Charlotte raised her head and looked at Griffith, who looked back in astonishment. She stuffed another piece of onion into her mouth and chewed slowly. Griffith showed disgust.Charlotte didn't mind, shaking her head and saying, "You're missing out.""Are you kidding me?""Tsk, onion is delicious."The scent drifted over as soon as she opened her mouth, giving Griffith a headache. He quickly took a bite of his chili dog. After eating about seventy percent of her meal and feeling the money in her pocket, Charlotte was in a good mood. She had the leisure to chat with him."I'll give you a piece to try.""I don't want it.""Try it. You'll love it.""That's impossible."Charlotte held the onion and said, "You're still young. You need to try new things.""No need."Just as he finished speaking, she put a piece of onion on his half-eaten chili dog. The pungent smell wafted over. He picked it up without hesitation and threw it back on the plate."Eat it yourself!"Pursing her lips
Charlotte's grandfather's small courtyard in the alley was quite conspicuous. The violets climbing over the wall and the berry trees made this little courtyard stand out. Standing in front of the courtyard gate, she carefully unlocked it.A far-from-pleasant smell carried in as soon as the gate opened, containing a hint of rotting fruit. Charlotte turned on the lights in the courtyard and was surprised to find that they were broken. They had been working fine the last time she was here.Griffith stood behind her and immediately sensed her predicament, teasingly asking, "Why don't you go in?"The ground was covered in rotten berries.Charlotte turned to him, saying, "The lights are out, and I'm afraid of the dark."Griffith could tell she was faking it."So what?""Griffith, you're a man, strong and fearless. Unafraid of the dark. You can go in first and help me turn on the lights in the house.""Don't play around. Go in by yourself," he scoffed.Charlotte pursed her lips, want
With the light, they could see clearly, making it more convenient for them to enter the courtyard. Fortunately, there were still some unoccupied spots for them to step on.Once the couple who ran the noodle shop returned home, the place became quiet. Charlotte opened the door to the main room and invited Griffith in."There are still plenty on the trees. Let's pick some to bring back for Grandma," she said.Griffith didn't argue this time, probably believing that Charlotte was sincere regarding his grandmother."Alright," he replied in a dignified manner. Charlotte turned her head and rolled her eyes at his attitude. "I can't reach them. You do the picking.""When you took the basket to the mountain that day, was it your grandfather who helped you pick the fruits?" Griffith asked.Charlotte fell silent. How she wished she could shut his mouth.She found a basket and said, "That night, I was alone. Today, there's someone with me, a man at that. Why should I do all the hard work
"In your family's case, your mother's tragedy can be attributed to your father not being a good person. It has nothing to do with fate," she remarked.Griffith was unable to speak and frowned. "If you don't know what to say, just be quiet."Charlotte laughed. "How can you say that when you're so sharp-tongued yourself? Do you have no shame?"Griffith raised an eyebrow and glanced at her coldly. When Charlotte met his gaze head-on, he averted his eyes."Did your grandfather teach you to cheat at gambling?" he inquired. Judging by the room's decor, her grandfather seemed to be an extraordinary person."Cheating? That's just skill!" Charlotte retorted. "When it comes down to it, poker is just a game, right? It's normal to have one or two high-level players.""Playing poker is a skill, but is stealing cards also a skill?" he asked.Charlotte paused. Griffith continued, "What about sleight of hand?"Charlotte suddenly remembered. He was referring to the time when she used mulberry
Tsk. He was not Julie. Did she think she had to baby him with words like 'treasure'?Griffith sighed inwardly and glanced down. "Aren't you supposed to perform first?""If you're not giving me money, why make so many demands?" She muttered but proceeded with her act. Originally, she held a mulberry twig in each hand. She showed them to him, quickly opening and closing her palms. Suddenly, her hands were empty, and then the twigs reappeared in one hand. She bumped her fists together, and when she reopened them, the twigs appeared in both hands. Seeing this, Griffith raised an eyebrow.With a smug grin, Charlotte said, "Alright, alright. You have to guess. Three rounds will determine the winner."She extended her hand to him. "Hold out your hand."Griffith complied, holding out his hand. Two twigs fell into his palm.She casually took one twig into each hand before him and clenched her fists. "Now, guess how many twigs are in each hand."Finding this game childish, Griffith respon
Charlotte had just finished her performance and was in a good mood. This was the first time Griffith had been humble and implicitly praised her grandfather in front of her, so she felt more favorable toward him.She leaned down and asked him, "So, your father isn't decent, and neither is your grandfather?"Shocked, Griffith glanced at her but seemed reluctant to comment.Charlotte clicked her tongue twice and said, "I see.""See what?" he asked.She thought, 'So that's why you're such a jerk.'His father wasn't a good person, nor was his maternal grandfather. With such characteristics in his family, how could he turn out decent?She didn't dare say that, and her gaze involuntarily moved from Griffith's face. "It's nothing."As an eagle-eyed man, he saw right through her. Unable to resist, he reached out, wanting to pinch her face.Charlotte quickly stood up and handed him a large bowl. "Pick the mulberries! You agreed that if you lose, you'll pick mulberries!"After saying th
