Evidently, Serena was unnerved by the rejection of her money. Since her return, she had noticed Oliver's delicate behavior around Lillian. If he were to discover Lillian's pregnancy, Serena couldn't be certain of his response. Her intuition warned her that Oliver wouldn't easily let go if he learned the truth.Facing Lillian, Serena could only muster a strained smile. "Lillian, are you worried what others might think? There's no need. This money is my own, known to no one else. I am genuinely concerned about you, especially given your current situation...""Miss Serena," Lillian sighed softly, "Thank you for your concern. Though my family has fallen, I've strived these past years. Maybe not lavish, but sufficient for myself and..." She paused, a faint smile curving her lips, "it's not a problem. Besides, you've helped me enough already; I can't continue taking your money.""It's alright, I'm giving it willingly.""Miss Serena, I really can't."Lillian returned the envelope to Serena a
Her words struck him like a blow, leaving Oliver speechless for a long time. When he finally regained his senses, he saw Lillian's eyes filled with mockery and pain. Before he could look closer, she lowered her head and resumed packing with an urgency that hadn't been there before. Clothes were no longer folded neatly but crumpled together hastily and stuffed into her suitcase.As she turned, Oliver's icy voice came from above and his grip tightened around her delicate wrist. "Why move out today? Are you so eager?"His tone was laced with sarcasm. "Let me guess the reason for your haste—is it because of the lunch you had today with your dear Nolan?"Lillian jerked her head up in disbelief. "You have no right to mock me! You know exactly what my relationship with Nolan is!"She struggled to free her hand, but Oliver's grip was unyielding, clutching her even tighter as she attempted to pull away.His mouth was set in a straight, displeased line. "What? Am I wrong? If he's not the reason
Oliver dragged two of his buddies out for drinks.He was drinking fiercely, treating the alcohol as if it were mere water.Ji Qingbei and Gu Yanxi watched on the side, both feeling a sense of alarm."Should we stop him?"Ji Qingbei gestured with his eyes towards Gu Yanxi.Hearing this, Gu Yanxi shrugged helplessly."Do you think I have the ability to persuade him?"Ji Qingbei pursed his lips with a grave expression: "He's already had a lot. If he keeps this up, it's not going to be good for his health."Gu Yanxi nodded in agreement."Yeah."The next second, both moved forward in silent consensus to intervene."That's enough, Oliver. Stop drinking.""Even if you're trying to drown your sorrows, you've had enough. Once the alcohol evaporates a bit, you'll be out cold."While they verbally tried to stop him, they didn't dare to physically intervene.Hearing them, Oliver let out a scoff, not bothering to reply. He had enough for the night, his eyes were red, and there was a heavy air of a
At that moment, Lillian had already changed into her pajamas, ready to lie down for the night. No matter how upset she felt, she couldn't let it disrupt her normal routine. If she truly decided to keep the child, she knew she might have a tough battle ahead. Thus, she needed to be constantly rejuvenated and prepared. Even if sleep eluded her, she had to lie in bed and rest.Unexpectedly, her phone rang at this hour, and to her surprise, it was Oliver calling. The sight of his name on the screen brought a complex swirl of emotions. After their rigid confrontation earlier and his abrupt departure, Lillian had assumed he went to seek solace with Serena. Yet here he was, calling her.Tempted to answer, then considering the call he had Serena make earlier, she almost didn't want to. But as the phone continued to ring, she finally relented, only to hear an unfamiliar male voice on the line.After a few seconds of internal conflict, Lillian resigned herself to change out of her sleepwear and
Gu Yanxi immediately nodded in agreement."You're right; he can't be left unattended in this state. So, where shall we...""Let's take him to my place," Ji Qingbei interjected suddenly, his voice steady and deep. "As you both heard, he called out my name. If I don't keep my promise, he might come looking for trouble once he's sober."Ji Qingbei had been an old friend of Oliver's for many years, even before Gu Yanxi and Serena came into the picture.His temperament was always composed, speaking little and wasting no words. But when he did speak, it was difficult to refuse him.Just like now.Serena observed Ji Qingbei with his calm demeanor. For reasons she couldn't fathom, she felt as though this Ji Qingbei wasn't too fond of her.But he was a good friend of Oliver's.Maybe it was just her imagination.Gu Yanxi, on the other hand, seemed a bit lost for words as he spoke up for Serena."Oliver's drunk out of his mind; he probably won't even remember what he's said by morning. Ji, why t
"What do you think?" Ji Qingbei countered with a question of his own.Their gazes locked in mid-air, and after a beat, Ji Qingbei added, "What's wrong? Disappointed she didn't come?"The 'she' they referred to was clear to both.Silence lingered for a moment before Oliver scoffed, "Disappointed? About what? Doesn't matter to me whether she shows up or not.""Oh," Ji Qingbei raised an eyebrow, "since you don't care, I won't say anything else."And with that, he remained silent.Oliver's brows knitted tightly together, his gaze on Ji Qingbei filled with annoyance."Why play coy? If you know something, just spit it out.""I'm playing coy?" Ji Qingbei feigned surprise, "I thought you didn't want to know, fearing it would annoy you. So I said nothing. But do you really want to know?"Oliver's response was an irritated silence.Damn it, why did he even know someone like Ji Qingbei?Oliver was too exasperated to c
"Play?" Lillian wrinkled her nose at the term."Yeah!" Sophie, propping up her chin, exclaimed with unbridled excitement: "Babies are such fun, you know? For instance, if it's a girl, you can dress her up every day like a live mannequin, reminiscent of those dress-up online games."Lillian just stared back, wordless and bemused, not having expected such a notion from Sophie, who rarely dabbled in games."Right, and when the time comes, I'll be the godmother," Sophie enthusiastically rubbed her hands together, a gleam in her eyes, "If you get too busy, I'll just move in and help you out. Hehehe, but let me declare, it's not for the sheer joy of playing with the baby that I'd move in, okay?"Lillian suddenly felt she understood the real reason behind Sophie's insistence on her keeping the child."Oh," Sophie suddenly grew serious, "I forgot to ask, did Serena come to you yesterday?""Mhm.""Darn, what did she have to say?"Lillian recounted the events of the previous day to Sophie, who
A debt of gratitude was incurred at that moment, and Lillian truly realized how timely Serena's call had been when she later scurried everywhere for help. The Shen family had lost all their assets, leaving behind only one property. When it came to restarting their business, Lillian intended to sell the property to give her father capital to begin anew, but Mr. Shen did not agree, stating solemnly:"The property should be dealt with as it must. I was successful starting from scratch before, and I can certainly do it again. Give the property to those people, and someday invite Serena for a meal. See if there's anything you can help her with to repay the favor as soon as possible.""Dad..."How easy is it to repay such a debt?Mr. Shen caressed his daughter's head with a warm smile: "Even if I have nothing, I won't allow our Nuonuo to bow down before a rival in love. Don't worry, I can rise again. I have a friend who will surely help us. I've already spoken to him."No, he was lying.Lil