Annabelle waved at Kendrick with a playful smile. “Mr. Gregory, you’re way too slow~” Kendrick had his phone in hand and captured the moment she turned back to look at him. Perhaps it was because she had returned to the warmth of her grandmother’s home, but she seemed much livelier and more outgoing than usual. Thinking back to half a year ago, she was always on guard—like a wounded little beast, wide-eyed, quietly observing everything around her. At the slightest disturbance, she would either bristle or flee. But now, she was so cheerful. It was like she had become a completely different person. Kendrick suddenly had a rather self-satisfied thought—wasn’t he, at least in part, responsible for this change in her? By then, the little woman had already run back to him, pointing into the distance. “See that flag? The pier is over there. I used to go there with my grandma to buy fish.” Kendrick followed her gaze. Through the mist, a small red flag was faintly visible. He nodded. “
Back at Springvale Temple, Annabelle had mysteriously fainted in the mountains once as well. But unlike the dense forest of her childhood experience, the temple’s surroundings weren’t heavily wooded, nor was the air particularly thin.At the time, it was Young Master who had saved her, speculating that she might have an allergy to some plant. But that was just a guess.Since Kendrick disliked hearing her mention Young Master, she didn’t bring it up further. Instead, she joked, “Maybe I’m actually a fish—not really suited for life on land like you humans.”Kendrick took her hand, making her stop in front of him. He looked at her face seriously and said, “Let me see, where are Anna’s gills?”“You think I’d let you see them so easily?” Annabelle blinked mysteriously. “I keep them hidden.”Kendrick kissed her cheek before continuing, “Have you ever run into any other dangers?”Annabelle thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Not really.”Most of her memories at her grandmother’s hous
Anna nodded regretfully after hearing that. "I see..."Vincent glanced at the fish she was carrying and chuckled, "Why did you buy so little? Wait here, I’ll get you a couple more.""Hey, no need, bro—"Before Annabelle could finish, Vincent had already sprinted off in his rubber fishing boots.The next moment, Anna felt someone squeeze her hand."Hm?"She turned to look at Kendrick, thinking he had something to say.With a smile on his lips—but a hint of gritted teeth in his tone—he said, "I’m older than you by a few years, yet you never call me by my name?"Annabelle was momentarily stunned before realizing—this guy was jealous.The key issue was that this wasn’t the first time he had demanded to be called closely. There was even a time when he insisted she call him that—which was so disgustingly cheesy she couldn’t handle it.So she decided to mess with him. "You keep making me call you brother… Be careful, or we might actually become real siblings."Kendrick let out a chuckle. "Re
Although it felt a little rude to decline, Annabelle still thought it over and said to Vincent,“I might have something going on tonight. Maybe next time, when I get the chance, I’ll visit your place.”She and Vincent were just childhood playmates. When they bumped into each other at the dock earlier, she hadn’t even recognized him right away.To say they had a deep bond—well, not really.Most of those childhood memories had already faded, leaving behind only a few amusing fragments.Plus, Anna wasn’t the type who liked dropping by people’s houses. This time, she’d come to visit her grandma’s, and all she wanted was a peaceful couple of days with Kendrick.And more importantly—Kendrick was already jealous.If the roles were reversed and Kendrick bumped into some childhood little sister and insisted on bringing her home for dinner, Annabelle wouldn’t be thrilled either.So, nope. She wasn’t going over to that "little brother’s" house for dinner.Vincent’s eyes dimmed for a second, but
After returning home, the two of them started cleaning the fish they had bought.Annabelle thought Kendrick wouldn’t be good at such tasks and was ready to teach him. But to her surprise, he was even more skilled than she was. In the end, she became the young master’s assistant.At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder: Was Kendrick’s experience with daily life too extensive?By all rights, he was a privileged young master—he probably never had to do any chores growing up. Later, as a CEO, he likely had no time even if he wanted to do them. But the way he handled things now made it seem like he had lived this kind of simple life before.A sudden image popped into Annabelle’s mind: Kendrick with another woman, helping her dress warmly, cooking for her…She suddenly realized that Kendrick seemed to know everything about her now, while she still only had a hazy understanding of his past.Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she brooded.Kendrick needed her help scooping water to rinse
When Kendrick saw the person in the distance, his pupils shrank.Earlier that morning, he and Anna had taken a detour down the mountain and rested halfway. At that time, they’d seen an off-road vehicle, and the man who got out had looked familiar. Kendrick had thought he resembled Gauge, but since he hadn’t seen clearly and figured Gauge wouldn’t show up in a place like this, he didn’t give it much thought.Now it seemed he hadn’t been mistaken—it really was that guy.But the real question was—why was Gauge suddenly here?Had he come chasing after Anna?Anna was also quite surprised to see Gauge and muttered to herself, “Gauge came too?”“You didn’t tell him?” Kendrick asked with a slightly jealous tone.Anna shook her head. “Only Julissa knew I came back to my grandma’s house. I didn’t tell anyone else.”Kendrick nodded and said nothing more.Gauge had obviously spotted them as well and was now making his way through the crowd toward them.Just as he was about to greet them, the ecce
