Only Marlin stared at Johann with wide eyes and said, "Uncle Johann is so fierce. I'm scared."Johann showed no mercy even to Marlin. "You'll receive the same punishment as your brothers. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're a small kid and won't be held responsible."Marlin blinked. Glistening tears instantly rolled down from the corners of his eyes, one after another. He looked extremely aggrieved. "Abigail, save me!"Marlin was cute. His voice was tender which made him very likable. Abigail could not bear to see him look so upset. "Grandpa, Mar is still so young, just—"Johann interrupted, "Being young isn't an excuse to avoid punishment. No matter the age, there'll be consequences for mistakes made."Abigail remained silent. She thought, 'What Grandpa said seems to make sense. When you make mistakes as a child, your family may not care. But when you grow up, there'll be people to hold you accountable.'Marlin cried, "Uncle Johann, you don't love me any
Abigail responded: [Look at the way you replied to me. It seems like we're so distant. You seemed like you weren't chatting with your wife but just an ordinary friend.]Upon seeing this message, Keith, who was pretending to be Xander, was so frightened that his hand trembled and almost dropped the phone.He immediately handed the phone to Kane. "I've said that Abigail is sharp and can easily spot inconsistencies. You guys didn't believe me. How should I respond to her now?"Kane said, "She didn't say you weren't Xander. Why are you panicking?"Keith responded, "You reply to her message then.""Sure." Kane grabbed the phone and quickly typed a message: [It's not that I don't want to chat with you. It's just that I'm busy with something. You go rest now. I'll contact you when I'm done. Goodnight!]After sending the message, Kane just tossed the phone aside. "It's been solved."Keith asked, "How did you solve it?"Kane answered, "I just said 'Goodnight' to her!"Keith was speechl
Lucia said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."Abigail replied, "It's getting late. You should sleep now. You need to get up early for work tomorrow."Lucia responded, "Are you confused? Tomorrow is Saturday."Abigail said, "Tomorrow is Saturday? Come to Valtara then. I want to introduce you to Grandpa officially..."Lucia responded, "I think I shouldn't go for now."Abigail asked, "Why?"Lucia said, "Grandpa likes you and has affection for you because Grandma raised you. You have some of Grandma's traits."I've never even seen Grandma before. I don't have any resemblance to her. I think Grandpa wouldn't acknowledge me."Abigail responded, "Silly girl, you're part of our family. How could Grandpa not acknowledge you?"Lucia was persistent. "I can listen to you on other matters. But for this, I'd like you to respect my choice, okay?"Back then, Lucia very quickly accepted the fact that Abigail was her sister because she knew Abigail and had already liked her from the bottom of her he
One of the readers asked: [Is there no sense of security in drawing comics?]Abigail answered: [Comics are my hobby. And they also bring me income, so it makes me happy. But I have to admit that many full-time independent creators don't have a sense of security.]Abigail wholeheartedly chatted with her comics readers as if they were her friends. She also discouraged some young readers who had just started drawing comics and were thinking of quitting their jobs.At the end of the day, comics were a form of artistic creation. And the prerequisite of being able to create art was being able to support one's life. Only with a good life could one produce good works.Unexpectedly, as she was chatting with her readers, someone with the social media account name "Stella Dawson" appeared.Stella Dawson commented: [Wow, my favorite person, Fat Caterpie, is actually interacting with readers in the comment section. Did I miss much?]Someone replied to her: [Brother, you used the name of the f
Stella had a combined fan base of over 200 million on various social media platforms.Normally, when people asked her to promote business-related content, even a single Facebook post would cost at least seven figures. Her commercial value was very high.Now, Stella voluntarily promoted Abigail's comic for free. She even provided the link to the comic. Suddenly, Abigail's comic website experienced a surge in traffic causing it to crash.One of Stella's fans lamented: [The website crashed before I even got to see it.]Another person said: [This is the power of Stella's loyal fans. With just one sentence from Stella, we can overwhelm a website.]Where there were fans, there would be a unique social circle.Soon, one of Stella's haters commented: [Stella's fans are so awesome. They crashed someone else's website and they're here gloating about it. How disgusting!]One of Stella's fans responded: [Are you blind? Or can't you understand human language?]Another said: [This kind of br
Abigail said, "Mel, in the future, don't talk about things you aren't sure about. You got me all excited for nothing. "Felix, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly chimed in, "Stinky Caterpie, who said you got all excited for nothing? Something even better has come knocking on our door."Abigail asked, "What is it?"Felix said, "Open your WhatsApp and take a look. I'll send you screenshots."Abigail then opened her WhatsApp and saw the chat histories between Felix and a few others.Felix continued saying, "See it now?"Abigail responded, "Stella's influence is unbelievably huge!"Felix replied, "In just a short while, several quite well-known entertainment companies have approached us. They're interested in purchasing the film and television rights of this comic of yours."One of them is Ripplewood Films which we collaborated with last time. All of them offered in good faith. What do you both think now?"Melody responded, "Personally, I think these companies, apart from
