"Du Xiaoxian? What an old-fas.h.i.+oned name!" Yang Liying twitched her mouth with scorn. She was expecting a das.h.i.+ng rich boy instead of such a b.u.mpkin to be her deskmate.

Du Xiaoxian had been used to contempt since childhood and didn't care much about her words. But she was not used to be surrounded like this. She was very nervous and fearful for what would happen next. She looked more and more anxious and could hardly breathe in such an unknown environment.

Fortunately, a good-looking young woman came in at this moment. This was their teacher, Ms. Jiang. She had just been summoned by the headmaster to talk about the new student. The headmaster asked her to take care of Du Xiaoxian and repeated Gu Nianbin's words in a more detailed way. She sensed the special background of the new student from the tedious instructions of the headmaster.

"All of you, back to your seat." Ms. Jiang dispersed the surrounding students and then asked Du Xiaoxian gently, "Du Xiaoxian, are you OK? You look pale."

Du Xiaoxian made no response. After the students were gone, she could breathe smoothly again. But who is this pretty young lady?

"I'm Ms. Jiang, your teacher. You can come to me whenever you need help. Get it?"

Du Xiaoxian looked at her timidly and then nodded slowly.

"All right. Now put your schoolbag in the drawer." Ms. Jiang wanted to help her put away her schoolbag, but Du Xiaoxian grabbed it tightly. She had been to school before and knew that the schoolbag should be placed in the desk drawer. However, she was so uneasy now that she needed something to hold in her arms to feel more secure.

Ms. Jiang understood it and thus didn't force her. "Then may I help you take out the books for next cla.s.s?"

This time, Du Xiaoxian did not object but opened her schoolbag. When Ms. Jiang took out the book, the cloth bag dropped out by accident. Yang Liying picked it up immediately and cried, "What's this? A cloth bag?"

A student sitting nearby looked over and said, "It must be handmade. Look at the crooked st.i.tches."

"There are even embroidered flowers on it." Yang Liying turned over the bag, "What a tacky bag! Du Xiaoxian, where exactly are you from?"

"Yang Liying!" Ms. Jiang stopped her loudly, "Don't be so rude. You should be friendly and kind to new students. Have you forgotten what I had taught you?"

Yang Liying snorted. This was the first time she was berated in public, just because of that b.u.mpkin named Du Xiaoxian.

Du Xiaoxian had no idea that she had already made herself an enemy in such a short period. She was engaged in encouraging herself inside. Be brave and make more friends. Be brave and make more friends…

The cla.s.s began, but Du Xiaoxian found that she could understand nothing. She became anxious again. She had promised the young master to listen attentively in cla.s.s. She listened, but could understood not even a word...

Throughout the afternoon, she was sitting in her seat with the schoolbag in her arms. She didn't move either in cla.s.s or break. It was so weird that n.o.body came to talk to her.

Yang Liying sat nearby with several girls, gossiping about her background. She must be somebody to be admitted into this school, but she had nothing connected to an affluent family. Therefore, they made a conclusion that she must be an illegitimate daughter who had been just found back by some big family.

Yang Liying loathed her but dare not offend her much before her background was clear. What counted in this school was family background. The more rich and influential, the more superior. They were all deeply convinced with the hierarchical system. She might get her family into trouble if she acted rashly. However, they couldn't think of any big family surnamed Du in City G.

In cla.s.s break, Yang Liying asked Du Xiaoxian where she lived. Du Xiaoxian actually knew the address of the Gu Mansion, which was deeply buried in her mind before she left her hometown. However, Yang Liying's tone and expression scared her so much that she failed to utter the answer after several attempts.

Yang Liying was made impatient, "Is it so difficult to tell me where you live? Or is it shameful to tell?"

She was deliberate to provoke her, but Du Xiaoxian didn't get it. She looked at her blankly and lowered her head. What a bad-tempered girl. The young master asked her to make more friends, but she dare not made friends with such a girl.

Her reaction made Yang Liying sigh in frustration. She even wanted to slap her, if not awed by her mysterious background. Nowadays there were many wolves in sheep's clothing. She was smart enough to contain her anger of the moment.

The school was over after two cla.s.ses. Du Xiaoxian sat there to wait until all students had left and walked out slowly with her schoolbag. She was thinking of walking back to the Gu mansion before she saw Xiaoding at the school gate. Du Xiaoxian immediately smiled and ran over to him, "Xiaoding."

Xiaoding was surprised because Du Xiaoxian never paid attention to him at home. This morning she was wary of him merely because he complimented her on her beauty. Now she became cordial to him.

Since she drew the eye of the young master, he had to respect her. He smiled and opened the door for her, "The young master asked me to pick you up."

"Thank you." Du Xiaoxian managed to be polite, but still timid, which bewildered Xiaoding. Why was Du Xiaoxian afraid of him with such a harmless face?

