Quinn replied with alacrity, “Alright, I’ll let my mom know and ask her to prepare more food tonight. She’ll be really happy to know that you love her cooking so much.”Julian smiled. “Mrs. Crawford’s cooking is truly delicious.”“Make sure to eat plenty tonight, Mr. Bucham. I’ll go for my training now and I’ll fetch you from the airport later. See you tonight.”“Sure, I’ll switch my phone to airplane mode now. See you.”While Julian exchanged goodbyes, he was reluctant to hang up first. After he noticed that Quinn had ended the call, he moved the phone away from his ear.His phone’s screen displayed a photo of Quinn. When Quinn attended Zachary and Serenity’s wedding, Julian had taken several portraits of her and sent them to her. He also kept those photos on his phone and set one of them as his wallpaper.He could see Quinn every time he unlocked his phone.Quinn looked both stunning and full of youthful energy with a brilliant smile. Julian found himself increasingly drawn to
Quinn smiled and offered to help him with the luggage, but Julian stopped her, saying, “I only packed two sets of clothes in my suitcase, so it’s not heavy. You don’t need to help. Besides, I’m a grown man, how can I let you carry my luggage?”“You came from afar after all. Oh, and I got you two grilled sausages. I know you don’t like spicy food, so I got the non-spicy ones for you. I got the extra hot ones for myself.Julian took the small bag she handed to him with the two grilled sausages. He took one out and had a bite.Quinn offered him the other snacks she had bought. While Julian received them, she grabbed his suitcase and continued to munch on her sausage as they walked ahead.Watching her confidently pull his suitcase and eat simultaneously, Julian could not help but smile. He told her that no help was needed with his luggage, but she insisted.Julian let Quinn do as she pleased.Quinn continued pulling the suitcase while Julian followed behind her. Both of them munched o
Julian chuckled and said, “It seems like elders are all like that, right? My parents are the same. They love to nag. My dad, even though he’s such a macho man, he’s no different. Not to mention my mom. Whenever I see my dad now, I’m like a mouse meeting a cat. I just want to hide in a hole to avoid his nagging.”They both got into the car.Julian, who initially thought he would be driving, saw Quinn go ahead and sit in the driver’s seat. He asked, “Are you driving?”“Yeah, I’ll drive. You’re not familiar with this place, and my car is pretty normal. I’m afraid you won’t be comfortable driving it. Don’t worry, I’m a good driver, and everything will be fine.”Julian walked around the car and took the passenger seat. He fastened his seatbelt and added, “I’ve driven all kinds of cars before. Back when I didn’t make much money, I rode bicycles, and e-bikes, and even took the bus.“Now I drive a slightly more expensive car when I go out, mainly to keep up appearances.”If Julian had no
Quinn said, “Your martial skills are so good that you don’t really need bodyguards. That night, I think I acted too quickly. Even if I hadn’t intervened, those thugs wouldn’t stand a chance against you. You would have surely handled them quite effectively with your skills.“I interfered and acted rashly, which actually robbed you of the chance to show your skills, and I missed the opportunity to witness your full capabilities.”Julian hurriedly responded, “I’m indeed skilled, but I’m not as formidable as you imagine. That night, there were too many of them. I wouldn’t have been able to handle them all on my own. I’m not as skilled as you.“I have bodyguards at home, but I rarely use them. Occasionally, I might go out with a couple of them. However, the bodyguards I’ve hired are typically just tall and imposing. They might know a few basic moves, enough to intimidate troublemakers, but they wouldn’t be effective against skilled fighters.“If we encountered martial artists like last
Julian smiled and said, “You’re welcome to visit me anytime.“Oh, by the way, I sent two large boxes to you by courier. Have you received them? I tracked the shipment, they should be arriving today.”Julian had purchased a variety of specialty products from Wiltspoon, as well as some supplements for middle-aged and elderly people. He had them all shipped to Summervale, with Quinn as the recipient. After all, Quinn was his destined girl, and he wanted to make a good impression on her family.Having come all the way here, Julian felt that he could not arrive empty-handed.Quinn replied, “I’m not sure about that. I came to the airport to fetch you this afternoon, and if there was a delivery, it would be sent to my house. My mom is usually at home, and she’d help me receive them. Julian, what did you buy for me? You don’t have to spend so much.”“It’s just some specialty products from Wiltspoon. Last time when you left in a hurry, I didn’t prepare much for you. This time, I bought a
When they arrived at the Crawford residence, it was a scene of warmth and festivity with many lights illuminating the surroundings.The Crawfords were eagerly awaiting their arrival. Hearing the sound of a car, Will came out to see, and upon recognizing his sister’s vehicle, a smile graced his face. He approached the car and opened the door for Julian.“Mr. Bucham.”“Mr. Will, you can just call me Julian.”Julian was actually older than Will, but he had been addressing Will with honorifics. Will was a candid person like Duncan, and he did not mind how Julian addressed him.“Everyone is waiting for your return to have dinner together.”As he spoke, Will walked toward the trunk to take out Julian’s luggage.Quinn said, “Will, Julian booked a hotel. After dinner, I’ll drop him off at the hotel, so there’s no need to take his luggage down.”“I see. Julian, if you don’t mind, you can cancel the booking. We have empty rooms. You can stay here, and in the future, if you come to Summ
