A couple of days later, Alyssa relayed some surprising news to Michelle.
Alyssa: "Michelle, you sold the rights to your work to Makka Comics."
She then sent Michelle a price.
Soon after, Alyssa messaged again: "GreenMango Comics says they look down on our works and don't plan on purchasing?! Who do they think they are? This is infuriating! đ "
Michelle, unsure of how to comfort Alyssa, replied: "It's okay, we've sold the rights anyway. And isn't Makka Comics better than GreenMango Comics?"
Alyssa: "Yes, Makka Comics is better, but it's not GreenMango Comics' place to snub us! It's infuriating!"
Behind them was a vibrant tapestry of brilliant fiery trees against a broad, warm-hued sky. In the foreground, the cool, composed silhouette seemed to melt into the velvety backdrop of the night, accompanied by a delicate and fragile one.The first time Michelle Xia kissed a man was when she was twenty, though her physical age was twenty-four. It was during her first winter in this world and subsequently her first spring. The nights bridging winter and spring were chilly, and her hand found warmth tucked inside the pocket of a man's coat, held securely by his grasp. The world outside was filled with the raucous noise of fireworks; sharp and jarring, but to her, it was as if she heard nothing.Alex Ye's first kiss came at twenty-nine, just four months shy of turning thirty. By then, he had built a little family - Michelle, Lizzy, and
Michelle Xia fiddled with the red envelope Alex Ye had handed to her, feeling unsure, debating whether to return it.In romance novels, there was always a trope where the domineering CEO stuffed a bank/credit card into such an envelope. Whenever Michelle came across or wrote such a scenario, she found it utterly nonsensical. Why would anyone do this in real life when a simple bank transfer would suffice?She never understood the thought process behind such writers. Yet, since the readers seemed to love such plotlines, she followed suit whenever she saw other authors penning them down.But here was Alex, looking as calm as ever, as if giving her a red envelope was the most natural thing in the world—let alone one with a card inside.
In the end, Mr. Ye gave her a new password â it was her birthday. Michelle Xia smiled as she accepted his bank card, not offering further comment. She didn't like accepting handouts, and besides, she was doing well financially now. To her, Alex Ye's bank card held no real significance; she didn't need his money. But if he was brave enough to offer, what reason did she have to refuse?Years ago, when Alex Ye worried she might be strapped for cash, he'd extended her the offer of a bank card. Back then, their relationship could best be described as "strangers," so she naturally declined. Eleanor Ye had made a similar gesture, but Michelle had also refused.Michelle wasn't surprised that Alex knew her birthday. After all, if he could know Lizzy's birthday, why wouldn't he know hers? She turned to him, her smile soft and gentle. With no hint of guilt, she inquired, "Mr. Ye, when is your birthday?"Lifting his gaze to hers, Alex replied, "May 28th, Gregorian calendar."Michelle nodded,
In truth, Mr. Alex Ye was rather innocent.He looked into Michelle Xia's accusing eyes, paused for a moment, and subtly glanced in the direction of his study. His study happened to be right next to Lizzy Xia's room.Michelle followed his gaze and had a hunch about what he meant. Still, this didn't deter her from continuing her accusations.Alex sighed silently.From what he'd heard from his married or dating peers, when the other party was upset or unhappy, simply apologizing could avoid 80% of potential unpleasant situations.With utmost sincerity, Alex apologized to her, "I'm sorry."His apology was so earnest that Michelle found herself unable to continue her blame game, so she reluctantly looked away. In reality, the bump hadn't been hard, but the nose was sensitive, which caused a sharper pain. For a moment, she couldn't help but blame him.Michelle knew she was being slightly unreasonable and quickly composed herself. Rubbing her nose, which still throbbed a little, she briefly
When Alex Ye returned home, he found Michelle Xia and Lizzy Xia arranging flowers in his room.They had procured several gleaming glass vases from somewhere, and pale golden champagne roses were strewn about, creating an almost melancholic scene. Lizzy was leaning over the table, handing flowers to her mother with great care, all the while tilting her head to watch as Michelle inserted the roses into the vase.Upon seeing her father, the little girl immediately hopped off the chair and, with her short legs, made a quick âpatter-patter-patterâ as she rushed to greet him. Lizzy smiled brightly, briefly acted coquettishly with Alex, then ran back in her âpatter-patter-patterâ manner, continuing her task of handing flowers to Michelle and watching her work.Alex didnât get upset upon seeing the champagne roses being used as playthings, but he did feel a pang of frustration, a slight incredulity. To him, Michelleâs demeanor was hardly what one would expect from someone who received flowers
The first to notice Alex was little Lizzy. Her mouth fell open in apparent surprise at seeing him there. "Why is daddy here? Did he come to buy cake for Lizzy?"Blinking her eyes, Lizzy flashed a sweet smile and softly called out, "Daddy."The café, a quiet and relaxed public space, demanded a certain decorum. Lizzy knew she couldn't yell as she usually did. She was a polite and considerate child, always mindful not to disturb others.Michelle Xia looked stunned for a moment, her gaze following the child's to where Alex Ye was approaching. Alex took a seat opposite them, his expression unreadable, revealing no hint of emotion. He acknowledged the little girl with a low, magnetic "Hmm" in response to her earlier call."I originally came to pick up something for you both to take home," Alex began to explain, "but it seems you're already here."Hearing that her father had planned on getting her a little cake, Lizzy's heart soared. She immediately said, "Daddy can bring Lizzy a cake tomor
In contrast to the tumult of the Yu and Zhao households, life was serene for Alex Ye and Michelle Xia. One afternoon, Alex left work early, intending to pick up his child from kindergarten. The child was overjoyed to see her father coming to get her that day. Lately, it had mostly been her mother, Michelle, doing the pickups. When her dad picked her up, it often meant a delightful detour to grab a delicious slice of cake, with an extra slice for her mom. And if she acted sweetly towards her mother, Michelle might even let her sneak an extra bite of her slice. Just thinking about it made Lizzy Xia feel like the luckiest child in the world! With her little legs, Lizzy dashed over to Alex Ye, her laughter soft and sweet. "Daddy, let's buy a yummy cake for Mommy, okay?" she chirped. Pausing to feign a sigh of concern, she added dramatically, "Mommy's been so busy writing again. She works so hard." Thus, the need for the scrumptious cake. Whether or not she got to eat some was secondary;
Spring ebbed away, and by the swift turn of May, summer was fast approaching. At the beginning of the month, Aria Cheng joyfully welcomed a baby boy into the world, affectionately named "Liam." Sophie Ye was thrilled with the addition of a baby brother and shared her excitement with Lizzy Xia, "My little brother is also your brother, Lizzy. From now on, we'll both be Liam's big sisters!" Though she too was Liam's sister, Lizzy couldn't help but envy Sophie. Returning home, Lizzy once more cozied up to Alex and Michelle Xia, expressing her desire for a little brother. Michelle nodded in response and then, with an air of seriousness, began discussing with Lizzy which street's trash bin they should visit to pick up a brother. Lizzy's young mind filled with confusion. She pondered, "So, is that how you get a little brother? By picking him up like trash?" Lizzy felt a sudden repulsion at the thought of a brother from a trash can â stinky and unclean! She was having second thoughts,