The fish stew looked murky and tasted fishy. It was also salty, spicy, and a little burned The weird combination of flavors made it almost inedible.Leighton was in absolute shock when he took the first sip. He had never eaten something as disgusting as that before."Does it taste bad?" Estelle could not help but ask after she saw his reaction.As a fan of Dusk Galaxy, Leighton vowed to defend his idol's image until the end. So, he said, "No. It's pretty tasty.""Then, why did you spit it out?""It was too hot," Leighton stubbornly said.Estelle did not bother to continue the conversation and said, "I'm gonna go wash up. Remember to go to bed after you finished your stew. We have work tomorrow.""Yeah, yeah."After Estelle left, Leighton stared at the pot of stew and thought, 'Should I just throw it out? Stella did make it for me, but it's literally so hard to swallow.'Leighton frowned, as he thought about what he should do with the food. Then, he suddenly remembered Keegan's
When Keegan was about to hang up, Aldor suddenly said, "Mr. Kane, are you… Are you okay?"Keegan was confused by his question. "Huh? What do you mean?"Aldor cleared his throat and said, "The things on the internet are fake. Just take them with a grain of salt, Mr. Kane. There's no need to be mad because of the comments. It's not worth it."Feeling puzzled, Keegan frowned and said, "What the hell are you talking about?""Haven't you seen the latest news?" asked Aldor."What news?"Aldor paused. "It's better if you check it out yourself, Mr. Kane. I gotta go." Not wanting to be the target of Keegan's wrath, Aldor dropped the suspense and fled.Keegan's face turned black the moment he opened Facebook.The title of an entertainment news popped up, and it read, [The Celibate Lawyer and The Vivacious Actress]Keegan clicked on the post and saw photos of Marshall shielding Stella from the people. There were also videos of him confronting the haters in a calm and educated manner. His
[We're just friends, for now.]Marshall's comment implied that he was in the process of courting Stella and that they were still friends. To no one's surprise, the group of netizens underneath his post thought so too. A few of them asked him how he met Stella, while others asked him how far along he was. Some even gave him ideas on how he could pursue her.The more Keegan read the comments, the angrier he was. He was afraid that he would affect Stella's career and only dared to show off their relationship in front of Vermont. 'Marshall works with celebrities all the time. Doesn't he know how an ambiguous comment like that could affect a rising star's reputation?' he thought. In the end, he began to tense up and decided to call Vermont.Vermont had just gotten off the plane and was still pretending to be sick while Felicity was holding all the luggage. However, he was not to blame for not carrying his own stuff. Felicity was so guilt-ridden that she did not let Vermont do anything be
Felicity walked over and handed Vermont a bottle of water. "Do you want to sit and rest for a while?" she asked in a low voice.Vermont smiled, nodded, and walked to the side with his cell phone. "Let Stella know that you don't feel comfortable with the situation. Don't tell her what to do though. Just tell her where it hurts. You have to be tactful in love. Don't just rush into things, and don't try to keep things from your partner. Let her in on everything and exaggerate the situation sometimes."If there is a third party in the relationship, it's useless to target them. You have to target the person you're with! Only dumbasses would target the other party. It'll make you look like a clown, and the third party would get what they want!""Well, there is no third party in our relationship. Stella only likes me," said Keegan."If you say so. Remember to talk to her. My ride's here. I'll talk to you later." Seeing Felicity approach him, Vermont immediately hung up the phone.Keegan
"It's not okay to look at someone's phone," Keegan asserted.Stella looked at him and asked, "Is it okay to set my birthday as your phone password?"Keegan did not know what to say to that."Come here," Stella said while she made a beckoning gesture."Can you be more polite? Don't call me over like I'm a dog."Stella was getting annoyed. "Are you coming over or not?"'Never again,' Keegan mumbled to himself as he got ready to suffer the consequences of his actions. When he walked over, Stella pushed him onto the bed and nestled into his arms.Keegan paused and whispered, "I haven't showered yet.""It's okay. I don't mind if you stink.""It's better to wash up before intercourse. 80 percent of gynecological diseases are related to having unhygienic sex. The vast majority of people with these diseases get them from partners who don't pay attention to their personal hygiene," Keegan whispered.Stella was a little taken aback after hearing him say that. "You know a lot about this
Keegan's brow instantly relaxed. "I didn't say I didn't trust you. Why do you have to make such a formal clarification?" he asked.Not wanting to go easy on him, Stella immediately said, "I won't post it, then."Keegan quickly grabbed her cell phone and clicked the post button. After doing that, he turned to look at Stella and saw that she had a smirk on her face, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.Stella leaned closer and said, "You're quite the master."Keegan did not know what she meant."The master of denial."Her words left Keegan speechless.Vermont and Felicity got off the plane and went on a two-hour car ride to town.It was 11:00 p.m. Unlike the city, the stores on both sides of the street were closed at that hour. With the occasional convenience store or adult store open, hardly anyone was on the road.Vermont saw Felicity sweating profusely and could not bear it. Hence, he offered to carry the luggage himself."No. That's alright. We're almost home," Felic
Vermont staggered and was directly tackled to the ground by a huge and furry thing. A wet tongue licked his head, and Vermont got goosebumps on his back. He was about to fight back when Felicity yelled, "Don't hit it! Don't hit it!"Felicity rushed over and pulled the thing away. When Vermont backed up, he realized what it was. It was a three-feet tall Caucasian Shepherd Dog that seemed taller than Felicity when it stood up. Its coat was gray with white stripes, and its hair was fluffy and shiny. Its limbs were big and strong. The dog could not stop turning in circles after Felicity pulled it back. With Felicity's small figure, she could hardly hold him down. "Richie! Richie! Calm down!" she muttered.Vermont used to think that he was not afraid of dogs, but now he realized that it depended on their size. The biggest dog he had ever seen before was a golden retriever. A Caucasian Shepherd, however, was bigger and a lot stronger. Nine out of ten people would be scared if they saw it.