A loud noise echoed, and someone tapped on the yard's gate.Charlotte jumped in fright and quickly turned around, her gaze piercing through the two doors leading from the hall to the yard, landing on the man standing in the doorway. She let out a sigh of relief and discreetly stashed the piece of paper into her pocket.Griffith entered the yard and frowned at the mess. Expressionless, he asked, "Is this the home of the couple who runs the noodle restaurant?"Charlotte thought he couldn't possibly know about Tobias. It didn't seem necessary to tell him, and even if she did, he probably wouldn't want to hear it.She glanced around and replied, "It's the home of a childhood playmate. Just coming to take a look."As she spoke, she walked out of the hall and closed the door behind her. Approaching Griffith, she saw that his expression had turned rather grim."What's wrong with you?"She suddenly remembered that he had been drinking earlier and might not feel well after staying up all
Outside, the sound of an electric scooter driving through the alley filled the air, making the kitchen quieter.Charlotte's heart pounded in her chest as she stood frozen in place. When she came to her senses, she numbly took out her phone and turned on the flashlight.The beam of light revealed Griffith crouched down with his head lowered. He seemed to be trying to ease his pain while searching the ground for something."Turn it off!" he ordered, lifting his head sharply. His piercing gaze cut through the light beam, landing on her face.Charlotte was startled and quickly turned off the flashlight."Are you looking for something?" she asked. No response.It was confirmed. He couldn't hear. How could this be? Did Griffith have hearing problems?A small metallic object flashed through her mind, and she suddenly realized something.Was it a hearing aid? Or something similar to a cochlear implant?Her thoughts were in disarray, but she carefully crouched down and began to searc
Tanya's previous full-length mirror was still usable, but because it was small, she had to walk a bit farther every time she used it. Eli had long wanted to replace it.Little did he know, she got rid of many things in the house to make room for the new large sofa for him, including that old full-length mirror."How do you like it? Surprised?" He patted the mirror.Tanya smiled wryly and pointed to the large sofa. "And you? Surprised?" Only then did Eli notice fewer small items in the living room and a large new sofa. He suddenly chuckled. It was quite nice.He thought of her, and she thought of him. This winter was truly warm.Tanya abandoned the egg tart and hugged him again. "Oh no, this mirror is so big. There's nowhere to put it."Eli carried her with one hand and moved the mirror to the corner with the other. Sitting on the sofa, he thought for a moment, then hugged her and said, "Tanya, let's move to a bigger place."Tanya knew he had been thinking about this all along.
Eli found it amusing. He pushed the head of the small money jar and couldn't help but say, "You gold digger! You love money so much, then why did you give the check I gave you to Soraya?"Tanya blinked and chuckled. "I only acquire wealth in the proper way. To be honest…" She pondered for a moment, then turned to look at him. "Probably because, at that time, I was just too fond of you like I am now."Hearing this, Eli felt a pang of heartache and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Tanya smiled, moved the gifts aside, and made some space for him.Just as they were about to talk, Eli's phone vibrated continuously. It turned out that Bridget was sending over the detailed preparation process for the wedding.Tanya scrolled through it and suddenly felt overwhelmed. Eli looked at it and also felt a headache coming. The two glanced at each other, sighed simultaneously, and leaned back.After they publicly disclosed their relationship, life continued as usual but became busier due to the w
Eli being married was shocking enough, but then his wife was hiding right in the office. In the next half hour, Tanya heard wailing from all around.The atmosphere in their office was quite good, and everyone got along well. After coming clean, everyone joked around and teased each other."Nia, don't forget Mr. Ted, he's been cursing at you all along!""Yeah, he's been calling you a fool!""I heard it, I can testify!"Ted was furious and rushed out to hit someone. Tanya followed with laughter.Before leaving work, Amy indeed brought the cake and candies, sharing them with everyone in the building. Thus, the entire group gave them their blessings.From the office to the parking lot, Tanya received blessings. When she got into Eli's car, her heart was still pounding.Eli was happily eating his candy, feeling good. Especially now that he didn't have to sneak around anymore, he even turned the steering wheel effortlessly.Tanya, holding the cake, asked him in surprise, "Were these
