Marshall remained silent as he stood next to Irene, gazing downstairs. His lowered gaze concealed his expression; Irene could not tell what he was thinking about.After a while, he asked, "Do you have another one?"She tossed him a box of cigarettes and a lighter. Marshall swiftly took one out, flicked it a couple of times on his fingertips, and then lit it.Perhaps it had been too long since he last smoked. When he took the first drag, he could not help but cough a few times.Irene glanced at him and said flatly, "You used to listen to everything he says. You've changed a lot since you came back to Hustuabourg.""Really?" After a brief pause, Marshall took another drag and said, "I don't remember what I used to be like, but I'm pretty happy with who I am now."Irene paused. Then, she silently scrutinized Marshall's expression.The smoke surrounding him veiled his face, shrouding his emotions in mystery.She chuckled and said in a flat tone, "It's better that you don't remember
Wallace said, "I was just about to go up."Ariel looked at him, feeling somewhat frustrated, "Forget about it; I'll go. You should spend some time with them in the dining hall. Don't drink so much.""Okay," Wallace said.Then, Ariel went upstairs with a first aid kit.Irene watched their interaction and suddenly said, "Ariel is still as virtuous as ever."Wallace paused. When he looked up again, Irene was already going back to the dining hall.The polite and lively conversations continued, but he felt a chill spreading all over.He took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and followed behind Irene.Keegan and Stella went to Jorgeville in the middle of the night. Then, she led him to Arthur's house in the dark. Before they could even put down their luggage, a dog came out of nowhere and barked at Keegan, pouncing toward him.At that moment, he erupted with a sudden burst of strength. He quickly lifted Stella off the ground and ran into the courtyard before he could even see the d
Beatrix had lived in Jorgeville for decades, and the people she met were mostly down-to-earth locals, accustomed to boisterous greetings. She had not encountered many elites in suits and polished appearances.Although Marshall came last time and was considered one of them, he looked more approachable. On the other hand, Keegan exuded a refined and sophisticated air that added to his natural elegance. Beatrix felt somewhat out of her element upon feeling his imposing presence.Subconsciously, she wiped her hands on her clothes before shaking Keegan's hand. "Kee—Keegan Kee?"Keegan repeated himself and spelled his name out patiently. "My name is Keegan Kane. K-E-E-G-A-N K-A-N-E."After Keegan introduced himself again, Beatrix was still confused. "I'll just call you Kee."Keegan was speechless.Stella burst into laughter. Keegan said his name two times, but Beatrix still could not remember it.Keegan's smile stiffened a little. "You can call me Keegan."Beatrix nodded as she thoug
The neighbors looked over upon hearing Arthur's question. There was a metal lump that resembled a dog but was much uglier, something none of them had ever seen before. Everyone was surprised.One of the neighbors, Edgar Klopp, who had just teased Keegan, laughed loudly. "Arthur, did your great-grandson-in-law bring you a toy? It looks like a real dog, but it's just too ugly. Why didn't he get one with fur? If you put a speaker in front of your house and play dog barks on loop, it'd scare a lot of people off."Everyone joined in the laughter. Then, Arthur looked at Edgar and said, "I'm fine with it. At least he thought of bringing something over for me. Your grandson has been working for so many years, yet he hasn't brought you anything at all."Arthur's words caught Edgar off guard as he immediately defended his grandson. "Young people in the city have a lot of stuff to deal with and are very stressed."Arthur replied, "Yeah. Well, the one in my family brought me a furless metal do
"Professor Kane, you've achieved so much at such a young age!""Professor Kane, you must have done exceptionally well at school, right?"Arthur was on a roll as he continued boasting, "Of course! Do you think it is easy to get into the scientific institute? Only the best of the best with IQ of 140 and above will have a chance to be interviewed."Keegan coughed as his face turned red.Stella reached out to stroke his back. She tried to hold back her laughter as she whispered, "I didn't know you were this smart."Keegan said, "Me neither."The neighbors believed everything Arthur said and rallied for Keegan to showcase his calligraphy skills.Suddenly, Arthur felt somewhat guilty.He was simply boasting about Keegan's achievement for Stella's sake, but he had no idea how capable Keegan really was.Keegan had no choice but to turn them down as he said gently, "Let's do it tomorrow. If you guys are interested, I can write a few lines. It's already so late, and the lighting isn't v
He rubbed his hot ears and followed her back into the house, completely ignoring the first half of her sentence.As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Arthur and Stella setting up the bed. Keegan, who had become more mature, immediately stepped forward to help.Without hesitation, Arthur tossed him the sheets and blanket before pulling Stella away, saying he would make some meatballs for her. Keegan had no choice but to make the bed himself.After he was done cooking the meatballs, Arthur asked, "Is he done yet?"Stella turned her head to glance at the room Keegan was in and nodded. "Yeah, he is," she said in a low voice."This punk made all of us so worried, didn't he?" Arthur muttered to himself. Then, he laughed. "He's such a pain in the neck. I knew that the Grim Reaper wouldn't want him."Stella chuckled. Only she and Keegan knew what they had to go through to bring him back. It was only through Heaven's mercy that he survived."Oh, yeah. Great-grandpa, Keegan also bought pl
Stella replied: [What did Jaylene do again?]Felicity immediately texted back: [How did you know?][So, what is it?][Stinky Cucumber said that your stepmother took Jaylene to meet a very reputable perfumer who is a pioneer in the industry. Rumor has it that the perfumer has agreed to be the pretentious witch's mentor. Several online news accounts are already reposting it.]Felicity then forwarded an article, and Stella tapped it open."Perfume Master Jackie Rogan Secretly Recruited an Apprentice, Suspected to Be the Heiress of the Saun Family."There were hundreds of comments below. Although it was not a very hot topic, the searches of those keywords had been steadily rising. Someone was intentionally stirring things up.Stella scanned through the comments. Other than those made by some fake accounts, there were also some interesting discussions.[The Saun family? Wings Group?][The Saun family that held a grand banquet for the daughter's return? They're so rich. I can't beli
Jaylene was delighted, thinking she had guessed it right.[Stella usually doesn't talk much. Keegan, why would you want to catch a break from her? Did you two get into a fight?]Stella was getting better at imitating how Keegan texted as she replied: [She and Aurora don't get along. They'd start arguing as soon as they see each other. It's just too noisy at home.]The explanation was perfect and conveniently matched what Aurora had previously fed to Jaylene.Jaylene consoled: [Stella does have a bit of a temper. Mom and Dad would always ask us to tolerate her whenever we can.]Then, Stella stopped texting back again.After not getting a reply for a long time, Jaylene felt anxious and decided to call.Stella did not answer the call. Instead, she hung up and messaged her: [The line here is very bad. Text me if there's anything.]Jaylene had no choice but to continue typing: [Keegan, how have you been recovering lately? Stella has been staying with you for some time now. Have you
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