Growing up, Grace had taught Stella not to simply accept things from others.Stella was not very close to these people. So, she did not want to accept their things. "I appreciate your kindness, but you guys can take back your things. My dad bought me a lot of supplements, enough for me to eat for a long time."Paige responded, "The supplements aren't as nutritious as our own raised chickens. City people nowadays love to eat our local chickens, but they can't buy them. Just accept them."Stella insisted, "It's really fine!"But everyone ignored her and placed everything they brought in the yard. "Just accept them. We're all Dawsons, we're family. You don't need to be so polite with us."Stella replied, "Paige, it's really fine."She could not resist the group of people's enthusiasm."What are you all doing here?"It was the village leader's voice. He was also one of the people responsible for receiving Lucas today.They were showing Lucas around. Originally, they did not plan t
Stella's legs had not fully recovered. She walked quickly, and her legs were so painful that she almost fell. She grabbed onto a stone table nearby for support.Lucas swiftly ran to her side and reached out to support her. "Stella, when have you become so stubborn?"He was a little angry because she had almost fallen just now. 'She's well aware of her legs' injury but still acted so willfully. It was like she was asking for trouble.'Stella shook off his hand. "Mr. White, please don't touch me!"The person in charge and the others heard Lucas and Stella arguing. They stopped walking toward them as they knew it might not be appropriate to approach them now.The person in charge immediately waved his hand to signal everyone to step back. He knew they should not listen to Lucas and Stella's conversation.Lucas was angry. Without saying a word, he lifted Stella around the waist and carried her back to her room on the second floor. "Lie down on the bed to rest now. I'll call for a doc
Stella did not want to hear Lucas's apologies. "Please leave immediately. My boyfriend is about to arrive. I don't want him to misunderstand that there's some inappropriate relationship between us."Lucas's voice hardened. "What boyfriend?"As soon as he asked that, a pleasant male's voice could be heard from downstairs. "Stella, Stella... Is this your home?"It was Ronan's voice.Three days after Stella woke up, Ronan had texted her on WhatsApp, asking her about her health. They occasionally chatted.Yesterday, when she returned to her hometown, she informed Ronan about it.He mentioned he happened to be working on a project nearby and planned to visit her today.Stella immediately recognized his voice. "Ronan, this is my home. The gate isn't locked. You can just come in. I'm on the second floor."Stella struggled, attempting to get off her bed to greet Ronan.Lucas firmly pressed her down, preventing her from getting out of bed. "Are you still in touch with Ronan?"Stella p
Lucas continued thinking, 'How can Ronan address Stella like that?'He, extremely displeased, maintained a smile. "Mr. McKinney, didn't your parents teach you how to address someone else's wife?"Ronan smiled as he said, "Mr. White, you two are already divorced. You're no longer married, so she's no longer your wife. Calling her your wife in front of me, her boyfriend, isn't it appropriate?"Lucas responded, "She's mine."Ronan countered, "She's yours? She's an individual, not an object. She belongs only to herself."Lucas insisted, "She's my wife."Ronan questioned, "She's your wife? Is your divorce decree fake?"The conversation between the two was very tense; if it escalated into a physical confrontation, it would be bad.Stella cleared her throat.Ronan immediately looked at her, who had been ignored by them. "Stella, why is he bothering you again?"Stella pursed her bleeding, busted lips caused by Lucas. "Could you please ask him to leave? If he doesn't, we'll call the p
Stella did not want to stay on this topic. "Once we're out of the yard, you can put me down."Ronan asked, "Stella, what are you worried about?"Stella responded, "What's there to worry about? I can walk on my own. Why should I let you keep on carrying me?"Ronan said, "If I put you down now, Lucas will think there's still hope for him. Let me continue carrying you to completely eliminate his hopes."Stella pondered before saying, "Sure."Ronan said, "Which way? You guide me."Stella explained, "Once we're out of the yard, turn right, walk down a small path, and you'll reach the riverside. When my dad is free, he loves fishing by the river. Even if he doesn't catch anything, he can sit by the river all day.""He's quite patient. Patient people tend to have a greater chance of success in what they do.""My dad isn't ambitious. He listens to my mom in everything. He's been a nice person all his life, but yesterday he quarreled with the villagers because of me."Ronan asked, "Wha
Ronan said, "But there are no 'ifs' in life."Stella responded, "Exactly. From the moment I met Lucas, my life may have been destined to be this way.""What are your plans for the future? Will you go back to acting?"Stella shook her head. "I'm not sure."Ronan said, "That jerk, Lucas, followed us."Stella asked, "You're a man, can you tell me what he's thinking? Why, after our divorce, is he still clinging to me?"Ronan responded, "Maybe he truly likes you."Stella did not believe that Lucas truly loved her. "Tell me the truth."Ronan replied, "I really can't think of any other reason that'd make a man cling to you to this extent."Stella did not respond. 'If it's love, it should be like how Nathan treats Abigail. Lucas said I wasn't worthy of having his child, how could he truly love me?'Ronan added, "It might also be an obsession. The more you reject him, the more he wants to have you. It's like when you fancy a certain product; if you don't get it, you'll keep thinking a
Ronan asked, "Are you talking about Lucas coming to invest?"Stella nodded and frustratedly said, "I'm not sure if his investment here is good or bad for the locals here."Ronan responded, "We live in the big cities. When we occasionally come to places like this, everything seems good. We may even feel that the air here is better than in the city, hoping nothing here will change."But if there's no development here, the locals here can't move forward. They won't have any income other than from farming. More and more people will leave."Population loss, especially a large-scale one, isn't good for any place. Lucas's investment in tourism development here can attract tourists from other places, increasing the income of the local people. For most people, it's actually a good thing."Stella lifted her head and glanced around. "I hope so."Behind them were green mountains, and in front, there was a river. Their small village was located between the green mountains and a river.At dus
Stella said, "The water of this river comes from the melted snow of the snowy mountains. The water quality is good, and the fish in the river are wild and healthy. The fish have a mild fishy taste, and the meat is delicious. My dad said that selling them can fetch nearly a hundred dollars per pound. If you don't eat it tonight, you'll definitely regret it in the future."Ronan was born into a wealthy family and had tasted all kinds of delicacies. However, he still went along with Stella. "I'm almost drooling listening to you. I'll stay for dinner then, to anger Lucas."Speaking of Lucas, Stella glanced to the left from the corner of her eye and saw Lucas standing still like a statue.She could not understand how Lucas could endure her treating him so indifferently.She thought, 'The Lucas that I knew back then wasn't so humble. Whatever, I'm just going to ignore him.'"Ronan, can you help me up?" Stella asked.Ronan immediately reached out and helped her stand up. "Do you want to
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