Tanya walked out of the room with her guard down and came face to face with Ted's sneaky expression. She paused.Ted gasped, his brain instantly turning blank.He looked at Tanya, covered his mouth with his left hand, and placed his right hand over the left with his eyes gradually widening.God! This was insane!Tanya regained her composure and glanced in Eli's direction. Eli remained calm, glanced at the fruit plate on the table, and said, "Should we take some down to share with your colleagues?"Tanya nodded. She glanced at the still-disheveled Ted and kindly handed him a tangerine."Sir?"Ted swallowed, looked at Tanya, then at Eli. Finally, he settled his gaze on the tangerine in her hand, mechanically accepting it.Tanya turned to look at Eli. 'Look, you've scared my superior.'Eli shrugged."I'm leaving," she said.Eli nodded and escorted her to the door.Ted followed them out and was sent into the elevator by his boss. As the elevator doors closed, he let out a long
The deep blue bedsheet was neatly spread out. But the two pillows lacked pillowcases, exposed in a sorry state.Eli placed his hands on his belt and turned to look at Tanya. "Is this also your doing?"Tanya leaned against the door frame, only poking her head in, smiling sheepishly."I accidentally drooled while sleeping that day and dirtied the pillowcase. Knowing that you're a neat freak, I took them all off to wash," she said. She raised her hand and swore, "The pillowcases have been washed and are in the cabinet at home."Eli wasn't interested in the pillowcases' whereabouts. He remembered when Amy called him, saying Tanya missed him and wanted to touch the sheets and pillows after waking up.Nonsense!He took a deep breath, then turned his head to Tanya with a frightening smile. Tanya realized the danger and tried to run, but he grabbed her by the waist."Hey, what are you doing?" she said.Eli tossed her onto the bed and followed suit."What are you doing?!""Collecting
Tanya sat upright in the office. Eli stood before her with his hands behind his back. "Come on, explain."Tanya's eyes darted around. "Do you believe me? It's because I missed you too much. When I came to your place, I couldn't help but take away everything related to you." Eli scoffed. "Including the toilet paper?"Tanya pondered seriously.Eli tapped the coffee machine and pointed to the plug that had been pulled out, saying, "If the coffee machine wasn't too heavy, would you have taken that too?"'This brat has no conscience at all. Does she even understand what a cold shoulder is?'While he was reminiscing in her room, she made a fortune in his office!Tanya blinked and gave him an embarrassed smile. "If you think about it from another angle, I love you deeply. If we couldn't reconcile and you came back to see all this, you would hate me. Hate represents love, and love means you can't forget me. My obsession is so deep; I want to stay in your heart forever."Eli fell silen
"You should buy something while visiting. Do you have enough money in your account? If not, I will transfer some to you," Mrs. Moran said on the phone.Tanya didn't want money; she just wanted to hear some advice. She knew her parents' financial situation wasn't good. Due to illness, her stepfather had retired from his position as a butler of the Sterling family. Although the Sterlings provided a retirement package, Mr. Moran was getting old, and he had a son. She heard that his son's business had lost a considerable amount of money in recent years. As a stepdaughter, she had already received enough help from them, so how could she ask for more money?During her university days, she didn't ask her family for money. If she could find a part-time job, she would, and if not, she would endure it just to avoid causing her mother trouble."Mom, I don't need money. I have enough."When Mrs. Moran heard this, she felt even more sorry for her.Since her ex-husband was useless, Tanya suffer
After breakfast, Eli called Bridget."Why did you send her a check? Do you have nothing better to do?"Bridget had just arrived home and begun playing poker with a few old friends.She threw out a card, rolled her eyes, and said, "It's the first time I've met my daughter-in-law! What's wrong with giving her some money!"Eli was speechless."Madam, you came up and threw 500,000 dollars just like that. Aren't you afraid of scaring people?""What should I do? Throw 50,000 dollars instead? That's too stingy."Eli was speechless. Holding onto the railing, he glanced downstairs and saw Tanya ironing her coat in the living room."I almost got dumped because you caused a scene," he joked.Bridget threw the cards while chuckling. "It's good to be dumped. With your unruly behavior, someone should make you suffer a bit.""Are you really my mother?""If you still want to be a good son, hurry up and go through the procedures, live a proper life with Tanya, and try to give me a grandson n
"What did Her Majesty tell you?"Tanya nearly lost her composure, fighting back laughter.Bridget said nothing more as she left with Benjamin, leaving Tanya and Eli to return to the apartment. The journey back was silent, with Tanya deep in thought. Upon entering, Eli halted her at the entrance.Exhaling deeply, Tanya reached into her pocket and withdrew a check. Eli's gaze fell upon it, noting it was only for $500,000. As he moved to take it, Tanya tucked it back into her pocket. On the bar, a spread of breakfast awaited them - fried eggs, sausages, fruits, and vegetables. Despite the inviting display, Tanya's attention was on Eli."Don't you want breakfast?"With the situation still unclear, Eli's appetite waned. Nonetheless, knowing Bridget's nature, he remained calm. Seating himself opposite Tanya, he nibbled at a sausage, noticing her lack of interest."Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned.Tanya shook her head.The oversized sandwich Bridget had ordered had already