Chapter 41: Qiang's Surprise
[POV Bai Chang]
After putting down Mr Li, I am ready to take a break.
It is not tiring, but nothing is stimulating about it either. I am disappointed as I didn't spot 'Feling' within the crowd.
"My Queen, should we call it a night?" Qiang asked.
"Yeah, let's get out of here, it is too boring."
Qiang looked at me and raised his eyebrows.
"As you wish, wife."
We left the Grand Hotel and moved towards the outer hall as we waited for our car to arrive at the front gate.
I shiver slightly as it is chilly. The late-night air feels cold to my skin.
Immediately a sense of warmth wraps around me. Qiang hugs me from behind while he wraps me in his coat. His body's warmth is still there within the coat.
It smells like him. Fresh with a hint of lemon aftershave and cologne.
It feels like him.
He lowers his head to my level and then speaks, "If you do not mind, I want to bring you to a place. It is not too far away from your Villa."
"Okay," I replied.
By this time our car arrived at the front door. Qiang accompanied me and opened the passenger door for me.
"Thank You"
I sit down, while Qiang helps me to gather my dress at my feet and then put them in the car.
A few ladies waiting for their rides by the front gate swoon at his gesture.
I observe them as they continue to speak among themselves.
Qiang entered the car and we drove out.
"Qiang, girls at the gate were swooning on you. What do you have to say?"
"My Queen, other than you, no one can make me their slave. I promise. I am exclusive only for you." Qiang is quick to reply.
I keep my silence while Qiang continued to drive.
'Today evening, I did propose and we got engaged, but that was just to remove the awkwardness between us.'
I could feel that Xiao Wei was really starting to get jittery.
And to make a public appearance, you need to be a couple in private first.
It is totally not like I do not want to be in a relationship with them but somewhere at the back of my mind a thought keeps me from it, i.e. I am not their Bai Chang. I am Elizabeth.
Deep down this soul is of Elizabeth.
While I was lost contemplating the past, present and the future. We arrived at Qiang's Villa at the Residency Area.
He walked out and as usual, opened the passenger door for me. Then he also helped me with the trail of my dress.
"Come I want to share something with you. Here let me close your eyes. So no peeking around." Saying so Qiang blindfolded me and started to guide me to somewhere while also holding onto the trails of my dress.
It smells grassy.
The air is crisp.
There is a hint of humidity.
"Where are we?"
"Have patience, my queen. We are almost there."
We walked upon a bridge as the footboard sounded different than a packed floor wood.
Each step of the way, Qiang took great care of me, to ensure my safety.
His coat around my shoulders kept me warm despite the chill in the air.
My heart-beats fasten due to the anticipation.
Slowly we enter someplace, as the air is warm again.
Qiang slowly removed the blindfold and what strikes me as I open my eyes are different colours.
I opened my eyes wide and look around. There are thousands of flowers cultivated inside the pavilion. There were various kinds of roses being cultivated there.
There were Tulips and Orchids, Petunia as well as different colour paper flowers shrubs.
I move around and find that this pavilion is in the middle of a medium-sized pond.
While in the pond itself there are various kinds of lotuses floating around in its full bloom. As my eyes moved past them, I am confronted by a small bamboo forest and little fire-flies were flying around.
The whole thing is so mesmerising.
At this point, Qiang hugged me from behind and says, "Happy engagement to us."
I am hundred per cent sure that I jumped the gun on him, today. When I proposed our engagement! So when did he make this place? From the looks of it, this place was finished working around for about a month, give or take a few weeks but no more than that...
There was outdoors furniture placed in the pavilion with a thick moss carpet covering the floor.
"It is so magnificent!" I exclaimed.
"You like it?" Qiang asked.
"I loved it! When did you put this together?" I am really curious to find out.
"I started preparing this place after I proposed to you to become my girl-friend. I observed that you liked your garden and the outdoor room so much. So I thought to make you a place you would love to stay, in our future home."
I am taken aback for his thoughtfulness.
"This is for me! Then which is your current home?" I asked him once I realised what he said.
"Your home is my home, any place where you are at, that's my home. My Queen, in short, my address of a home is you."