Quinn said to Will, “If you dare to drink, Mom will sell all the fine wine we have at home.”Quinn enjoyed drinking as well, but her tolerance was rather low. Her mother did not allow her to drink, emphasizing that she was a girl and that her poor alcohol tolerance could lead to accidents.Will chuckled and whispered, “That’s why we need to keep Julian at home. He’s a guest and he brings us suppers. In return, we can share a drink or two without getting too drunk. This way, it won’t affect our work the next day, and Mom won’t complain.”It was an ordeal for an alcohol enthusiast to resist drinking.Will thought of the last incident with Julian. When Julian came over, everyone in the house drank with him except Quinn. They had to use Julian as an excuse to satisfy their craving for alcohol. After all, the Crawford men could not overrule the lady of the house, their mother Zoey.Julian laughed and said, “During my stay here, if you feel like having supper, just let me know and I’l
Zoey had a habit of nagging Dave for he had ruined their daughter—a twenty-four-year-old young lady, who had never been in a relationship and could not get along with the men they set up for her. Zoey complained that Quinn treated those men as buddies.Why buddies? Why could they not become lovers?Every time Zoey nagged, Dave would tease her, suggesting they should take good care of their health and have another daughter. Then, they could raise the younger one as a proper lady, which always makes Zoey blush. She would seize him and tickle him.They were old enough to be grandparents, how could they still have babies?If they wanted to, they could have done it when they were younger.“Time for dinner. It’s late and you’re making Julian drink tea, it affects sleep. The same goes for you, don’t stay up late chattering when you can’t sleep later,” reprimanded Zoey as she carried the dishes out of the kitchen.Dave chuckled, “Julian came from afar, he’s our guest. It’s only hospitalit
Dylan suspected that Imogen was Fox. If they were indeed the same person, then it was true that he had only ever pursued Imogen.“Was he okay after standing outside for more than half an hour?” Winston asked.Leticia chimed in, “Jen had Wendy make him a bowl of hot soup. Knowing that the boy doesn’t like spicy food, I made sure she added plenty of spice. It was definitely spicy. Wendy said Jen made sure he finished it before leaving.”Imogen had made Dylan drink such spicy soup, but he was still willing to drink it for her. He was clearly doing this out of consideration for Imogen, not wanting to make things too awkward between their families.“Lucky for him,” Winston muttered.Imogen was speechless.“Why did he come looking for you, Jen?” Winston asked in concern. “Was he here to ask to reconcile? If that’s the case, you mustn’t agree too easily. He has to pursue you again, and for at least two years, before you even think about agreeing to be with him. He needs to know how to
After deciding to go home and plead with his grandmother, Dylan did not stay much longer at the Doyle household. However, he still pinched his nose and finished the bowl of soup after Imogen persuaded him to.She personally saw him off at the gate.“Mr. York, remember to see a doctor when you get back. Take some medicine for a few days, don’t be careless,” Imogen said, following him out mainly to remind him to get treated once he got home, so he would not end up with a serious illness.People who were usually very healthy tended to get very sick when they did fall ill.“My health is my responsibility. If I don’t feel well, I’ll definitely go see a doctor. Don’t worry about me, Ms. Doyle. Even if I fall sick because of what happened today, it’s my fault. I won’t blame you or your family,” Dylan said, thinking Imogen was concerned he might blame her father.He could not bring himself to hope for anything beyond that.Imogen smiled. “Please send my regards to Grandma May and Serenit
“Mr. York, are you really not going to give up? Are you going to keep chasing after her? What is it about her that I lack?”Imogen really wanted to know why Dylan could not fall for her when she interacted with him as her true self but instead, he fell head over heels in love with her when she wore a different identity.“Ms. Doyle, you’re a great person, really—you’re wonderful. It’s just that I’m not worthy of you,” Dylan replied sincerely. “There’s nothing about you that’s inferior to Fox. I don’t even know why I fell for her. Maybe it’s because I kept having the same dream of her over and over.“Before I approached you, I had already dreamt of Fox many times, and then I actually met her in real life. I guess, if you had to ask why I fell for Fox and not for you, I can only say it was because I had already fallen for her in my dream. When the dream became a reality, it felt natural.”Imogen was silent.“Actually, I only met the real Fox after I started getting closer to you. I k
