Everyone turned to look at Kai. He chuckled and said, “Quinn doesn’t have a boyfriend anyway. If Mr. Bucham defeats Coach Will, I’ll bring them together without anyone asking me.”To the children, Quinn and Julian were a match made in heaven; both were very good-looking individuals.It was Kai’s first time seeing such a handsome man. Julian looked better than those idols that the girls in his class admired. He also had a noble charisma. Essentially, Kai thought Julian was great. His impression of Julian would improve if he could beat Coach Will and let him split ten thousand dollars between himself and Quinn. Mark said, “This kid. You should work harder, Julian. Kai said he’d help to get you and Quinn together for free if he could win the bet.”“Don’t add on to Kai’s nonsense, Mark.”Quinn was about to die from laughter. She kicked Kai lightly and scolded, “You made me laugh so hard.”Kai giggled and even Will smiled. He asked Julian, “Should I lose on purpose?”“You’ll
Mark and all the other coaches knew that Julian narrowly won with that trick move of his. A narrow victory was still a win. Will did not lose to Julian on purpose. Julian had defeated Will with his own abilities. Julian pulled Will up and bowed slightly. “It was a great match.”Will smiled. “I didn’t go easy on you. You found my weakness and caught me off guard. I admit my defeat, Julian.”Julian returned with humble remarks. The venue was silent, save for their post-match exchange. It snapped everyone back to their senses. “Ahhh!”Kai jumped in excitement. He patted Quinn’s shoulder and shouted, “We won, Quinn! Mr. Bucham defeated Coach Will. We won! The ten thousand dollars are ours. It’ll be enough to pay for my supper for half a year.”All the other students turned to look at him simultaneously. Their gazes were filled with envy as they listened to his cheers. Quinn was stunned too. She briefly saw Julian’s moves that one time and discovered he was trained in martia
Will grinned and said, “If I lose, I lose, no excuses. Don’t be sore losers alright? In the past, you guys have always won the bets, so have a taste of defeat for once. Gambling always involves winning and losing. If you can’t handle losing, then maybe you should quit.”Mark did not utter a word.Quinn went to the side, sat down, and started counting the money. When she was done, she handed half of the money to the boy, saying, “Kai, this is your share.”Kai took the money but quickly returned half of it. He said, “Quinn, I only contributed a hundred bucks. I can’t take half. This is more than enough to cover my late-night snacks for half a year.”“It’s for you. Just keep it. Save it for yourself and don’t let your stepmother find out.”Kai had a tough childhood. His parents divorced when he was very young and he ended up with his father, who was a quiet and reserved man. The divorce made his father even more distant, and Kai was largely left to be raised by his grandparents.Lat
“I’ll help myself then.”Quinn put the money in her pocket. She then took out her phone and ordered stir-fried noodles from a Chinese takeout shop to treat everyone at Power Fitness.“We’ll have it later.”Julian smiled. “I usually don’t eat late-night supper.”“In that case, we can skip it. Sometimes I skip it too. But maybe because we do a lot of physical activities, skipping late-night snacks makes me feel hungry, and I can’t sleep when I’m hungry. Most of the time though, I have them at home. My mom makes them for us.”After ordering the food, Quinn got up and said to Julian, “Let’s go. We shouldn’t disturb them while they’re in class.”Julian had just won a competition against Will. It left the students in shock, doubting if it was a dream.“Alright.”Julian followed Quinn as she told her brothers, “Will, Mark, I’m taking Julian out for a walk. You guys don’t need to wait for us when you guys go home later.”Will replied, “Got it. Take Julian for a stroll, and you can hel
Julian laughed. “Quinn, if you look at me like that, I might get ahead of myself. Haha.”“You have every reason to be proud.”Ring, ring, ring…Quinn’s phone started to ring.Seeing that it was a call from her mother, she said to Julian, “When my mom calls me at this time, it’s definitely to tell me that tomorrow’s blind date is canceled.”As expected, once she answered, her mother scolded, “What kind of ‘high-quality’ man did Felicia introduce? No backbone and believes anything anyone says. I haven’t even minded that he’s pudgy, like a grease bag, but he dares to call my daughter a violent maniac.“He’s the maniac! His whole family is filled with maniacs. Does he think my daughter can only marry him? Does he think there’s no other man in this world besides that blockhead? I’m so angry! Quinn, you better bring me some good news—find yourself a young, handsome, and capable boyfriend, and prove them wrong!”“Mom, please calm down. I knew it would turn out this way a long time ago.
Julian smiled. “That’s true. We shouldn’t compromise when it comes to marriage. I’ve noticed that your mom is worried about your future and your brothers’ life affairs, so I thought I’d help.”Now, Julian was certain that he needed to approach Quinn’s heart carefully, much like walking on a tightrope.He had to gradually integrate himself into her life, making her accustomed to his presence and his absence unbearable. When that time came, it would mean Quinn realized it was love.He had locked onto her, and he had to take it slow; hurrying would not help here.“Quinn, actually, I have a medical condition.”Quinn paused for a moment and then asked with concern, “What condition? I can’t tell. You look healthier than anyone.”“I have hypoactive sexual desire disorder.”“Hypoactive sexual desire disorder? I’ve never heard of such an illness.”Julian explained briefly to Quinn.Quinn responded, “So basically… you can’t get married. No wonder you are so outstanding yet never had a g
Callum coaxed her nervously, “Honey, you go back to sleep. I’ll go downstairs later to prepare breakfast for you, and then I’ll wake you up. Once you’ve had a good meal, you can catch up on your sleep.”Camryn stared at him and said, “Trenton is back today, and we’re going to visit our parents at the prison.”“It’s mainly for Trenton’s sake. You can choose whether to go or not. Stay at home, get more sleep. I promise I won’t bother you tonight and let you rest for a day.”With a shy smile, Callum added, “I’m already thirty, and I’ve only just married my wife. I got a bit too excited last night and went a bit crazy.”It was mainly because he finished prematurely, which left him feeling down for a while, thinking there was something wrong with him.She reassured him that they could see a doctor together but that only made him feel even more depressed.Thinking about himself who was tall, handsome, and accomplished, but having problems in that department, he felt deeply troubled. He
“You’re an adult, a responsible grown-up, and you need the courage to face everything and shoulder the responsibilities that are yours.“I know that you and Camryn are in complete agreement. However, she has never wanted to take advantage of you. Don’t worry; what’s rightfully yours will always be yours. If it’s not meant for you, don’t even think about it, don’t be like Carrie.”Trenton nodded. “Callum, I understand. Camryn and I just want to safeguard everything in the Newman family. Carrie has already started looking for a lawyer, preparing to sue Camryn.”That was the reason he took leave and returned.He wanted to stand by Camryn's side. Even if Carrie won the lawsuit, she would not get much of the family assets.He questioned Carrie’s action of taking Camryn to court while their parents were still alive.Though, by transferring all the family assets to himself with his parents’ consent, would Carrie be able to claim a share via a lawsuit? Apart from Abel’s share, the rest of
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