Julissa rested her cheek on one hand, and with the other, typed on her phone:“Because I’m afraid you’ll eat me up.”Before sending it, she quickly deleted it.Scott had asked her seriously, so she felt she should answer seriously too.After a moment of thought, Julissa replied:“You’re richer than me, you own more properties than me—but that’s all yours. Since I’m capable too, I don’t want to keep relying on your help or taking advantage of you. That’s why I need to move out.”Scott replied:“But I’ve taken advantage of you too.”Julissa’s face instantly flushed with heat.How could he make her blush through the phone screen?She could practically see that teasing, lazy look in his eyes.She gave her cheeks a light slap to shake it off and replied more earnestly:“Mr. Nichols, I have to move out—not just to balance our relationship, but to put my parents at ease.”If her parents ever found out she was staying in Scott’s apartment for free, they’d freak out.They’d definitely think th
Wait... were those movers?The three movers greeted Scott politely, slipped on shoe covers at the door, and then started carrying in furniture that had already been placed out in the hallway.Julissa watched the pieces being brought inside, her mind full of question marks.Weren’t these… my things?These were the items she’d stored in the previous landlord’s basement. The plan had been to move them once she found a new place.She had originally intended to call a moving company over the weekend to bring everything to Anna’s little apartment—but Scott had beaten her to it.Julissa walked up to him and tugged on his sleeve.“Mr. Nichols, why did you bring this stuff here?”“Aren’t I helping you move?” he replied casually.Julissa scratched her head. She had mentioned to him before that some of her things were still at the old landlord’s. So technically, it made sense that he’d helped move them.The problem was—he brought them to the wrong address.“I’m supposed to move to Anna’s place!
Scott patted the back of her hand, then pulled a document from his briefcase on the couch and handed it to Julissa.Julissa shot him a wary look before opening it.It was—a rental agreement.She skimmed through it quickly. The meaning was clear: Scott wanted to formally rent out his apartment to her.Everything was done according to proper rental procedures—standard terms like “one month deposit, three months’ rent” were listed. The contract was well-formatted and completely legitimate. Everything was filled out, except for the monthly rent, which was left blank. The landlord, Scott, had already signed it with his usual flourish.He passed her his pen and pointed at the signature line:“Just sign here.”Julissa set the pen aside.“I’m not renting your place. This is clearly just a formality.”Scott let out a sigh and began explaining sincerely.First of all, with this contract, if Julissa’s parents ever questioned her, she could show them that she wasn’t freeloading off her boyfriend.
But even with Mr. Nichols being this humble, the little girlfriend still wasn’t satisfied.“Nope, that price is too low. That’d mean I’m taking advantage of you again.”Scott was out of options.“Then you name a price.”Julissa thought for a moment.Should she go with six thousand a month? Or seven?She walked to the living room and sat down on the couch, seriously surveying the apartment.Truth be told, she really liked the place. She knew it was definitely worth 8,000 a month. But come on, they were a couple—there should at least be a friends and family discount, right?As she hesitated, Scott watched her torn expression and gently asked,“Didn’t I already give you a 100,000 monthly salary? Is it not enough?”Why else would she be so hung up over a few thousand in rent?He began wondering if maybe Julissa really didn’t have enough to spend. Should he bump up her bonus? But how much would be appropriate? Too much and she’d definitely refuse. Too little, and it wouldn’t help. It wa
Very soon, Mr. Nichols replied:“Tentatively scheduled for next weekend.”Julissa did a quick mental calculation. There was still a bit more than a week left, and that gave her a small sense of relief.Thinking back to what Scott had said earlier that day, she quickly typed out a message and hit send:“Why do you think your mom wouldn’t like me?”On the other end, it seemed like Scott was thinking it over.The screen showed “typing…” for a bit, then it disappeared.Julissa frowned.Was he typing something and then deleted it?What could he possibly not want to say directly?Just as she was wondering, a message came through:“My mom doesn’t like girls who are too pretty.”Julissa touched her face and then giggled at her phone.Sure, Scott’s mom might have some... peculiar standards for a daughter-in-law, but hey—being complimented by Mr. Nichols, even indirectly, was still pretty sweet.She replied with a bashful emoji:“Am I that pretty?”But Scott didn’t take the bait.His next messa
Annabelle shook her head in confusion. The last time she had been to her grandmother’s house was when she was a child, more than a decade ago. As a kid, how could she possibly remember something like a fuse?“But we can try the west annex room. If I’m not mistaken, the tools should be in the cupboard inside. If there’s a fuse, it might be there too.”“Alright.” Kendrick took the flashlight from her hand and led her out of the hallway, through the small courtyard, to the door of the annex room.As soon as the door opened, the smell of dust hit them.Old memories immediately surged into Annabelle’s mind.The last time she had been here, it was for her grandmother’s funeral. After the ceremony, Annabelle had gone back to the city with her parents. Not long after, she had experienced a house fire and hadn’t returned since.Nothing in the house had changed, which showed that after her grandmother passed away, her parents hadn’t touched anything in the room.As for whether her parents had v
