Toph could not contain his hearty laughter, distracting Zephyr, who was concentrating on his work. It did not take long for him to receive a death glare from his father...Zuko, who was always sharp, immediately lowered his head and diligently planted the flowers, occasionally glancing at his father with a mischievous grin.Before long, Lina came to help as well.Night descended quietly, and they had just finished planting the final purple iris. The two brothers released a sigh of relief.Even now, Toph remained curious, especially keen to discover the birthday gift his father would give to his mother.Zephyr chuckled triumphantly. He looked at his two sons, then at Lina. "Alright, I'll let you guys have a sneak peek!"Toph was excited, dancing around. "Really?!"Zuko was calmer. He tugged at Toph's clothes and whispered, "I already have a pretty good guess about what dad will give.""Huh?""It's something that needs rehearsal," Zuko said calmly. "Otherwise, why would he show
Despite that…Toph took out his phone, the screen pitch black. He scrolled through his recent chat history with Renee, each message feeling like he was talking to himself.[Have you eaten?][What are you doing at home?][Do you want to go out for a walk today?]No response to any of them.However, it was not like this in the past. Previously, the reply would be almost immediate no matter who messaged the other. They could talk about even the most trivial matters, like seeing a small flower by the road, finding a cute baby laughing, or the weather being really sunny for a long time.Toph felt a bit downcast as he dug into the food.Just then, Wendy brought in some guests."Zuko, Toph!"It was easy to know who it was judging by that sweet voice.Arya entered the living room, her face lit up with a smile. To everyone's surprise, Chris and Lena followed closely behind, holding hands. Their eyes radiated happiness, tinged with a touch of shyness.Lina and Zuko exchanged a glance
Chris said with a smile, "Pammy, even though it's just a silk scarf, it's not at all cheap! And as Arya just said, the significance of the gift lies in the sentiment behind it!""Of course, I know!" Lina held Lena's hand and smiled at Arya. "Arya, thank you. I've heard from Lenny that it was you who bought the studio and put the sales under her name.""Just a small effort," Arya said softly. "This is Lenny's first sale. It's a promising start and will only improve in the future!"Lina raised a glass as a toast. "Here's to your studio thriving!"Speaking of the studio, Arya wrinkled her brows and sighed lightly."What's the matter?""Oh, the deadline for the second volume is approaching, but I've been running low on inspiration lately. No matter how I draw the main characters, I can't get them to look the way I want."Toph looked at her. "Is the publishing house pressuring you a lot?" "Yeah..."Just as Arya was speaking, her phone rang. She went outside to answer it and talked
"Isn't it great being young?""They're all a bunch of kids." Zephyr looked at his wife with an indulgent gaze. "Our age is better!""I'm really grateful that I've had you by my side throughout these years." Cordelia held his hand, gently leaning on his shoulder. "Now that Zuko and Pammy have found happiness, we just need a grandchild!""Well... I want a granddaughter."Having a grandson would be nice, but Zephyr especially wanted a cute little granddaughter. He could imagine himself and Cordelia taking their well-dressed granddaughter, who looked like a princess, out in public. They would surely be the most fashionable grandparents!"Alright, a granddaughter!" Cordelia looked at him helplessly, then furrowed her brow slightly. "Even Chris and Lena are together now, but Toph...""What about Toph?"Cordelia hesitated and muttered, "Don't you think there's something off about Toph's recent relationship? It feels a bit stifling.""You mean..." Zephyr had noticed it too, but maybe b
Renee kept staring in that direction, feeling an uncomfortable knot in her heart. Her white pearl handbag was a gift from Lina, but what about Lena's?Who was she to use something just like hers?Renee bit her lip, swiftly slipping her handbag under a certain table and covering it with the tablecloth."Renee?" Toph handed her a glass of champagne, noticing her distracted look. "What's wrong?"Renee gently shook her head, not looking too good."Let me take you to see my mom." Toph grinned. "My mom's been wanting to see you! Perfect timing that you're wearing the ring today. Let's show it to her!"Renee was startled and pulled her hand away the instant Toph held her hand.Le Fari was slightly too big on her finger, almost slipping off onto the floor."Renee, w-what's wrong?" Toph watched her expression cautiously."Nothing." Renee took a deep breath. "I saw Lena.""Oh." Toph tried hard to keep her happy and hugged her. "It's fine. If you'd rather not deal with her, we won't. Bu
Lena held the bag tightly in her hand. Beside her, Chris felt that something was wrong and turned to give her a concerned and serious look."I didn't...""I know." He held her hand firmly. "It's okay. I'll accompany you to explain it.""There's no need for an explanation at all," Lena whispered. "Renee framed me! I haven't done anything wrong. Even if the police come, I won't admit to it!""Lenny..." Chris looked pained. "But it's best not to blow this out of proportion for now. It's Aunt Cordelia's birthday today, and Renee is Toph's fiancee. If we make a scene, you won't gain anything and will have to endure everyone's criticism—""I'm not afraid!""Lenny!" Chris held her shoulder. "I know you're not afraid of gossip, but aren't you afraid of being misunderstood by Lina?"Lena froze, her gaze slowly dimming.Chris smiled wryly. Saying anything else was futile. Only Lina had the power to influence Lena. As her boyfriend, Chris accepted his role humbly, willing to be second to
"Renee, calm down." Cordelia's voice was gentle. "With so many guests at home today, it's not appropriate to involve the police. Don't you worry. I'll definitely find the ring.""You're not pursuing this anymore?""Why?" Cordelia looked at her cryptically. "Don't you believe that I can help you find it?""It's not that..." Renee paused. "I have a suspect."This sentence played right into Cordelia's hands. She pretended not to understand, furrowing her eyebrow and softly asking, "You have a suspect? Who is it?""Aunt Cordelia, the person who last accompanied me to the restroom was Lena.""Oh?"Before Cordelia could utter a word, Chris approached while holding Lena's hand.Lena held the same handbag as Renee's."No need for suspicion," Lena stated with her usual calm expression, standing before the group. She retrieved the ring from her bag and met everyone's eyes with unwavering confidence. "It's right here, in my bag."Everyone was surprised."But I did not take it!""Didn'
Lena sneered at Renee, but Arya took the question seriously.Chris held Lena's hand, ready to depart. As he walked past Arya, he whispered, "Are you really starting to figure things out now? She's obviously settling old and new grudges! Our Lenny doesn't need to suffer any more injustice here!"Arya halted them both by grabbing their hands and smiling innocently at the group. "Wait, don't go! We don't know how the ring ended up in this bag. Let's just put it on me!""What?" Renee was greatly surprised.Lena was equally shocked and about to defend Arya, but the latter stepped before her."Consider it my mistake!" Arya chuckled. "Renee, I'm truly sorry. I found this ring and meant to return it to you, but then I forgot and gave the bag to Lena... It's all a misunderstanding. I hope you can forgive me!"Renee's eyes widened in shock, finding it hard to believe.Arya smiled casually, and the other guests, showing respect for her as the Bayer heiress, refrained from commenting.Even