Annabelle took a moment to process. “You… saw us?”Last night, she and Kendrick had taken a bath in the courtyard.At the time, she had even joked with Kendrick that most villagers were elderly and went to bed early, so no one would be watching.Who would've thought Gauge had also come to the village yesterday—and happened to be staying somewhere higher up where he could see down?Kendrick had turned off the courtyard light, but the moon was so bright last night, like a giant lightbulb hanging in the sky. Who knew how much Gauge had seen?Annabelle felt utterly mortified. Her whole being was overwhelmed with awkwardness.Gauge’s expression wasn’t exactly natural either. He stiffly explained, “I didn’t watch the whole time!”Annabelle twitched at the corners of her mouth and glared at him.“What do you mean, didn’t watch the whole time?”Gauge cleared his throat and casually said, “At first, I noticed the courtyard light came on, so I glanced over. Then I saw it was you and Kendrick—I
Annabelle actually wanted to have lunch at Gauge’s place.Her grandmother’s old stove wasn’t very convenient to use, and she was also curious about where Gauge’s house was and what it looked like.After all, this was her hometown. And when Gauge mentioned he also had a home here, it gave Annabelle a sudden sense of closeness—like two people from the same village.They were already quite familiar with each other. Gauge had been her classmate, her driving instructor, and her co-star in a commercial. Now, he was even the vice president of the company she had signed with. And now, to top it off, they were also “hometown folks.”It was like… how to put it? Like adding one more bond on top of many.She wasn’t sure if her “lemony” young master (Kendrick) would be willing to go, so she glanced at him.“How about… we eat at Gauge’s place?”Kendrick looked at her, letting out a silent sigh. All he wanted was a few days of peaceful countryside life with his little wife. Why was it so hard?But w
Seraphina understood exactly what Dereon meant—he was suggesting she sleep with the Young Master.But would sleeping with him really make him love her more?Seraphina knew very well: the reason the Young Master still had some affection for her was precisely because she knew her place and respected boundaries.She didn’t want to do anything that might make him hate her.Looking out the cabin window, Seraphina said calmly, “If the Young Master wanted me, of course I’d be willing… but I’m not going to take the initiative to do something so unnecessary.”“How is it unnecessary?!”Dereon slapped his thigh in frustration. Blood was still trickling down his forehead, running past his brow and onto his nose, making him look a little frightening. But his expression was that of a sleazy pimp, and Seraphina found it laughable.“You don’t have to convince me,” she said. “I have my own thoughts on this.”“Seraphina, you don’t understand men,” Dereon lowered his voice. “If you can hold on to the Yo
Ryan said, “That wasn’t the best opportunity just now.”“Why not?”Ryan rubbed his temples in exhaustion. “Can you use your brain before asking questions?”Seraphina quickly jumped in, “Dereon, didn’t you see that Gauge was also there?”“So what if Gauge was there?” Dereon retorted. “That kid clearly can’t fight.”Seraphina patiently explained.First, the Young Master didn’t hide his movements on this trip to South City. Running into Kendrick here was purely by chance.They weren’t prepared. Acting rashly could have led to failure.Even if they succeeded, since their movements weren’t concealed, it would be easy for the Gregory family to trace the incident back to them. And that old man from the Gregory family is no pushover.Second, Gauge was present. He’s friends with both Kendrick and Annabelle. There’s no way he’d stand by and do nothing.If Gauge got dragged into the mess, the Young Master would be making an enemy out of the Murphy family for no reason.The the Whitney Group is j
A private jet bound for Elfhedge took off smoothly from the South City airport.Inside the cabin, Annabelle was lying in a luxurious bedroom.Ryan stepped out of the room and said to Seraphina, who was standing outside the door, “She was poisoned by a type of floral toxin. It causes hallucinations and unconsciousness. She's fine now. Go get a clean set of clothes for her. I’ll help her change.”“It’s already prepared,” Seraphina’s gaze flickered slightly. She tightened her grip on the clothes in her hand and lowered her head. “Young Master, let me do it. This dress is a bit tricky to put on…”Ryan glanced at the dress in her hands, then looked deeply into her eyes. After a moment, he let out a bitter laugh. “Alright… if Anna knew I changed her clothes, she’d probably hate me even more.”Seraphina said nothing. Once Ryan stepped aside, she walked in with her head lowered.She carefully helped Annabelle out of her soiled clothes and put on the dress she had brought with her for the trip
