435 HIDDEN FEELING

Senja sat back on the couch and heaved a distressed sigh. He propped her head between her hands on the table.

"I am fine now Uncle Su. Can you leave me alone please?" She muttered. She was anything but fine.

Uncle Su wanted to say something, but held it back. Decided that she was serious right now, he patted Senja's back as he stood up and left the room.

Senja stared at the door absentmindedly.

She stayed like that until late night, only then she stood up and walked toward her bed.

She needed all of energy that she could muster for tomorrow. She needed back her strength, physically and mentally.

Sleep would help her to recover, that's what her innocence mind told her, in reality she kept tossed and turned in her bed, couldn't find a comfortable position.

Probably, it wasn't the way she slept that became the problem, but the way she felt the situation right now was the real culprit.

After many turned and tossed, Senja finally fell asleep when the sun kissed the horizon. It was the worst sleep ever.

She fell asleep only for an hour before Qianru came inside the room and invited her to having breakfast together which Senja turned down politely. Saying she wasn't feeling good and was still tired from their trip.

Qianru nodded and left her alone, seemingly Xiao Jun had told her about the event last night. Thoughtfully, she sent someone to bring her breakfast so she could have something to eat.

Senja got off from the bed an hour later when the food had already cold. She freshened up and ate her cold breakfast.

The taste of the food was like sandpaper in her mouth. Maybe because it was already cold or maybe she had a problem with her taste buds.

Senja shrugged it off and continued to eat without much in her mind except to regain her strength.

The sleep that she thought would bring some sort of comfort and could revitalize her energy was working in the other way around. She felt her spirit drained.

Halfway eating her breakfast, Xiao Tianyao came.

He didn't say anything and only sat in front of Senja, waiting for her to finish her food.

Senja glanced at his presence, but because he didn't say anything she assumed that Xiao Tianyao was waiting for her to finish her food. So, she resumed to eat.

"I am done." Senja ate a little bit more before she put the bowl down and faced Xiao Tianyao head on.

His face wasn't any better. Dark circle under his eyes showed that he didn't have a good night sleep and the furrowed between his eyebrows like it would engrave there forever.

"How was your sleep?" He asked with stoic face.

It almost like he had turned out to be the cold person from one year ago when they met for the first time. But, this time it worst.

"Good." Senja said tersely. "Should we start now?"

"For that reason I came."

The pain in her heart was howling again, by his coldness.

"Alright."

Senja walked toward her bed and sat on the edge of it. She didn't know if she could do it or not. Like she had said before, all she has was theory and one time practice. However, she wasn't sure if she could pull this through this time.

Not to mention that she wasn't in her right mind now.

She watched Xiao Tianyao approached her with slow step, as though he wasn't certain what he was going to do next.

Senja patted the space beside her.

"I prefer to stand up."

"I want you to sit." Senja retorted.

Xiao Tianyao was glaring at her, but Senja simply looked at him right in the eyes, expressionless. The next moment, he obliged and reluctantly sat beside her.

If they were in normal situation, Senja would have laughed with his attitude and grinned triumphantly. But, it wasn't normal and none of them was in the mood to have a squabble.

"Before we start, I just want you to know that I am not sure with the result. Since I have only tried this once."

"To whom?"

Xiao Tianyao couldn't recall Senja was talking about this and Senja simply forgot to tell him after many things that had happened.

"Qi Xunyi's mother. Concubine Qi." Senja answered truthfully.

"You never told me about that." Xiao Tianyao remarked.

Senja sighed, another fault in her side.

In another occasion Xiao Tianyao wouldn't hold a grudge toward her about something trivial like that or over thinking thing.

He always been an open minded to hear her out. Even the most absurd thing about her original, her reason to come and her ability, he had accepted her without holding back and never questioned her story or vision.

"I forgot." Senja mumbled.

Xiao Tianyao seemed wanted to say something, but he kept it for himself.

"I need your hand…" Senja reached out her hand and waited Xiao Tianyao to take it.

Xiao Tianyao watched her open hand in a brief second and saw the ugly bruises on her wrist. He clenched his jaw as his anger threatened to flare up again.

"Your hand." Senja reminded him.

He put his hand on top of hers stiffly. Afterward she covered his hand with both of hers and stroked the back of his hand tenderly.

"What are you doing?"

"Check." Senja blurted out a lie without looking at him.

She just had an impulse to touch him, soothe him and told him that she didn't mean to lie to him. But, since she couldn't do any of those things now, since Xiao Tianyao was still on edge, she was afraid if she was telling him all of that only made him more furious.

She stroked his hand for a few more second.

Somehow, Xiao Tianyao knew her intention. He wanted to pull her to him and said that he was sorry, but his ego prevented him to do that.

"Are you ready?"

"Hmm."