"I think the same way." Abigail had this intention too. She thought, 'We're just ordinary people. Of course, we'll want to make more money. This traffic comes to us voluntarily. It won't harm anyone, so why not take advantage of it?'Felix said, "The website has been restored. The clicks and subscriptions for that comic of yours are skyrocketing again. Considering the current situation, we'll have to work late tonight."Abigail responded, "The two of us can work late. Mel, go rest."Melody said, "The studio belongs to the three of us. How can I be absent at such a crucial time?"Just when Abigail wanted to say something, Felix suddenly yelled, "Damn it, our website has crashed again."Even though they were prepared, Abigail and the others still underestimated Stella's influence and the capabilities of her fan base.After the website was restored, there was another surge of fans, and within half an hour, the website crashed once again.And this continued until around 2:00 a.m. or
Felix said, "Are the two of you intentionally keeping me from sleeping?"Melody responded, "I can't stay up any longer. I'm going to bed now. Caterpie, Fee, goodnight!"Felix replied, "You haven't told me what it is, you're not allowed to sleep!"A notification sound could then be heard. Melody had already left the video call.Felix hoped Abigail would tell him. "Stinky Caterpie, you know how I'm feeling, right? It'd be okay if I didn't know you two were keeping a secret from me. But now that I know, and you two aren't telling me what it is... Can you imagine from my perspective how uncomfortable it is?"Abigail nodded. "It's indeed very uncomfortable. Just the thought about it is unbearable."Felix responded, "So, tell me what it is."Abigail shook her head. "I really can't tell you right now. In a little over a month, you should be able to know about it."Felix was about to go crazy. "In a little over a month? You two aren't just keeping me from sleeping tonight, but you want
Emma turned and dashed into the bathroom. She cranked the faucet on and splashed water on her face, aiming to soothe her nerves.Although they were engaged, they were still too young, with countless uncertainties looming over their future. The possibility of actually walking down the aisle was up in the air.Decisions made in a rush of happiness could eventually become sources of regret. And Emma knew all too well that she couldn't afford any regrets.She thought that fortunately, Ron hadn't pushed things further, which gave her time to cool off.After freshening up, Emma stepped out to find Ron on the balcony, a cigarette in hand.She couldn't resist chiding him, "I've told you to cut down on smoking. Why can't you seem to remember?"This time, Ron complied, snuffing out the cigarette. "We should get some sleep. We've got to put our best foot forward when we meet your family tomorrow.""Okay, I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed," Emma responded.Ron simply replied, "As y
Ron looked at her dawdling pace with disdain. "If you, a lady, can handle it, why can't I, a grown man, stay?"His words sounded noble, but Ron regretted them the moment they arrived at the hotel.Despite now earning a decent income, Emma was still reluctant to spend money.This place was hardly a hotel; it was clearly a budget inn charging only a few dozen bucks a night. The hygiene was questionable at best, and safety seemed like a gamble.Ron turned on his heel, dragging her suitcase behind him. "We're leaving, now.""It's too late, and we can't get a refund for the room.""Are you trying to get us killed?"Emma fell silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of frustration. 'I told him he wouldn't be used to cheap places. He insisted on coming with me, and now he won't even let me stay here alone. Why is he so annoying?'However, considering Ron had rushed over in the middle of the night to help her, Emma decided not to hold it against him.Ron picked the best hotel in the area—the
Rebekah glanced over at Ron; she exchanged a knowing look with him before saying, "I'll have someone tidy up the rooms. Why don't you two stay here tonight and keep me company?"Ron replied simply, "Sure."Emma had purchased a midnight flight back to South Florivera, necessitating a rush to the airport, which made staying over after dinner impossible.Yet, she found herself at a loss for words, struggling to decline Rebekah's kind offer.As she hesitated, Ron stepped in to clear the air. "Mom, I've got something on tonight. After dinner, I'll drive Emma back to her dorm."Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?" she wondered aloud, thinking, 'Wasn't he the one insisting Emma stay over? What's he up to now?'Ron kept it mysterious. "Life stuff."Rebekah could not help but chide him lightly, "You, always the joker."Right after dinner, Ron insisted on leaving to take Emma back to her dormitory. But as soon as they were out of the gated community, he asked, "So, you reall