The weather was good that night. The sky was clear, and the stars shone brilliantly.Annabelle looked up at the sky and sighed, "Ever since moving to the city, I’ve rarely seen such a starry night."Kendrick watched her childlike expression, feeling the urge to ruffle her hair. But noticing his hands were covered in dust, he got up and walked to the well to wash them with clean water from the basin.Then, he took the hot water from a small gas stove and poured a cup for Anna."You kept thinking about coming back home. Are you happy now?"Annabelle glanced at him with a smile but soon revealed a hint of sadness."If only Grandma were still here… She would’ve definitely liked you."Kendrick replied without hesitation, "Of course she would.""Not humble at all," Annabelle glared at him, though her eyes were full of amusement."I'm just complimenting your good taste, Anna.""Hmph, so full of yourself!"Kendrick didn’t deny it. He poured himself a cup of water and looked at the little woma
Anna’s grandfather’s family, the Castillos, had once been a prominent household. However, after certain national reforms, they gradually declined.Even so, her grandfather’s brothers later established their own businesses in the city. Despite her grandfather’s passing, the Castillo family could have easily provided a better place for Anna’s grandmother to live.Yet, her grandmother chose to return to her hometown.Did this mean she no longer wished to be involved with the Castillo family?Perhaps Anna’s grandfather truly had done something that broke her grandmother’s heart.As for the grudges and entanglements of the past, Kendrick had never investigated them. After all, it was a story from two generations ago—likely unrelated to Anna’s later hardships.After some thought, he decided not to pursue the topic further and instead asked, "Did you visit your grandmother’s place often as a child?"Talking about her grandmother’s home made Anna’s mood lighter.She nodded at Kendrick. "I cam
What Gauge wanted to discuss with Kendrick was a strategic collaboration between their two companies.Since stepping into the family business, Gauge had discovered a series of issues.Although Lin Jewelry appeared to be thriving, its narrow focus on a single line of business had left it vulnerable to serious challenges.Therefore, Gauge was planning to expand the jewelry and watch business within the next five years into leather goods, fashion products, and the perfume industry.He also proposed merging the group's original real estate construction division with a subsidiary of Gregory's Group. Murphy's Group would retain only a small share—essentially, a disguised sale to Gregory's.But the reason they couldn’t call it a sale outright was because Murphy's Group had started out in the construction industry. Gauge’s father, Simon, still held an emotional attachment to that legacy and couldn’t let go entirely.After the merger of the construction branches, Gauge hoped to acquire Gregory
At first, Annabelle didn’t understand what he was up to. It wasn’t until they were back inside the house that she realized—Kendrick thought she looked a little too sexy wearing his oversized T-shirt, especially since it made it seem like she wasn’t wearing anything on the bottom. It sparked a lot of imaginative thoughts.Annabelle was both amused and exasperated. She lifted the hem of the T-shirt to show him: “I am wearing shorts! They’re just... a little short. But still totally decent!”But Mr. Gregory was persistent. In the end, Annabelle gave in and changed into her own clothes.Once they were both dressed, they returned to the courtyard.Annabelle noticed Gauge hadn’t touched the watermelon and asked why—after all, it was set aside just for him.Gauge pulled a ten-hole blues harmonica from his pocket and said, “If I eat now, I won’t be able to play.”She knew harmonica players had to keep their mouth clean before playing.Then, Gauge handed her his guitar. “Since we’re just hang
While Kendrick was cutting the watermelon, Annabelle couldn’t take her eyes off him.How strange—why did everything this man did seem so charming to her? Even slicing a watermelon looked handsome.It was as if her brain had automatically applied a beauty filter to him.Annabelle placed a hand over her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. But the more she tried, the faster it beat. The sweet words he had just whispered, every little expression and gesture of his, were now playing back in her mind like a movie…Kendrick held out the watermelon to her with a grin. “Little fangirl, stop staring. This handsome guy is your husband—100% confirmed.”Annabelle glared at him with a flushed face. “Narcissist!”Then she lowered her head, scooping out a bite of watermelon, determined to focus on eating.Just as she was about to take a bite, she noticed Kendrick had sat down.The other half of the watermelon was still sitting on the small stone platform by the well.“Aren’t you going to eat?”“Y