Anna shook her head and smiled. “Nothing really. Let me do the cleaning—you’re definitely not as meticulous as I am. You go wait outside.”“No need…”“Go on, I’ll take care of it.”Annabelle was firm and took the duster from Gauge’s hand.But Gauge didn’t leave. How could he let a girl do the work while he waited outside enjoying the breeze?So the two of them cleaned together.While cleaning the room, Annabelle felt oddly emotional. Her mind was flooded with thoughts.Who was the woman who had once lived here? What kind of story did she have? What kind of mood had she been in when she left the village to live in solitude by the sea?As she wiped the mirror on the vanity, she could almost picture a woman sitting there, grooming herself in days long past.She must have been someone melancholic, yet strong-willed.A sudden wave of sadness welled up from deep within Annabelle’s heart.She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Am I too empathetic? Why else would she feel so much for a compl
“Let’s go,” Gauge called out to her.Annabelle snapped out of her thoughts and walked toward the small wooden cabin.Gauge pointed to a patch of land behind the cabin and said that it used to be a small garden. There had once been a large tree with a wide canopy, and his father had installed a swing on one of its sturdy horizontal branches.Back then, his father often sat alone inside the cabin, sipping a couple of drinks.Meanwhile, Gauge would sit outside on the swing, watching the sea and listening to music.Looking at the now overgrown garden, Gauge showed a hint of melancholy.“Unfortunately, the big tree was cut down later, and since no one took care of the garden, it fell into disrepair. When my dad came here last year, he said he regretted not being able to maintain it.”Annabelle listened quietly. It seemed Murphy's father had deeply cared about whoever used to live here.Gauge had said before that he wasn’t sure if the person was a man or a woman—he just guessed it was a wom
Annabelle transformed visibly from a sweet little bunny into a puffed-up pufferfish, cheeks bulging with frustration.She got up to leave, but Kendrick pulled her back into his arms. He poked her puffed cheeks and chuckled,"You're really that scared someone’s going to steal me away?""If you could be stolen that easily, then you’re not worth liking."Annabelle wasn’t insecure to the point where a single text message from Kendrick would make her suspicious.But it was late, and the sudden calls and texts clearly meant something was going on.Still… she had to admit, she was just a tiny bit jealous."You jealous of Jaime too? I was on the phone with him," Kendrick laughed as he handed over his phone so she could see the call log.Annabelle glanced at it—sure enough, the call happened while she was playing the guitar. The corners of her lips twitched upward, but she still insisted stubbornly,"I said I was just casually asking."Kendrick then pulled up their group chat—the one with Jaim
Kendrick’s kiss was too passionate—so passionate it was suffocating, instantly awakening every cell in Annabelle’s body.His kiss was also too forceful—so forceful that Annabelle forgot to resist, and didn't want to resist.Because when Kendrick desired her so intensely, she too was equally, fiercely craving him.It suddenly dawned on her—she truly, deeply liked this man above her. She liked his scent, liked his voice, even liked the beads of sweat trickling down his spine.When did she fall this hard?Maybe it started back when they were ambushed and narrowly escaped death… when they lived in the hospital together… when she risked falling just to climb over the balcony and see him.When she brought herself to his bed, faced her feelings for the first time, and accepted him both emotionally and physically—she had already fallen.As for her heart… it had been open to him long before that.Maybe it started with his first kiss. From that moment, her heart had already begun to waver—she j
After his cold shower, Kendrick returned to the room and climbed into bed, but he still felt a bit restless.He gazed at the little woman for a while. She looked exhausted.Not wanting to wake her, he gently pulled her nightdress down and tucked the blanket securely around her.Then he turned around, facing away from her, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.But in the twenty-something-degree room, Annabelle, now wrapped like a little cocoon, soon got uncomfortable and kicked the blanket off again.Not only that—she rolled over and draped her arm around Kendrick’s waist, hugging him from behind.Maybe because Kendrick’s body was still slightly cool from the cold shower, Annabelle loved the chilly "big body pillow" and even pressed her warm little face against his back.While tightly hugging her “old fox,” she continued her dream, still playing chess with the god of dreams.Kendrick let out a long sigh and gently held the hand around his waist, playfully tickling her palm.She didn’t w
Kendrick chuckled helplessly. “She really doesn’t use her phone much, so there’s no need to worry about her finding out on her own.”He’d seen Anna’s phone interface before—it was mostly filled with practical apps like dictionaries and period trackers. The usual social media apps? She had tucked them all away in a folder labeled "Rarely Used."Thinking of his quirky little wife, Kendrick’s mood lightened significantly.Of course, he knew that in this internet era, Anna might eventually come across the gossip herself. That’s why he hoped, by the time she did, he would have already taken care of everything.Then, when she found out, she’d know exactly where the "arrow" came from—and see clearly what became of the person who fired it.That way, she wouldn’t feel too anxious or wronged. At most, she’d just complain about how shameless the rumor-spreader was.It was the best way Kendrick could think of to minimize the harm.“Alright. I promise,” Gauge said solemnly.“Then that’s all,” Kend