Vermont was speechless after knowing that Richie had gone through his clothes and torn them up. 'That dog is targeting me!'*A mini scene.On some random day, Keegan received a text from Stella while he was working. [HR is so expensive right now.][I think the prices are alright,] Keegan replied.[It was cheaper last year.][Prices are increasing due to inflation, my dear.][But, it's over my budget.][Are you in need of HR?] Keegan asked.[Yeah. I've been working too much lately, and I've been staying up late. I really need to treat myself,] Stella responded.Keegan thought of how Stella had stayed up all night shooting a movie recently and how her dark circles were getting worse. So, he texted, [I'll make some arrangements.][Thanks, honey. You're the best,] Stella replied.Felicity gave her a thumbs up and said, "So, this is how you save your money…""I'm just giving him a chance to perform."Felicity gave a knowing look and used the same tactic on Vermont.Vermont res
Keegan moved from initial resistance to reluctantly listening, and eventually to questioning."Why do these novels portray men as so stupid and brainless, yelling at the female lead as if they have intermittent explosive disorder?""Is the male lead sick? Forcing the female lead to donate a kidney, is he out of his mind?""How many years would they get for calling the police in their world?""Why is he so dumb? The supporting actress claims the female lead pushed her into the water and he believes it? Is checking surveillance footage illegal?""Stella, are you making fun of me?""I can't learn this. It all feels so neurotic. What does the female lead see in him?"Stella retorted, "Who cares if it's neurotic? Just mimic that stupidity, that's how these innocent women like men who protect them like that."Keegan was very reluctant, but his brain was more compliant than his body. Without needing to study deliberately, everything he heard stuck in his mind.So when Keegan mentione
Keegan's expression darkened with anger. "You're being completely unreasonable!"Stella crossed her arms, wearing an expression that seemed challenging. "You let her take it. Let's see if I dare."Jaylene hadn't actually wanted those junk items in the first place; she was deliberately trying to stir up discord between them. Now that her goal was achieved, she put on a sympathetic look."Keegan, I don't want it anymore. Don't be angry. Your health is more important. Didn't the doctor say to keep your emotions stable?"Turning her head, she reproached Stella. "Stella, are you here to help Keegan recover his memory or just to provoke him?""Shut up, you brat! Do you even have a say here?"Acting under the guise of a drama, playing the role of someone lacking in manners, was incredibly satisfying.She’d wanted to curse this brat for a long time!Jaylene's lips twitched, but she held back, tearfully saying, "Stella, if you don't like me, I'll leave. There's no need to humiliate me l
Jaylene understood the situation perfectly. Even though she didn't particularly like these cold, mechanical devices, she put on a pretense of surprise, saying, "Really, Keegan?"Keegan nodded. "Choose one you like.""Keegan!" Before Stella could finish her sentence, she couldn't hold back her sharp voice, "With your pile of junk that I can't even touch normally, she takes a look and now you want to give it to her? What's the meaning of this?!"Keegan frowned, apparently not comprehending her current anger at all. "Jaylene gave me a gift, and I'm giving her one in return. What's the problem?""What problem?" Stella's eyes started to redden. "I can't touch them, so why should she be able to? Have you forgotten, or do you have inappropriate feelings for her?"Keegan's expression darkened. "This makes no sense!"Jaylene secretly delighted in this, hypocritically trying to calm things down, "Forget it, Keegan. Since Stella minds so much, I don't want it anymore. You've strained your r
The standoff lasted for over twenty minutes before Keegan grabbed a book and knocked the beetle off Jaylene's neck. The beetle fluttered twice and suddenly flew up, landing on Jaylene's face.Jaylene screamed, rolled her eyes, and fainted.As she collapsed, the bug flew off again."Jaylene?"Keegan called out to her.He looked up at Stella and said, "You go start the car, I'll carry her to the hospital."As he spoke, he signaled to Stella.She understood and coldly grunted, "So troublesome."Walking over to Jaylene, she squatted down beside her and slapped her face twice.Jaylene immediately opened her eyes and reached out to push her away. "What are you doing!"Stella was prepared and had already moved back before she could be pushed.She shook her tingling hand and innocently said, "Jaylene, you fainted because of the bug. I was just saving you. Don't believe me? Ask Keegan."Jaylene nearly ground her teeth. Did she think she hadn't heard? She was intentionally exposing h
