"But..." Lina's suspicion grew. "How do you know such a powerful artist? How do you know what she thinks?"Her questions took Zuko aback, his mind racing to find a plausible excuse.Suddenly, he remembered his brother's story about their parents' love story from their youth. Although he wasn't very knowledgeable about it, his brother had added some embellishments to make it more interesting.According to his brother, their father had also hidden his true identity to deceive their mother.He had heard that their mother had almost exposed their father's lies on several occasions, but he always managed to talk his way out of it.He had heard...But what had their father said to get away with it?Zuko scratched his nose anxiously. The more flustered he became, the harder it was for him to come up with an excuse, especially when faced with Lina's clear and perceptive eyes.If only his brother were there... He wouldn't blush when he lied, his heartbeat would remain steady, and his ac
"Oh my, Zeke!" Melissa's heart broke as she watched. She screamed, "Oil isn't free, you know!"However, Zuko stared at her blankly, his face devoid of expression."Quickly!" She slapped his back. "Pour the oil from the pan into the bowl..."Zuko, as if in a daze, held the pan in one hand and the bowl in the other, unsure of what to do."Oh gosh! Get out!" Melissa snatched the bowl and pan away. "If this continues, I might lose my kitchen..."Like a puppet, Zuko was chased out of the kitchen by Melissa.Her words echoed in his head.He suddenly said, "Auntie, did you mean what you said?"Melissa widened her eyes. "What did I say?""Replace our fake marriage certificate with a real one...""Go, go, go!" Although anger still lingered on Melissa's face, there was a smile at the corner of her lips. "But pay me back for the olive oil first!"Melissa closed the kitchen door, ushering Zuko out.Stunned, Zuko walked to the corridor.He looked up at the blue sky. It was sunny, and t
In the past few days, Violet had been like a mouse crossing the street—wherever she went, people mocked her. She shamelessly went to the university but had to cover herself up, completely unrecognizable from head to toe.Despite that, the mocking voices constantly reached her ears. People in the class now understand that Lina had set her up. She wanted them to testify—"It was Lina who copied Xyla Irwin's artwork first, not me!""Violet, save your breath!" Keira was the first to refute her. "If it weren't for your malicious intentions, thinking of plagiarizing Lina's work, this wouldn't have happened!""Exactly..." Someone else chimed in. "Besides, the painting that was submitted for review was yours, not Lina's! Maybe Lina just copied along for fun?""We've all seen how Ms. Grist usually bullies Lina. Hah... it's karma!""You!" Violet shouted angrily, isolated and unsupported, and turned around to run out of the classroom.Normally, she was the one who bullied Lina, but she was n
The scene caught Fred off guard. He slowly raised his head and squinted. His smile was skeptical. "Mr. Hamerton, you're so young. How did you...""Ahem, ahem!" Zuko coughed heavily.Lina tightened her hand that was holding his arm and desperately gave him a look."Uh, yes." Zuko managed to squeeze out a few words with difficulty. "I... can't eat sugary foods." He comforted himself inwardly. Yes, he never liked sweet things anyway! After speaking, he looked at Lina. The young woman was smiling brightly. She was really asking for a beating!That was right! He must teach her a lesson when they got home while Melissa could not see them! "So that's how it is." Fred, astute as he was, immediately understood the reason, but he played along. "Shall I change a few dishes for you then?""No need to trouble yourself!" Zuko replied calmly. "My wife and I didn't come here today for this meal. Mr. Grist, just say what you want to say. My wife and I have other matters to attend to." Fred p
"Violet brought upon herself this whole situation!" Zuko pulled Lina up with him with a smirk. "Let's end this meal here. My wife and I will pretend we didn't hear anything you said. If you insist on causing us trouble, I don't mind meeting you in court!""Mr. Hamerton, please wait!" Fred called out to him. "Is there really no room for negotiation?""If my husband says there isn't, then there isn't." Lina chuckled lightly. "Mr. Grist, I understand your desire to protect your niece, but we shouldn't abandon our sense of right and wrong as a person, should we?""What if I offer you an internship position at the Grist Group, Ms. Jenner?""What did you say?" Lina halted her steps and glanced at the man beside her.Zuko furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze filled with suspicion. He discreetly held her small hand tightly and gently squeezed it twice as if telling her not to worry and that he had everything under control."An internship position at the Grist Group isn't just open to any
Back in Centrolis, Toph had been waiting at the entrance of the Thompsons for quite some time. He was about to lose his patience when he suddenly caught sight of a fair and petite figure.He immediately perked up and quickly got out of the car, blocking the girl's path.The girl was caught off guard and visibly startled by him.Toph was taken aback for a moment, finding her frightened appearance quite cute. She had fair and rosy cheeks, a pair of beautiful, clear eyes, and shoulder-length hair, accentuating her pure and smart vibe.Her appearance was not stunning but rather pleasing to the eyes. However, her lips appeared slightly pale, giving the impression of poor nutrition.Toph couldn't help but show off his social skills. He waved his hand casually, crossed his arms at his waist, and tossed his hair, revealing a mischievous smile. "Hey, Pammy!"The girl stared at him blankly, instinctively crossing her arms in front of her chest and showing some wariness toward him."What's
Zuko fell silent for a moment.If that girl was truly Pammy, despite being away from home for many years and being unfamiliar with everything, she shouldn't be so fearful of the outside world, especially since she was found and had her parents' love. Her reaction should not be as intense, or at least that's what Toph thought.However, according to Toph, Pammy seemed to be cautious everywhere, more like she was afraid of being discovered by someone."Hello, Zuko? Are you listening?" Toph called out."Yes, I'm here," Zuko replied in a deep voice.He locked the rolling shutter door of the shop and stood at the entrance, continuing the phone call.He ran his hand through his hair. "Toph, I think we might still have to rely on you about this."On the other end of the line, Toph let out a cry of despair.Zuko stifled a laugh and pretended to be serious as he said, "Think about it. You've already made so many attempts. Maybe if you just try one more time, you'll succeed. If I go back,
"Hmm." Zuko nodded after a moment. "You're right..."For some reason, Lina's face flashed across his mind at that moment. He recalled sitting together with the Jenners for meals. Jesse, Melissa, and Dave looked like a family because Dave's appearance combined the characteristics of his parents, but Lina was different.It was often said that daughters resembled their fathers more, but this law seemed ineffective in Jesse and Lina's case."Hey, bro?" Toph did not hear Zuko's voice for a while and grew concerned. "What are you doing over there?""Oh, nothing," replied Zuko. "I'm almost home. Let's end here. You should rest too.""Well, I'm already awake. Let's chat for a while more!" Toph lazily suggested, "You live alone in a big villa, and there's no one else around. How about we have a video call?""I don't want to chat with you!" Zuko emphasized. "I don't live in a villa, and... people at home are asleep. I don't want to wake them up!""What?" Toph suddenly became fully awake.