Loving With My Mind

Before Zhao Mingzhe could answer her, the door bell rang.

Han Yixin instinctively moved to free herself from his embrace.

"Ah Zhe...we should get the door..." she struggled to free herself when the bell rang again.

Zhao Mingzhe tightened his embrace for a moment before letting go. "Stay here. I'll get the door."

He lazily walked across the living room towards the foyer. He opened the door while yawning.

When he saw the person at the door, he almost choked in his own saliva and his yawn abruptly stopped.

"A-auntie Jing!" Zhao Mingzhe exclaimed after opening the door.

"Young Master." A middle aged woman bowed slightly in greeting. She wore traditional clothes and a pair of glasses.

"Uhm...what are you doing here?" he asked, peering behind the elder.

Auntie Jing let him see her luggage behind her as she smiled. "Young Master, Madam ordered me to help out in your new home."

"What?!" Zhao Mingzhe became anxious. It was like his mother is spying on them.

Auntie Jing has been with the Zhao's since even before he was born. She is his mother's right-hand maid.

He really did not want to have someone else in the house. He and his wife still had a lot of things to settle and they are not exactly loving newlyweds in the first place.

Auntie Jing made her way towards the living room, dragging her luggage with her.

Suddenly, a woman who tied her hair in a messy bun, with her glasses supported by the tip of her nose, and with an apron on, appeared from the kitchen.

"Ah Zhe, who did..." Han Yixin stopped on her tracks and her words.

She looked at her husband who just came from the foyer.

"Xiao Xin...this is Auntie Jing." Zhao Mingzhe introduced.

"Young Madam." Auntie Jing bowed in greeting.

"Uhm...hello...Auntie Jing." Han Yixin felt embarrassed. The lady is an elderly and her finesse is that of an elegant noble lady.

The older lady smiled more. "I believe you are cooking. Do you need help in anything?"

"Auntie Jing..." Zhao Mingzhe did not even understand himself as he tried to stop the older lady.

It might be because he knew his wife can cook, but he also knew she was polite enough not to rudely reject an elder. What was he worried for?

Han Yixin's smile became stiff. She did not know how to reject the help as she is not familiar with the lady. She did not want to order her around either.

The sudden intrusion of an unfamiliar person made her cozy house felt unfamiliar as well.

Zhao Mingzhe looked over to his wife. He could see that she was rattled.

He tried to interfere again. "Auntie Jing, Xiao Xin usually cooks by herself."

Han Yixin glared at him. She was afraid to offend their elder.

"Young Master, I'm not here to cook."

Han Yixin was even more confused. 'Then how does she plan to help me?' she thought.

Auntie Jing faced her and smiled. "I can keep your working area clean, Young Madam. If you want to be alone in the kitchen and the clean up be done afterwards, I can set the dining table. Just tell me what you need." she offered.

"Oh...uhm, Auntie Jing, I prefer to work alone in the kitchen, but it would remain open for anyone to come and go. As for the cleaning, I prefer to do it after I finish cooking as well. Therefore, I may need to trouble you in setting the dining area for now."

"No trouble at all, Young Madam." Auntie Jing bowed in recognition.

"Very well then...I will be in the kitchen if you need me." Han Yixin glanced at the both of them.

Then she went back into the kitchen to resume what she was doing.

Auntie Jing stared at Zhao Mingzhe intently as he followed his wife's retreating figure with his eyes.

"Young Master, you don't really want me here, do you?"

Zhao Mingzhe had his eyes wide. This old lady was the one who took care of him since he was a baby after all.

Seeing that he did not plan to reply, she continued, "You wanted to be alone with the Young Madam that badly?"

"What?!"

Auntie Jing had a snicker. "Young people these days...did your honeymoon not suffice?"

He had a gaping mouth, but before he could answer, they heard a noise by the windows.

Zhao Mingzhe opened the backdoor.

Suddenly, a running furball came in.

"Oxford!" he called out.

The puppy stopped on its tracks and bolted towards him.

"Young Master!" Auntie Jing called out worriedly.

To her surprise, the puppy did not attack him, but was lying happily in his arms in the blink of an eye.

Her Young Master also handled it well, rubbing its belly as it wags its tail in joy.

Zhao Mingzhe never had a pet as a boy. How did he get a dog after marriage.

"Hey, what's wrong with you guys?" Han Yixin went out from the kitchen when she heared the noises.

Seeing her puppy in his arms, she was jealous again, but she kept her emotions in.

"Uh...Oxford just came in." Zhao Mingzhe explained.

"Oh...uhm...Auntie Jing, this is Oxford." She went on to introduce the dog to the elder and vice versa. "Oxford, be good to Auntie Jing." she ordered the dog while looking into its eyes.

Han Yixin would never touch Oxford while she is in the middle of her work. It was part of her good practice as she was trained to cook for a living, so she let her husband handle the dog.

After the intoductions, Han Yixin excused herself and went back into the kitchen.

Auntie Jing looked intently to the man holding the dog.

"Auntie Jing, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Young Master, you settled for a dog instead of a child? If the Madam knows about this..." her face became solemn.

"What? No! And don't tell Mom about this!"

His mother will make a big fuss. She was actually the reason why he could not keep a pet as a child.

His mother was not allergic to animal dander, she just did not like them at all. She believed that the only interaction that she would have with animals would be if they end up on her plate.

The young Zhao Mingzhe had to settle to pet someone else's pet.

"Auntie Jing, we will have kids eventually. Just...don't tell Mom about Oxford yet." he was fl.u.s.tered.

"Young Master, is it the reason why you want me out of here?"

"No...I..." Zhao Mingzhe did not know how to explain.

He indeed wanted her not to interfere in the household at this critical time in his relationship and he did not want her to tell on his mom about Oxford. He did not know how to say everything without offending her.

He would not hear the end of it if he did.