He huddled himself tightly while looking at her with an innocent gaze, hoping she wouldn't turn him down.
"No. You have your own room. If you can't fall asleep, drink some milk." Contrary to Haoyu's wishes, the professor turned him down mercilessly.
'Hmm, she's pretty upset…' Haoyu thought with worry.
Tejumole took out a cloth hanger and fitted the towel into it.
After doing so, she shook her head from side to side to see if her hair was dry enough. She didn't feel like using a hair dryer.
As her head wobbled, the four shoulder-length twists swished gently from left to right.
'So cute!' Seeing her actions, Haoyu's eyes curved fondly before he opened his mouth.
"That won't work." Haoyu spoke and shrunk himself under the covers. He looked away from the professor and donned a pitiful expression on his face.
Then speaking softly, he said;
"Or do you not want me here? It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before. You always let me stay with you as a child. Do you now find me bothersome?" He gazed at Tejumole like she had abandoned him, and it caused her face to soften.
Haoyu's words made her remember that when they started living together, they had shared the same bed for close to a year. At the time, she was worried that this strange child would hurt himself recklessly if she left hm for too long.
With this in mind, Tejumole lightly glanced at the child and figured she could let him stay.
Perhaps he had a nightmare and was feeling too embarrassed to tell her about it. Why else would he want to stay here?
"Alright, you can stay." Tejumole uttered with a yawn and dimmed the lights before walking to her bed.
Her day had been hectic. All the running around and fighting left her feeling exhausted and now all she wanted was to go to sleep.
Besides, with the little one here, she wouldn't need to toss around before falling asleep. He was her own personal hypnotic.
Looking at the professor who joined him on the bed, Haoyu's eyes brightened, and he removed the covers from his face.
He was about to say something when Tejumole placed a pillow between them.
"Behave." She said simply, glancing at him with her brown eyes. Just because she allowed Haoyu to stay didn't mean she had forgotten what happened downstairs.
She still perfectly remembered how strangely Haoyu behaved tonight. The feeling he gave at that moment was a suppressive kind that numbed her senses and caused her to remain rooted in place.
Having him so close to her with such an overwhelming aura, Tejumole felt an emotion that she couldn't explain. It was different, foreign and made her quite anxious.
If Haoyu weren't her little one, she would either avoid him or get rid of him. Reasoning that a person who made her feel so stifled was better off wiped from existence.
And to think the child even bit her.
'He needs discipline'. She thought as her drowsiness hit its peak. She gazed at the child sleepily before closing her eyes.
'I'm the adult…' She chanted in her mind. Tejumole refused to admit that she felt nervous earlier. As an elder, she must show strength.
Haoyu's lips twitched when he heard her warning. Grinning, he moved and rested his face on the soft partition before gazing at the professor.
"I've always been a good boy professor. Don't you trust me?" Haoyu uttered, gazing at her with an impish smile. But Tejumole didn't respond.
"Professor?" He called out to her lightly, but her eyes remained closed. She had fallen asleep. Haoyu stopped talking and watched the person next to him. He listened to her soft breathing and observed the gentle heaving of her body.
'You fell asleep so quickly. Are you that tired, or do you feel that secure around me?' Haoyu turned and lay on his back, gazing at the ceiling. He left the pillow separating them where it was and closed his eyes.
However, sleep eluded him, and he turned to face Tejumole instead. Her breathing was light, and she looked so peaceful under the dim nightlight.
She had naturally soft facial features, but her sleeping face looked even more delicate. Like a thin layered bubble that would pop at the slightest touch.
Haoyu stretched his hand after a thought and touched one of her twists. It felt puffy and a bit cold.
Haoyu watched Tejumole completely wrapped in the sheets and slowly approached. He moved closer until their foreheads touched and their breaths mixed.
He moved again, and his lips were barely a few centimetres from hers.
'Can I…?' Haoyu whispered but quickly turned away.
