier's light fell on it. She bit her lip and took it out, watching it in a silly manner.

Specifically? Does that mean..?

Did he choose it for her himself? Or did he tell someone else to do it for him? If it's the latter, she is going to be upset or maybe not.. that much.

Her eyes fluttered lower in shyness.

She will forgive him.

Fei raised her arms to wear the necklace and her hands made way between her shoulder length hair before clasping the jewel around her neck perfectly.

Her graceful movements were being watched by the maids. They felt happy after seeing their mistress's blissful face before getting back to their work.

Tring! Tring!

Head maid was guiding them to arrange the gifts when a shrill sound of ringing interrupted her and that got Fei's attention too.

The telephone in the living hall had never rang before. Thinking that it was broken, she never gave a thought to it but seeing the tense look on the head maid's face, she tilted her head.

Who it might be calling right now?

Without wasting even a moment, the head maid picked up the telephone and with a calm voice, greeted the person on the other end respectfully.

A sudden assumption appeared in Fei's mind.

Is that?

Maybe the person on the other end directed some orders to the head maid and so she looked toward Fei's direction.

Pressing the palm of her hand on the phone, the head maid informed,"Master wishes to speak to you, dear."

Huh?

That had Fei's mind go blank in an instant.

It was really him??

But nevertheless, she slowly stood up and clumsily took the telephone from the head maid's hand. Her hands slightly shook as she pressed it against her ear, waiting for the other end to speak.

Badump! Badump!

Fei's heartbeat skipped and lips trembled while she was waiting in anticipation in the long torturous silence.

And after that long silence, she finally heard that unfamiliar voice; like a molten lava, an authoritative but cello like voice that got her knees to weaken in fear as he spoke in a low tone.

"You wanted a response?"

Her eyes fluttered beautifully and she shyly nodded, forgetting the fact that he couldn't see her until he questionably hummed in that voice of his.

"Hmm?"

Pulling up a little courage, she replied,"I-I.. yes."

Silly! Her face blushed in embarrassment. In the living hall nobody was to be seen, all of the maids had left, giving her a space of privacy but it made her even more nervous.

"Now then, are you happy?" He slowly asked, in that smooth manner of his and her stomach felt a funny emotion when she heard him chuckle the very next moment.

He laughed.

"Why? Usually you are quite talkative in your letters."

He read her letters? Her face blushed fiercely and she responded,"T-That.."

"Yes, dear?" He responded.

"H-Husband..."

Other side went silent at that moment.

Yang's eyes went unfocused when he heard the way she addressed him. Her voice was so sweet that it almost made him imagine her as a little girl.

Husband?

"I'm really upset..with you," his wife said and now came his turn to be surprised.

"Why may I ask?" Pulling himself back, he went along.

"T-That-.. You didn't say anything before leaving and-" Quite hesitant, she said finally, letting all her emotions out at that moment while her eyes filled with fresh tears.

"Do you know how.. sad I was?"

"You were sad?" Yang responded, a bit laid back as he leaned against his chair while dealing with her.

Knowing that she was still a young girl, he decided to soften his tone for her.

"I had work, my dear." He didn't know why but his heart told him to fake an excuse, so she won't feel that he'd left her on purpose.

"I know," she said and bit on her lower lip to stop the tremble before she released it again, continuing,"But how can you leave me alone without even saying goodbyes?"

It was quite surprising for Yang to know that his negligence had affected his newly-wedded wife in this manner.

"Should I be saying sorry, sweetheart?" He asked. Playfulness in his dark orbs stayed while he talked to her.

"No need for that." She sniffled and wiped her under eyes with the hilt of hand. "I've forgiven you, husband." A bit calm after her little outburst, she went back to being her obedient self.

"Heh!"

His husband chuckled from the other end and she found his laugh really good to her ears.

As for Yang, he was amused but more than that, he was pleasantly surprised. Surprised by her lovely antiques as he'd never imagined that the Lu family had raised their daughter into such a sweet talker.

She wasn't what he imagined her like to be. He'd never seen her face but had carried her almost feather-weighed body which was too petite to know that she was still a little girl.

And now he also got to discover that she'd a sweet mouth too, sounding so meek and lovely which made him quite curious to find how she'd sound in person.

"Did you like the presents I sent for you, darling?" He asked whilst dragging a puff of smoke elegantly, his eyes squinted when he heard her sweet response.

"Y-Yes. I loved them."

"Mhm.. that's good to know." He flicked the tip of cigar on an ashtray and sighed before comforting her naive soul with his sweet nothings.

They talked for a bit and then at the end of their conversation, he said,"I liked the robe that you made but no more gifts or letters from now on. You don't have to send them, okay?"

Why? Confused, she was but not more than obedient as she responded,"O-Okay."

But soon questions started bugging her naive mind. Then how was she supposed to talk to him if not through letters? Through the telephone? And when he'd return home?

"Ask the maid if you need anything, okay?" He talked to her as if she was a child and she didn't like it but in the end couldn't say anything as she obediently hummed.

"Um."

"My sweet girl."

Was her sending him things disturbing for him? That could be the case.

The call was soon cut-off, leaving her in a daze. Why did it feel like that her husband did not see her as his wife?

She shook those negative thoughts away and wondered if he'd call again.

Can she call him?

The conflicted emotions between her heart had her staying awake all night, thinking about him over and over again.

But little did Fei know that this would be her husband's last call for a very long time.

For a very long time and that he'd no pure intention of calling her. That manipulative man had a way of dealing with things.

The only thing he wanted to do from the very beginning was to end this play of her persistent and childish acts.

In his own way, he'd told her to not keep contact with him and after sensing her obedience and obliviousness, he knew that there would be no need of stricting his way.

Just a few sweet words and gifts.

After all, just a little girl she was and the bride he'd abandoned.

...