Her fingertips trembled with a mix of horror and excitement. Just as the teapot was about to slip from her grasp, Keegan suddenly said, "Jaylene, don't move."Jaylene froze, instinctively thinking Keegan had regained his memory. She had barely twitched when Keegan loudly stopped her again, "Don't move, absolutely don't move."Jaylene wanted to say something, but then felt an itching sensation on her neck, as if something was crawling slowly. Goosebumps erupted all over her body.By now, Stella had turned around and saw Jaylene standing stiffly with the teapot in hand. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation and then she noticed the beetle crawling on Jaylene's neck.It was an unknown species, not overly tentacled but as long as a little finger, its mouthparts slightly twitching, genuinely alarming in appearance.Stella murmured, "It's so big."Jaylene couldn't see what was on her neck, unsure if it would bite or if it was venomous. She stood frozen in place, her voice trembling,
Seeing him, Stella even lowered her eyes and softly praised, "Mr. Kane, you acted very well."Keegan glared at her, his voice low and intense. "If you keep watching like this, Coco will cut ties with me tomorrow."Stella replied confidently, "No, she won't. After accepting the red envelope, she can tolerate you a little longer."Keegan asked sharply, "Did you teach her to ask for red envelopes like this?""Don't falsely accuse me; I didn't teach her.""You may not have taught her directly, but you set an example. Have you forgotten how you always make me buy things for you?"Stella was speechless. Whenever she wanted Keegan to buy her something, she would often say, "Gifts are only surprises when given voluntarily. If reminded, it shows they don’t like me that much."It had to be said, Coco had learned the essence of it.Stella also felt a bit awkward, thinking that in the future, she needed to avoid such flirtatious conversations between spouses in front of the children. They
Could she figure all this out?Keegan frowned, casting a disappointed look at Coco. "Are you not listening to me now?"Coco raised her gaze defiantly and stated, "Aunt Stella taught me that if I don't want something someone gives me, I can say no. I don't want this hairpin.""Didn't she teach you that even if you don't like something, you should still say thank you?"Coco fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly said to Jaylene, "Thank you, Aunt Jaylene, but I don't want it."Jaylene hesitated with her hand extended, unsure whether to retract it or leave it there, managing a strained smile. "Then what do you like? Next time, I will get you something you do like."Coco asked, "Do you want me to do something for you?"Jaylene was taken aback. "What?"Coco replied seriously, "Aunt Stella says offering help without reason is either deceitful or thieving. Since you don't like me, why else would you give me something? You want me to do something for you, right?"Jaylene forced a s
Leighton's incident did indeed revive their suspicions.Jaylene was gullible, but Darcie might see through this scheme. "Keegan, why didn't you go to work today?" Jaylene chose to ask directly at first.Keegan remained composed. "I've been busy with the press conference lately and haven't had much rest. Now that things have slowed down, I thought I'd take a break and relax."Jaylene spoke gently, "You should rest well. Since you came back, you've been busy, and you've been postponing Dr. Stone's follow-up appointments. Keegan, I'm really worried about your health. Since you're resting these days, I'll arrange for Dr. Stone to give you another check-up. Stella has been living here to assist your recovery for so long. We need the doctor to give a clear assessment of whether there's been any improvement. Otherwise, it's not good for Stella's reputation to stay here so long, unmarried and under one roof."Keegan nodded. "Okay, please arrange it. Thank you."His response was decisive,
Stella had just descended the stairs when she heard that remark, causing her eyelids to twitch as she thought to herself, “Damn it! He really knows how to come up with excuses!”Upon hearing this, Jaylene's eyes briefly flashed with disdain, but she ultimately accepted the shoe covers Keegan handed her. As Keegan led Jaylene into the house, her eyes continued to scrutinize every corner.There were a couple of pillows on the sofa, couple mugs on the table, wedding photos of Keegan and Stella on the walls, and even headbands and hair ties scattered on the table. The house exuded an unmistakable feminine touch.Jaylene's expression darkened, but when Keegan turned to ask if she preferred tea or coffee, she adopted a gentle, harmless demeanor. "Tea would be perfect."Keegan invited her to take a seat and called for Maria to prepare tea. Jaylene spoke softly, "Keegan, I heard from Stella that you brew Dragon Well tea better than anyone else. Is there a special technique?"Stella paused