'What's wrong with me?' He lay on his back and dragged his hand across his face while chiding himself.
What was he just about to do? They didn't have that kind of relationship.
Haoyu turned once again and lay on his side, facing Tejumole directly. Although he condemned himself, Haoyu was only a tad remorseful. Things change and as Haoyu looked at the professor he thought;
"Maybe this can also change…"
•••
That same night.
In an upscale apartment. Salami Michael sat behind his desk with a hand holding his face and his livid gaze trained on the four men before him.
His hands moved to cover his face before sliding them down in exasperation.
Gritting his teeth, he spoke to the men who stood silently with battered bodies.
"A woman did this?" He questioned.
"Yes, boss." James answered with difficulty. His face was all bashed up, and his clothes were in tatters. The open areas of his clothes showed the disorienting bruises on his skin. His lips were busted, and standing at attention took all the willpower he had. However, his leg still trembled from the obvious discomfort he was feeling.
And it wasn't just James. Among the four burly bodyguards, only Abraham looked unscathed.
Folu was in a similar condition as James; however, Dare had to accept Abraham's support because his injuries were the worse.
Apparently, after passing out, Dare awoke to his comrades being bullied by the freakishly strong lady. Enraged at the mistreatment, he moved his weary body and joined the fight. He planned to take the woman by surprise; however, she caught him just as he moved and he got beaten up instead.
Abraham looked at the miserable men and gulped in fright. Luckily, thank the heavenly stars, he hadn't gone with them.
They all looked like they were run over by a truck, which was then pummelled by a falling building and destroyed by a tornado. He shivered at the thought of what kind of monster was capable of doing this and wiped his clammy hands on his trousers.
"And you said she's that singer's sister." Michael continued, tapping his fingers on his lap.
"Yes, boss. That's what she claimed." James replied curtly, furrowing his brows at the pain in his mouth. Had he lost a tooth?
"To think the people responsible for my safety were beaten to this state by a woman. How can I entrust my well-being in your hands if you can't even take care of one girl?! Useless!" Michael gave a mocking laugh and spoke in a voice that got louder after every word.
Listening to their story, and about how they were dominated, he couldn't believe it. But knowing James, it was probably the truth.
"Fine, fine. Getting angry won't solve this." He waved his hands and placed them on the desk. Then, looking at the men in the room, he continued.
"At least something good came out of this situation. Since you know what they look like, we'll be visiting our dear treasure soon. And if they refuse to be nice, we can sue them for damages. Just look at you all. Get out of my sight."
"Yes, boss." The four men responded and wobbled out of the study. They paused slightly when they heard Michael's voice.
"Get someone to change the carpet. The blood on it is sickening." They responded before limping out the door, leaving Michael to his thoughts.
Salami Michael owned an Entertainment Company called Rebel Studios.
His company handled many projects every year and most of them brought in substantial revenue. The actors, actresses, and artists under him were talented and a handful of them had gained international recognition.
Michael was not as influential as the top dogs in the industry. However, his Rebel studios wasn't that far off. He just needed a single piece, an opportunity, to finally be on par with the giants of the industry. But finding such an important element proved difficult.
That was until tonight.
That little singer was the key to his meteoric rise. He was certain. Just listening to her voice entertained the hardly impressed man to the point of bewitchment.
If he could utilize the singer and her voice properly, then he could project the company to a higher level. He would achieve his dream and even more. Therefore, letting her go was impossible. He had to have her talent under his control.
Michael's eyes narrowed as he caressed the ring on his wedding finger.
His lips pulled up to show a proud smile before saying.
"My dear wife, just wait. I will bring you down from your high horse and elevate myself even higher." He gazed at the ring with a mixture of emotions. These emotions were complex but the main ones were affection, determination, discontent and then vanity.
It was uncertain which emotion outweighed the other; however, his gaze gradually leaned towards vanity and conquest as he thought of his future.