Chapter 162 - I'll Give You A Discount

Wuming woke up in a bed that wasn't his. He was on his stomach and his eyes hurt. There wasn't a headache that should be bothering him considering that he drank last night—

Right, Mistress.

He bolted upwards, unsettling the covers and looked around. There were no sounds in the bathroom and he was alone. His eyes darted on the nightstand. Written in the hotel's stationary…

Honey, I have to go. I have taken a new contract. It was a great talk last night. I left as soon as you fell asleep. Don't worry. Nothing else happened. Call me when you're in town. I'll surely let you know if I'm back here. ;)

- Mistress

He felt for a lighter from his pocket and burned the end of the paper before dropping it on the metal trashcan beside the bed. He was not exhausted. Nothing really happened that night. His pants were on but his belt was hanging from the foot of the bed.

When he got out of the room and went down.

**

"Any problems?" Qing Chen asked when Wuming came to his office.

Wuming's eyes widened as he looked around the room. "What are these? Your fangirls?"

Qing Chen rolled his eyes. "Apparently." He measured his brother. "You look like you need a shower."

"Do I look that bad?"

"Apart from your the dark circles under your eyes, you just look like you have a hangover." Qing Chen assessed him again. "Well, do you?"

Wuming shook his head and found himself a cup of a still slightly warm coffee. He took a sip. "Benefits of expensive liquor, you really don't wake up with a hangover."

"I'll send for some water and breakfast." He pointed to a door at the end of the room. "I have a shower there and a closet. Make yourself look human."

Wuming only grinned and took a heart-shaped doughnut from a box. "I owe you one, Chen. I'll tell you everything about it when I come out."

He tried to recall every detail from last night. He had told Camille the truth and he was giving her space to think. Then he met Mistress, whom he owed a favor, in a restaurant not far from here.

Before he could get to the door, a brunette suddenly clung on his arm and pressed her body against it. Mistress smiled at him with excited eyes. "There you are, my love. I've been waiting for you."

He smiled down at her. "Lovely to see you too, Mistress."

The woman had already made a reservation under a false name and they were lead to an intimate private room with candles on the table.

"Fancy," Wuming commented as he took his seat.

"Well, you're the one who's paying so," she shrugged. When their food and champagne arrived, Mistress did not waste any time. "So, dear, tell me what's been bothering you."

Wuming rubbed on his forehead for a second. "You know, I really don't want to talk about it."

Mistress chuckled. "I know what you're going through."

"Are you sure?"

"Not that I had gone through that, but I've seen that look on your face in some of our 'colleagues'." Mistress cut up the medium rare steak on her plate. "The only thing that would kill an assassin as great as you, Wuming, is love."

Wuming laughed out loud. "Me? Love?" he shook his head. "No. Not really."

"But you have to admit, it's because of a woman."

"Just help me forget for a moment."

She smiled at him, flashing her pearly whites lined with red lips. "As you wish." Being the right kind of assassin that she was, she launched into narratives. She had probably made up a million stories while she was working, but what she told Wuming were of the recent kills she did. It all started the same way, disguising and luring men into running after her. When her claws are finally in, she would rip their hearts out of their chests. Sometimes, literally.

When dinner was over, Wuming said, "So where's that really old bottle of whiskey you were telling me about?"

"In my hotel room, of course. It was for a nightcap."

"Mistress," he warned.

"I promise, nothing tricky. You can leave after having a drink." When they were exiting the restaurant, she flushed herself against him and she trailed her fingers on his ear. "But if you want some fun, I wouldn't really say no. I actually do have a slight crush on you, Wuming."

Wuming laughed and inched away from her fingertips. "I appreciate that, but no."

"Let me know when you change your mind."

They got in the car and drove to The Kingly, of all the places in the world. Mistress stayed true to her word. She poured them a drink and they talked some more. Wuming was actually having a great time and he had forgotten about the weight he was feeling just a few hours ago.

He had another drink. Mistress didn't, claiming that she felt funny and that she had a flight at early in the morning. He remembered being lead to the bed, Mistress taking of his shirt and loosening his belt. After that, she kissed his cheek, promising to see him again soon, and she left.

**

He recounted the events to his busy younger brother—slightly hoping he was too occupied reading reports and proposal to listen to him. But his smart brother who can multi-task actually heard him.

"That's foul, Wuming," Qing Chen said, signing his initials on the bottom of the page. "You don't go around with other women just because the other one did not work."

"Yeah," he answered gloomily plunging his hand in a candy bowl. "I think I'll go back to her today. Beg on my knees or something."

"Let me know how that will go. I'm too busy trying to kick out Dai Fang."

"That insufferable moron?" Wuming groaned. "Tell me if you want him out. I'll give you a discount."