Kidnapped by a Dragon Billionaire - Chapter 26

The first date with Thorin was boring. In normal human terms, it would be called a total disaster. He took her to some boring drama movie in which she fell asleep halfway through. She never slept when watching tv but maybe the cinema was too comfortable, the couple seat he had gotten them was so soft and large and roomy. She stretched herself on it and before she knew it, she was already fast asleep.

By the time Thorin was shaking her awake, the credits on the screen were already finished and the lights are back on.

“Honestly, how could you sleep through that?” he asked, looking slightly miffed.

She realised she must have drooled a bit in her sleep and quickly wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She smiled up apologetically at him.

“I must be tired…you know from our failed mating attempts, especially the one with spikes because some people lost control,” she said cheekily.

He scowled at her but nevertheless, still took her hand and walked at her pace as they left the cinema.

“Will you never stop mentioning the spikes?” he asked under his breath.

She merely shrugged and put on an innocent face.

“Don’t worry Drags…no one would ever know what we are talking about,” she replied. “Although, they might think we are in some weird BDSM shiz,” she added.

“So, enough about your spikes, where to next?” she asked.

“Next will be dinner, I picked a really popular restaurant, it was highly rated and there were long queues to get in so I made a booking for us, we do not have to queue,” he told her.

She was intrigued. A popular restaurant with long queues. The food must be good. She can’t wait. Being poor meant she loves to eat whenever she gets the opportunity. Especially when she’s not paying for it. For someone who survived mostly on white rice and instant noodles, any food in any restaurant is bound to be good.

Except for the one Thorin took her to.

She never knew anyone could screw up a simple hotpot meal. It was some trending hotpot restaurant that offered free massages and free flowers and free manicures, all of which she turned down. She doesn’t like massages because she’s squeamish and she never saw the point of flowers because it is a waste of money when you could use the said money to buy food and her nails were broken and some bitten down to the quick so it doesn’t make sense to get a manicure.

Aside from the extra perks, the hotpot was horrible. Even her instant cup noodles tasted better than the soup and ingredients in the hotpot. It was oily, tasteless, soggy and mushy. The spicy mala side of the hotpot was just spicy. And oily. She was already nauseous from all that oil after a few mouthfuls and had to pretend that she was full. Her stomach roiled and she was barely holding it together by the time they left the restaurant after their time was up. They were given 2 hours to eat and she was glad it was not longer. She probably wouldn’t be able to take more hours trying to force down food worse than instant noodles. Her typical Asian upbringing made sure she didn’t voice up her displeasure over the food. It is not polite to say the food taste horrible in front of the restaurant workers and Thorin who is paying for it.

By the time they were outside the restaurant, which was in a mall, she made a run for the nearest women’s room. It all came back out in a stream. And then more. By the time she was done retching, her stomach ached and her throat was raw. She rinsed out her mouth before leaving the wash room.

“Zi, are you okay?” Thorin was concerned. She nodded weakly. Her stomach is now empty and though she is still hungry, she has loss all appetite. Horrible tasteless oily hotpot does that to you.

“Can we go back now? I don’t feel very well,” she said, clutching her flat stomach. Thorin actually looked very concerned. He held her gently as they walked to the car. He had already called his driver ahead and had the car waiting for them.

Just as they were about to get into the car, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. No. It can’t be.

“Mei! Mei!” It was Darren. And he is with his group of college friends. She quickly tried to move away from Thorin but she was too late. Darren already saw Thorin holding her with one of his arm around her waist intimately. He was looking at Thorin suspiciously.

“Mei, are you okay?” he looked concerned, worried even.

She had no choice but to pretend to be sick. She clutched her stomach theatrically and hang onto Thorin’s arm, as if she didn’t have the energy to stand on her own.

“Oh, I think I had food poisoning, I could barely walk and Dra…I mean, Tho…I mean, Mr Loong is taking me to the doctor now,” she stumbled over Thorin’s name. What did she call him in front of Darren? She can’t remember.

Thorin obviously knew she was faking it but had kept silent thankfully. He let her hang on to her and watched the two friends quizzically. Darren looked even more worried. He moved towards Zi Mei and offered to take her.

“Here, I will take you instead, it’s not nice to bother your employer like this,” he said. He tried to pull Zi Mei towards him but Thorin will not have it. No one has a right to interrupt their date.

“It is alright. I can do that, I am paying for all of her expenses anyway, thank you young man,” he said and nodded superciliously. He turned to lead Zi Mei to the waiting car but Darren will not give up that easily.

“Wait…Mei?” a question hangs in the air. She knows he is silently asking her if she is in trouble and she needed help. It was their silent signal. Her heart warmed at his deep concern. Darren is such a good friend. He would probably fight the old dragon if he thought he was a danger to Zi Mei. Even though Thorin is a whole head taller and much larger and more well built. Not to mention his special powers.

She gave Darren a reassuring nod.

“I will call you okay Darren? I feel really bad now, I need to go,” she said and she let Thorin help her into the car, pretending to clutch at her stomach and wincing and groaning loudly.

As the car pulled away, she looked out and saw Darren looking forlorn as he stared at them. His lone figure stood there staring after them for a long time. She felt a twinge of guilt for doing this to Darren, for lying to her best friend. At one point, she even thought she might have feelings for him. Now, that seemed like centuries ago. All she felt for Darren was a fuzzy warm feeling of friendship. Nothing more. The romantic feelings she thought she had for him seem to have fizzled out after Thorin kidnapped her and made her his mistress. Almost-mistress.

In the car, Thorin was looking at her speculatively.

“What is it Drags? If you have something to say, say it out,” she said after a few minutes of him studying her silently.

“Were you two in love?” he asked. She would have choked if she had been drinking or eating anything. Except that her mouth was dry from the heaving and puking earlier. There was nothing to choke on. She settled with a loud snort.

“No! We are good friends,” she replied.

“Hmmm…it didn’t look like it,” he said. He thought about it for a moment. “He looked utterly besotted with you and you…it looked like you reciprocated his feelings,” he said.

She didn’t know how to respond. Darren had feelings for her? How could that be? He had always behaved like her best friend and no once has he made a move to ask her out on a date. Thorin must be mistaken.

“Are you jealous if we were?” she countered instead.

He laughed.

“Why would I be jealous? Our contract clearly stated you as a mistress to bear me heirs, there’s nothing to be jealous about,” he scoffed.

“So I can actually date Darren and you wouldn’t mind?” she goaded him. This time, he growled, his eyes glinting silver.

“Did you forget? Your body is mine until I release you from the contract!” he hissed.

“Okay, okay, chill…it’s not like I am about to go jumping into bed with Darren or anyone..jeez, can’t you take a joke old…Drags,” she said defensively. Honestly, why can’t he even take a joke.

He calmed down.

“It’s not funny. But if you really want, you can date him after you’ve given me heirs, preferably three,” he said.

She rolled her eyes at him. After three babies, she would be in her late 20s and she would be a mother of three. Darren would probably run a mile before going near her. Who would want a single mother of three children even though she doesn’t get custody of her children? They still live in a deeply traditional society who frowned upon single unmarried mothers. Imagine if she were to tell him she’s a mistress to some billionaire. She doesn’t even have to mention the dragon part and Darren would immediately recoil in shock.

“Whatever…anyways, this date is a bust, can we get home and you conjure up some proper food for me?” she said, changing the subject.