This scene did not escape Micah's notice, though his expression remained unchanged. He had the charger in hand, but he didn't approach immediately. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his eyes grew noticeably colder. He answered the call.A gentle voice sounded in his ear, "Brother, when are you coming back?""Not coming back for now," Micah responded coldly. At this moment, he seemed entirely different from the gentle, polite man he was with the children or when speaking with Nina.There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice, tinged with anticipation, said, "Brother, when you decide to come back, please call me, or let someone inform me in advance...""Got it. I have things to do, I'm hanging up now." Without another word, Micah ended the call. The woman on the other end heard the beeping of the disconnected line, a flash of anger crossing her eyes. She was seemingly blaming him for hanging up too quickly and not being affectionate enough.---Af
In front of her stood a girl in a brown dress with bronze skin, looking at her with disdain. Nina's lips curled into a cold smile. "Trying to scare me?"Throwing a mouse was such a childish move.The girl crossed her arms and approached Nina with a chilling glare. "No, I'm warning you! Stay away from Mr. Micah. Don't even think about seducing him!"The girl's English was slightly better than the children's, but still not fluent.Nina chuckled. "You're warning the wrong person. I have no such intentions toward Mr. Micah.""Liar!" the girl spat out, her face full of hatred. "You're not from our village. You must have bad intentions!"The more the girl spoke, the angrier she became. "And as soon as you arrived, you started hanging around Mr. Micah. What else could you be trying to do?"Nina found the situation amusing. Her laughter, however, only fueled the girl's anger. The girl rushed forward, trying to push Nina to the ground. Nina dodged and noticed a snake coiled in the gras
Arin felt utterly humiliated by the accusations. The villagers quickly realized who was in the wrong, and they began to criticize Arin while apologizing to Nina."We're sorry. We didn't understand the situation and almost harmed you.""Don't take it to heart. You can stay here as long as you like.""Arin, if you make a mistake, you need to own up to it. Apologize to this lady."Though they spoke in the Yaren language, Nina could understand most of it. Arin, however, was not willing to back down. She liked Mr. Micah but had never dared to express her feelings. Now that everything was out in the open, she couldn't imagine how to face him. Being scolded by so many people made her want to disappear. Apologizing to Nina was the last thing she wanted to do.Mr. Micah's voice was firm, "Arin, apologize to Nina."Shaken by his authoritative tone, Arin had no choice but to walk over to Nina with her head down. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I apologize and hope you can forgive me.""I
Nina nodded. "Alright."She returned to her room, clutching her phone, her mind filled with various faces. Frustrated, she tossed and turned until she eventually fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already the next day.Remembering her promise to Mr. Micah to teach the children, she quickly got ready. The man's mother had prepared some oat porridge for breakfast. Nina drank half a bowl and then set off for the school with the man.Thinking of the students' mistakes from the previous day, she decided to start with teaching them the alphabet. The classroom was very basic, with a wall painted in black to serve as the chalkboard and short pieces of chalk.Nina wrote the alphabet on the makeshift blackboard and introduced herself in the Yaren language, "Hello, everyone. My name is Nina. Since Mr. Micah is away, I will be your substitute teacher."Regardless of Mr. Micah's true nature, these children were innocent. She aimed to help them and, at the same time, build a positive image i
Nina used the key to open Micah's room at the school. It was a small but neatly arranged space. On the windowsill, she spotted some red ointment for swelling.Carefully, she applied the ointment to the red mark on the little girl's back. "I'll put some on you now, but take this ointment home and tell your parents what happened. Next time, if something like this happens, you need to tell a teacher or an adult. Don’t just cry or be afraid of Sean, okay?" Nina's heart ached for the teary-eyed girl.The girl shook her head. "I’m scared Sean will hit me...""Don't be afraid, I’m here."Nina gently patted the girl’s head, comforting her for a long time before leading her out of Micah's room. Before they reached the classroom, a group of villagers surrounded them.Nina recognized the villagers from the previous day. One man stepped forward, "Yesterday was Arin's fault, but today, it can't be Sean's fault again!"Nina realized that Arin and Sean were siblings. Sean’s actions today were l
"There's a situation!""Quickly, defend!""Protect the villagers!"Chaos erupted as the battle began, filling the area with the sound of gunfire and the smell of blood. Intense firefights broke out immediately.Some villagers, unable to escape in time, found themselves caught in the crossfire, desperately covering their heads and trying to flee. Bullets flew mercilessly, and innocent villagers were struck down, falling lifeless to the ground. The sound of artillery and smoke filled the air, mingling with the stench of blood."Waaah—"Children, barely two or three years old, stood helplessly in the midst of the chaos, crying out for their mothers in fear."Protect the children!"Special forces quickly scooped up the children, shielding them with their bodies and rushing them to safety.The Allied forces were well-prepared but encountered unexpected resistance from the Birkham peacekeeping troops. Realizing they were outmatched in both weaponry and combat skill, the Allied tro
Nina could see everything clearly now. The blankets and cups, along with other items, were all adorned with yellow stars.Could it be..."Teacher! You're finally awake!" Sean shouted excitedly as he ran into her arms.Nina was momentarily stunned but then instinctively patted his head."You’re awake!" Another voice said.A soldier in uniform stepped inside, lifting the curtain."Miss, how are you feeling?" the soldier asked, approaching Nina.Hearing familiar English, Nina immediately felt a surge of safety, almost like being home. "I'm okay. Are you... Are you from the Birkham army?""Yes," the soldier replied, a hint of excitement in his voice. "It's so chaotic here. I didn’t expect to meet someone from our country."Nina's first thought was whether she might meet Nash. But seeing the soldier in front of her, she realized he probably didn’t know her or Nash. She decided to ask cautiously, "Do you know Nash York?”To her surprise, the soldier's eyes lit up. "Ah, you know our
Their eyes met, and it felt like an eternity. Despite spending so much time together in the past, this first glance after their long separation felt particularly precious. Tears welled up in Nina's eyes. Seeing him safe and sound mattered more than any words.She didn't step forward, trying hard to control her emotions. Before coming here, she had often wondered if they would ever see each other again. Just seeing him was already a blessing. Compared to his safety, her grievances seemed insignificant.They didn't approach each other. From a distance, their eyes conveyed all the longing they felt. "Captain York," a soldier called out, breaking the moment. "Everyone's waiting for you inside."Nash turned back. "Right," he replied and walked inside without hesitation.Nina stayed where she was, watching until his figure disappeared. A sense of loss filled her heart, but she reminded herself that they were divorced. No disappointment could surpass the heartbreak of receiving the di