"Xiaoxian, don't be afraid of me." Xiaoding said, "It's just that you didn't know me well. Actually, I'm very easy-going. I'm ready to help anytime you need…Xiaoxian, actually you are a pretty girl, but you are too quiet and cold. If you talk more like Lanzhi and smile more, the master and the lady will definitely like you more ...Nevertheless, you've newly arrived and have much to learn about. As time goes by, you will be more familiar with us. Take Old Xiao for example. He looked kind in face but very cruel in heart. Well I'm different. I look kind in face and also very kindhearted. Really, especially to girls…I'm warmhearted. Next time if you are busy, I can help you clean the courtyard… Many girls are fascinated in me though my eyes are small…"

Xiaoding was a typical chatterbox, but he dared not talk much in front of Gu Nianbin. He restored his windbag nature before girls, especially pretty girls. He talked and talked, like the endless flow of the Yangtze River. He would not stop until he had used the very last trick to make girls laugh out loud.

However, this time he didn't get any response from the back seat after all his talking.

He took a look at her through the rearview mirror. Du Xiaoxian had fallen asleep with her schoolbag in her arms. Well, he was dry-mouthed talking to himself.

Du Xiaoxian was actually awake, with her eyes closed. Not good at chatting, she couldn't find a proper chance to join the conversation after Xiaoding kept talking for so long a time. She felt embarra.s.sed and therefore closed her eyes to pretend to be asleep. Now that Xiaoding stopped talking, she opened her eyes and stared blankly at the scenery flas.h.i.+ng by the window.

Halfway to the mansion, Xiaoding received a call from Gu Nianbin and was ordered to return to the company. Xiaoding noticed Du Xiaoxian was awake from the rearview mirror and said, "Xiaoxian, the young master told us to return to the company first."

Du Xiaoxian would certainly obey and said softly, "OK."

Therefore, the car turned around and drove towards Gu's Company.

Shao Boqing had just come back and parked his car when he saw Xiaoding walking up the stairs with a little girl. He was stunned. Was Xiaoding bringing his little girlfriend with him to work?

Unlike Gu Nianbin who was cold and reserved, Shao Boqing was outgoing, cheerful and playful most of the time. He was used to make fun with his subordinates. He sneaked up on them and slapped Xiaoding on his shoulder, "Well well, Xiaoding, how dare you secretly meet your girlfriend at work? I'll tell your boss about it."

Instead of Xiaoding, the little girl beside was frightened worse, looking panic at him with a big backpack in hands.

Xiaoding pacified her first, "Xiaoxian, don't be afraid. This is President Shao. He is joking with us." Then he turned to Shao Boqing, "President Shao, please don't mistake it. This is the young master's guest. If you scare her, I'll report to the young master."

"Really?" Shao Boqing looked at Du Xiaoxian, "Are you the guest of Nianbin? Shall I take you up?"

Du Xiaoxian hid behind Xiaoding out of instinct. Another stranger that made her uneasy.

Her reaction made Shao Boqing stunned. As a das.h.i.+ng man extremely popular in female, he had never met any woman who could resist his charm. Was this little girl blind?

"Hey, come on." Shao Boqing, feeling frustrated, tried to pull her out.

But he was stopped by Xiaoding, who was about to appease Du Xiaoxian with a few more words but saw Gu Nianbin was there. Du Xiaoxian had already hid behind Gu Nianbin, revealing only half of her head.

Shao Boqing pointed at her and said, "Nianbin, this young lady..." He stopped suddenly when he met his boss's fierce eyes. His intense glares were just like icy blades which could tear him into pieces. He put down his hand and managed to squeeze out a smile. Before he could say something for explanation, Gu Nianbin had taken Du Xiaoxian away without a word.

Shao Boqing rubbed his eyes and asked Xiaoding, "What's wrong with your young master?"

Xiaoding turned to him with a gloating look, "Now there's no need for me to report. The young master saw it himself."

"What did he see?" Shao Boqing was puzzled. Did he do anything wrong?

"That you frightened Du Xiaoxian."

Shao Boqing touched his face and asked Xiaoding in disbelief, "Do I look so frightening?"

Xiaoding eyed him carefully and said, "Kind of."

"You asked for it!" Shao Boqing kicked Xiaoding's b.u.t.t and pulled him back, "Seriously, who is that little girl? It seemed that your young master cared about her very much."

"She..." Xiaoding thought for a moment and said, "Strictly speaking, she should be considered the savior of our master."

Shao Boqing was even more puzzled. How could a vulnerable little girl save their master?

Xiaoding then recounted the story of how Du Xiaoxian stood up to stop Gu Niannan that morning with highly colored details.

"Well, she's just a maid then." Even though Xiaoding had described Du Xiaoxian as a brave chivalrous woman in his story, Shao Boqing had only come to such a contemptuous conclusion.

Xiaoding said crossly, "President Shao, that's not the point!"

"Then what is?" Shao Boqing asked.

"The point is that such a timid girl could do something big."

"That's not the point, either." Shao Boqing raised his eyebrows.

"Then tell me what's the point," said Xiaoding.

Shao Boqing waited till Gu Nianbin walked across the lobby and turned into the elevator with Du Xiaoxian, and then said slowly, "The point is your young master's att.i.tude towards Du Xiaoxian."

"What do you mean?" Xiaoding was confused, "The young master was good to her."

"Yeah," Shao Boqing said with a meaningful smile, "very good."