Chapter 3 I Won't Be Selling Myself

"Lola, what are you doing?" Bai was the first to react. He stared cautiously at the young master's furious expression. From what he had heard of his temper, he knew that she was going to be in big trouble.

Hearing his words, she finally came to her senses. Seeing that her hand was still on the young master's face, she froze. 'Crap! Crap! Crap!' she thought.

Immediately, Lola turned her hand around and showed to him the mosquito's corpse. The blood stained the center of her palm, but she didn't seem to care. An awkward smile entered her lips. "The mosquito was going to bite you," she stuttered out sheepishly. "So...so I killed it."

The servants' jaws dropped.

"Young master!" After regaining his composure, Mr. Loyal stepped forward to ease the situation but James had held up a hand to stop him. He was going to solve this problem by himself. Besides, she was just a measly little girl.

"You dared to slap me?" he said coldly. Except for the slap on his face when he was five-years-old, no one dared to slap him. This girl was definitely asking for it!

He raised his hand and was about to slap her.

"No!"

"No!"

Lola and Bai shouted at the same time. In an instant, the young teen squatted down and folded her hands above her head. "Boys can't hit girls," she announced firmly, not daring to look up at him.

Bai quickly stood between them and held up his hand, trying to shield his cousin from James's wrath. "Young master, Lola didn't mean to do that. Please forgive her."

James's hand was raised up in the air for a long time. Being well-educated, he had been taught over and over again to never lay a hand on a woman. Not only was it detrimental to a man's dignity, but it would also definitely make him lose face amongst his peers. Without another word, he withdrew his hand and headed into the villa as if nothing had happened.

All of the servants stared at Lola in disbelief. A mix of surprise and pity flashed in their eyes. Although no one could say it, everyone knew that this would not end well.

Lola had been squatting on the ground this whole time that she didn't notice that James had left. She slowly peeked in between her fingertips. When she saw that the man was gone, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that he also knew how to feel sorry for someone.

"Is he the guy you met back in the bookstore?" Bai whispered. He had guessed from the young master's reaction that they must have met before this occurrence.

She nodded, looking remorseful. Not only did she smash the ice cream onto his face, she had also slapped him. It seemed that the fates wanted to punish her for all her wrongdoings.

"Lola, what happened back there?" her aunt asked worriedly.

"Lola, young master is calling for you," Mr. Loyal called out with a poker face.

"I'll explain everything once I get back," she whispered to her aunt. Without another word, she followed the butler back into the villa.

Although Lola had only been to the hall a few times, she was familiar with the place. However, this was the first time, she roamed the halls because she was in trouble. Bowing her head, she obediently followed Mr. Loyal to the living room.

James sat on the sofa. His long legs were crossed. One of the servant brought him a bucket of ice cubes to lessen the redness on his face, but he refused. Although the slap wasn't painful, it still made him furious. Who would dare do such a thing to her own boss?

"Young master, Lola has arrived." With a bow, Mr. Loyal left the two of them to themselves.

The room fell into awkward silence. James could only glare at the girl before him, and she found herself shuffling uncomfortably under his gaze.

One minute, two minutes... More than ten minutes had passed, and he still hadn't said a word. Lola couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to say. She glanced up to look at him only to duck her head once more. Why did he have to look so intimidating?

Licking her dry lips, she stammered out, "Um...young master. It was just a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to hit you. You know how dangerous mosquitos are. If you accidently get bitten by one of them, you could have meningitis."

"So should I thank you for slapping me?" James sneered. His fingers twirled around the glass he was holding as he tried to formulate the perfect revenge.

"Well, you're welcome." Lola plastered an embarrassed smile on her face. Her hands shook as she prayed in her heart that the young master wasn't as terrible as people said he was.

"Mr. Loyal," he called, and the butler neared them. "I heard that Mrs. Chi isn't in good health lately. Maybe it's time we let her go."

"Yes, young master. Mrs. Chi hasn't been the healthiest these past few days." It didn't really matter whether the old woman was as hardworking as a horse. Whatever James said was law, and that was final.

"No, please. Don't let her go. My aunt's in perfectly good shape, plus Bai and I could help her around for free. It will not put a dent on your paycheck," Lola said anxiously. Bai was about to take the college entrance examination, and her aunt's salary was just enough to pay the tuition expenses. If she were fired... Lola shook her head expressively. No. They couldn't lose this job.

"Then, what happened just now..." James trailed off.

Understanding what he meant, she bowed her head without any hesitation. "It's all my fault. Please forgive my ignorance," she coaxed.

"Still no sincerity." He took a sip from his coffee.

Lola subtly gritted her teeth. She had already apologized to him. What else did he want? Did he want her to kneel down?

"Punish me then, young master. I'm willing to do anything as long as my Aunt isn't fired."

Seeing that Lola wasn't willing to give up just yet, a small smile slithered its way into his lips. He liked a challenge. It seemed that his stay here had gotten a hundred times more interesting.

James slowly stood up and walked towards her. His fingers grazed against her cheek, and he lifted her face. At first glance, she looked like a tomboy, but upon closer inspection, he could feel how delicate and smooth her skin was.

"Anything?" he whispered. His warm breath blew on her face, and she flushed instantly.

Lola could see James's face more clearly. There was no doubt that he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. But even then, tension crawled in her heart.

'Is he going to kiss me?' She pushed the thought away almost immediately. What was she thinking? Even if he was, she wouldn't dare agree to such an act. Immediately, she stretched out her hands to block herself from James's nearing face in panic. "Don't mess around!" she snapped. "I won't be selling myself."