Dylan said, “Go ahead.”He was a bit hungry too and wanted to eat.Imogen called for Wendy and instructed her to make a fresh pot of tea and serve some of the snacks she usually ate.Once Wendy finished preparing the tea, Imogen poured a cup for Dylan and said, “You can start your story now.”“Ms. Doyle, I’m not making up a story, I’m—Ms. Doyle, you are Fox, aren’t you?” Dylan asked again.“Mr. York, I’ve told you, I don’t know who Fox is. I only know a fox is an animal, like in the zoo. If you ask me again if I’m Fox, I’ll think you’re calling me a vixen.”“‘Fox’ is just a nickname, meaning she’s very cunning and deceptive. I call her Chameleon Fox for her ability to shape-shift into many different identities. She changes so much that people mistake her for many different people, but in reality, she’s only one person.”Imogen looked quite interested and said, “Oh, so you think I’m Chameleon Fox, who likes to deceive people? Do you have any evidence for this?”“No, I don’t.”“
Couples always talked about eternal love, but how many could truly last forever?Dylan stammered, unable to say anything. Could he say that he suspected she was Fox? It was just a guess, with no evidence.Under Imogen’s gaze, Dylan steeled himself and spoke honestly, “I came to apologize to you.”Imogen raised an eyebrow. “Apologize? You already apologized to me the last time we spoke. There’s no need to apologize again. I’m not angry at you. When it comes to matters of the heart, it’s all about reciprocation. You can’t force it.“Feelings can’t be pressured into existence, so I won’t pressure you to accept me.“Plus, it’s been so long, and I have no feelings for you anymore. For that, I should thank you for clearing things up for me early on. At that time, I had just started to like you and could give up so quickly because of that.”Dylan, embarrassed, said, “Ms. Doyle, it’s not about that. Recently, I… secretly followed you.”“You followed me? Why?” Imogen pretended to be clue
“Drink it while it’s hot. Only when it’s steaming will it have the best effect to ward off the cold.”Dylan nodded, wiping his nose with a tissue. He threw the tissue into the trash bin, but when he saw that the bin was full of tissues, he felt even more embarrassed.He picked the steaming hot soup up carefully and took a big sip.It was so spicy!The spice almost made him spit it out. Remembering that Imogen was right next to him, he forced himself to swallow it. After just one sip, Dylan put the bowl down.“Ms. Doyle, the soup is too hot. I’ll drink it later,” he said.It was too spicy. He did not want to take a second sip.“I’ll take the medicine first,” he added.Compared to drinking the soup, Dylan would rather take the medicine. The medicine might be bitter, but he could handle it.Imogen immediately called him out. “You’re afraid of the spice and you don’t want to drink the soup, do you?”Dylan sneezed again and then poured himself some water to take the medicine.Hav
All he could do was hold it in. However, he soon sneezed again.Imogen commented, “My dad told you to stand in the cold without your coat, and you really did it, like an idiot. It’s not like you feel anything for me or you’re trying to win my affection, so there’s really no need for you to listen to my dad.”Luckily, she came out quickly enough. Otherwise, he would have turned into an icicle.“It was my fault before. I hurt you, so it's only natural that Mr. and Mrs. Doyle are angry with me. They didn’t hit me or scold me, and they just made me stand out in the cold for a while; they’re already being very lenient,” said Dylan, sneezing again.He was usually in good health, but this time, he was afraid he might really catch a cold.Imogen glanced at him without saying anything. She led Dylan into the house and asked their housekeeper if the soup was ready.Wendy replied, “Almost.”Imogen nodded and asked Dylan to sit down. Then, she poured him a cup of tea and asked, “Have you ea
Dylan finally put his coat on after Imogen said that. He had only been standing there for half an hour but even in that short time, he had become so cold.Once he put his jacket on, Imogen turned around and began walking inside. “Come with me.”“Okay,” Dylan quickly bent down to grab the gifts before quickening his steps to catch up with Imogen. “Thank you, Ms. Doyle.”Imogen glanced at him for a moment before turning away. “I was just afraid you might freeze to death at my doorstep, and then your family would come after mine. Plus, since your sisters-in-law are my good friends, I couldn't just let you die at my gate.”After leaving Wiltspoon, Imogen had not gone back there under her real name, but she had stayed in touch with Serenity and the others and was still on very good terms with them.Dylan smiled and said, “Serenity will give birth in a few months, and Josh’s wife is also pregnant, but she's a month ahead of Serenity. Liberty and Duncan have already registered their marr
Her daughter’s excellence was all thanks to Silver’s influence.“What I wanted to tell you was that Dylan is standing at our doorstep. He said he wanted to see you. Your dad and I refused and told him to leave, but he’s not budging.”Imogen was not surprised by this, but she still pretended to be surprised, so as not to raise her mother’s suspicion.“Why’s he here?” Imogen asked, feigning ignorance.“Who knows? He didn’t say. He only said he wanted to see you. The way he treated you, playing with your feelings—your dad and I have been holding in a lot of anger for a long time. “But you didn’t want us to confront him, so we couldn’t vent it. Now he’s come knocking, wanting to see you? It won’t be that easy.”Imogen was not planning to meet Dylan either.“Your dad told him to stand outside for two hours with his coat off and that if he doesn’t freeze to death, he’ll let him see you.”Imogen was speechless for a moment. “Mom, it’s freezing outside. Even wearing a thick coat, it’s