Ron chuckled. "I didn't know you were aware that even a cornered rat will fight."Emma shot him a glare. "Are we going or not?"Ron quickly said, "Of course. When Miss Blue commands, how can I dare not obey?"Fearing another of his notorious driving escapades, Emma hastily buckled her seatbelt as she settled into the car.Thankfully, this time Ron kept it smooth, driving steadily.As they neared their destination, Ron finally spoke up, "You know, that Tucker guy is a married man. Don't let his kindness fool you into being the other woman."Emma's gaze on Ron was fiery, seething with anger. "Do you even hear yourself? Is that what you think of me? For the last time: Tucker and I share nothing more than a mentor-mentee relationship. There's nothing else between us.""I'm just looking out for you, worried you might get deceived," Ron said, witnessing Emma's fury for the first time. Yet, he could not help but find her anger not at all intimidating, but rather endearingly foolish.R
The two sisters had a pact: no cell phones at home to keep their secrets from the prying eyes of the Blue family. Thus, Emma could call only at prearranged times, the sole window for Rihanna to catch up.Rihanna's voice bubbled with excitement over the phone, as she chattered away about her life's minutiae.Knowing Rihanna was doing well eased Emma's mind.Just as Emma was about to end the call, she heard Rihanna's voice, soft and wistful. "You're really not coming home for the holidays? If you don't, I'll be all alone."Emma's heart clenched at those words, and she made up her mind in an instant. "I'll come back the day before New Year's Eve."The Blue family had their hands full with festivities that day, too busy to notice Rihanna's absence. Emma figured slipping back unnoticed then would be her best shot.After hanging up, Emma immediately booked a flight from Valtara to South Florivera. With her ticket secured and her last bit of work finished, Emma prepared to leave her off
Emma had no interest in romance, let alone the audacity to dream that Ron might fancy her.This time, she did not pick up the thread of conversation.After dinner, Ron, as usual, drove Emma back to the university.Before parting, Ron said, "Winter break is almost upon us, and the dorms might be off-limits. Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place for a couple of months?"Emma offered a smile in response. "Thanks for the offer. I've spoken with the dorm supervisor and submitted an application in advance. I'll be able to stay over the holiday period."Ron paused before saying, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll text you my number in a bit; make sure you save it."Emma nodded. "Sure."Without further ado, Ron drove off.Upon returning to her dorm, Emma saw Evelyn and Cassie, busy packing their bags, surrounded by gifts for their parents bought from Valtara.Evelyn asked Emma, "Are you really not going home for the winter break?"Emma replied, "No, I won't
Emma did not have the guts to risk failure because she did not have a safe haven to fall back on.Lucas kicked Ron in the shin. "Come on, if you fancy her, out with it. No Hagrid heir dithers like this."Ron glared at him. "Mind your own business." In his head, Emma was already his. The thought of losing her was unimaginable.Lucas said, "Without my meddling, she'd never be yours."Ron changed the subject. "I called you here for a serious discussion."Lucas replied, "No matter how serious, it can't outweigh the matter of your lifetime happiness."Ron was exasperated. "Lucas!"Lucas relented. "Alright, alright, you talk, I'm all ears."Ron spelled out Emma's music venture with Tucker. After hearing it all, Lucas could not help but see Emma in a new light."Never pegged Emma as such a dark horse," Lucas said.Silently listening to their conversation, Emma was thrilled to have her work recognized.Lucas said, "But, getting back to it, whether a song makes money, and how much, d
Ron barked, "Lucas!"With a chuckle, Lucas responded, "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing Emma. I'm starving. Let's grab some food and talk business while we eat."Ron snapped, "Get lost!"Lucas could not help but revel in Ron's frustration. "Ron, have you fallen so quickly? Who was it that told me they would never accept an arranged marriage?"Emma was increasingly confused by their banter. "If it's inconvenient for me to be here, I can just take a cab and leave."Ron said, "Call you dumb and you won't admit it!"Emma thought to herself, 'I didn't want to be a third wheel, cramping their style. Was that really so wrong? No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.'Suddenly, Ron grabbed Emma's hand and led her inside. "It's cold out; let's go inside."Emma had to quicken her pace, practically being dragged along.Seeing them together, Lucas laughed heartily from behind. "Ron, oh Ron, never thought I'd see the day.""Don't laugh too soon. Your day is coming," Ron shot back.Th
Emma said, "Okay."Ron asked, "Have you won over your crush?"Lucas responded, "Secret."Ron replied, "Looks like you haven't won her over."Lucas said, "As long as I make a move, there's no girl I can't win over. But I haven't made a move yet because the timing isn't right."Ron asked, "Is it because of the Sandow family?"Lucas answered, "The Sandow family wants to marry their daughter to me, and my family wants me to marry her too. But I've told them long ago that I'm not willing to do that. Nobody can make me marry a girl I don't like."Emma remained silent. 'I didn't expect that Lucas would also have the same problem as me and Ron.'It seems like the wealthier the family, the more they'll arrange marriages based on social status without considering personal preferences.'Lucas seemed to sense Emma's thoughts. "Emma, my situation with the Sandow girl is different from yours and Ron's. Don't lump us together."Ron looked at Emma and suddenly said, "There isn't any other gi