Annabelle smiled softly, her eyes twinkling with a mix of amusement and affection. "Why do you always have to compare everything?" she asked, her voice gentle and teasing."I just want to know," he replied, his voice low and earnest. He reached out and tucked a strand of Anna's hair behind her ear, his touch light but intimate. "What it feels like for you to be with me."Annabelle fell into deep thought, her gaze drifting away as she considered his question. The room was quiet, filled only with the soft sounds of their breathing and the occasional rustle of the sheets beneath them. After a while, she still hadn't answered. Kendrick sighed, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Is it really that hard to answer?""Hmm... it’s hard to describe," Annabelle murmured thoughtfully, her fingers playing with the edge of the blanket. "Before, when I was with you, just seeing you would throw my heart into chaos. My pulse would race, and I could hardly catch my breath. But now…” She trailed off, h
Annabelle hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time.When she lazily opened her eyes and looked out the window, she realized it was already dark.Ever since arriving at her grandma’s house and staying in this quiet little fishing village—far away from her usual life—it felt like she had escaped to another world. Her entire being relaxed, with nothing left to worry about.Kendrick didn’t have to stress over the corporation anymore either.Their biggest daily dilemma had become: what should we eat for the next meal?If only life could always be this carefree...Annabelle slowly sat up. After sleeping for so long, her whole body felt soft and mushy. She got out of bed and wandered into the courtyard, where she saw Kendrick sitting at the small table, smoking.When he heard her, he turned around.“Awake?”Kendrick stubbed out his cigarette and patted his thigh.Annabelle walked over without hesitation or shyness and naturally sat on his lap, arms around his neck, resting softly against his s
Kendrick’s face darkened. “It’s better to date someone older. Look at Mr. Murphy—he’s too young, can’t even cook. How’s he supposed to take care of a girlfriend?”Annabelle raised her eyebrows and gave the sly old fox a glance. Flicking the water off her hands, she smiled and said, “But younger guys are energetic—and no generation gap!”Kendrick let out a sharp “hmph.” “You think there’s a generation gap between us?”“I didn’t say us,” Annabelle teased, eyes twinkling. “Why are you jumping to conclusions? Having a midlife crisis already, Uncle?”The little bunny was obviously up to no good with that mischievous grin.Kendrick glanced at the loquat tree in the courtyard, then squinted at the sunlight filtering through its leaves, trying hard to stay calm.After all, he was turning 31 after the New Year. Couldn’t let a little girl get under his skin, right?But midlife crisis? Really?He was in his prime. A young man!So this young Mr. Gregory looked into the reflection on the glass. He
So Annabelle thought to herself—was Mr. Gregory being a little too proactive?Kendrick asked lightly, “So, do you want to go swimming with him alone?”He deliberately emphasized the word “alone,” as if suggesting she had ulterior motives. Annabelle could only respond, “...I never said that!”“Then that’s that,” Kendrick said calmly, taking her hand and leading her into the house.After a short rest, the three of them began preparing lunch.Gauge was every bit the privileged young master—clearly someone who’d never cooked at home before. He practically didn’t know how to do anything.He was too rough when washing vegetables, to the point of mangling the leaves.Then they had him try chopping vegetables—but the young master, with his obsessive need for precision, insisted on cutting everything perfectly uniform, each slice as neat as the next. At the rate he was going, they’d probably be eating tomorrow’s lunch.Kendrick and Annabelle didn’t even bother expecting him to cook anything. T
Afterward, the three of them returned to Grandma’s house first.Gauge waited in the courtyard while Annabelle and Kendrick brought the things they bought at the market into the house. After grabbing the ingredients they needed for lunch, the three of them headed to Gauge’s place together.When they arrived in front of the white guesthouse, Kendrick couldn’t help but chuckle.That morning, he and Anna had passed by this very spot. He had been wondering at the time—the place had a fresh, elegant architectural style. But there was no signboard, so maybe it wasn’t a guesthouse after all. If it was just a private residence, then it probably belonged to someone with means.Sure enough, his guess wasn’t far off. What he didn’t expect was that this would turn out to be Gauge’s home.After stepping through the front gate, Annabelle couldn’t help but marvel.To build such a charming little courtyard on this sloped hill must’ve taken a lot of thought and care.“Come in, rest a bit. Have some wat
As Kendrick was lost in thought, Annabelle called out to him, “Let me help you carry a couple of those.”Just moments ago, Kendrick had taken all the shopping bags from her hands—he was carrying everything by himself now.Seeing his forehead glistening with sweat, Annabelle, who now had empty hands, felt both guilty and worried.Kendrick looked back at her, smiled, and said, “I could carry you on my back too, no problem.”“Stop messing around, give me two bags.”Seeing how serious she looked, eyebrows furrowed and all, he finally gave in and handed her two of the lightest ones.But as soon as she took them, Gauge casually took them from her without saying a word.Annabelle: “…”She felt like she’d just become the middleman in a hand-off.Kendrick glanced at Gauge. “Thanks, Mr. Murphy.”His tone and look were both laced with provocation.Even Annabelle thought he was kinda asking for a punch right then.Gauge snorted coldly, “Don’t thank me. It’s not like I’m helping you.”“Tsk, brat…”