Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle.This man had such a stubborn temperament, always trying to gain the upper hand in linguistic details. She had invited him; she hadn't begged him to come. She remembered how Ash and the others had said they needed to appease him, so she decided not to argue with him."Well, I was worried you might be too busy to make it," she replied, taking a few steps and then looking back at him, still holding the drinks she had bought. "I bought some fruit juice, just waiting for you."In truth, if he didn't come soon, she was going to start eating.Griffith was holding back his anger as he stood beside his car, but when he saw her offering him those cheap drinks as if they were precious gems, he felt like his tantrum for the past two hours was in vain.Charlotte reminded him, "Hurry up, the food will get cold."He didn't say anything, but he finally moved. Charlotte smirked.The two of them, one after the other, walked into the alley The moonlight was par
The brightly colored fruit juice was poured into the wine glass, and the packaging indicated it was pure fruit juice, but it gave off a cheap vibe.Charlotte didn't mind drinking it herself, but when she handed it to Griffith, she asked him, "Can you drink this?"Griffith's expression was indifferent. "Does the packaging say 'Griffith, do not consume'?"Charlotte laughed and said, "This drink only costs 3 dollars for 12 bottles. I was worried it might upset your delicate stomach.""Then why did you purchase it?""I don't have much money. I could only afford this."Griffith made a faint hum. He knew how much money she had. He knew about the over 5 million she had received last time. After helping Bruce with the house, she still had plenty left.She pretended to be broke because she didn't want to spend it on him."All right. Try it, even if it's just for my sake." Charlotte placed the fruit juice in front of him and smiled, her expression radiant under the lamp. "The taste isn't
"Figure it out for yourself," he replied nonchalantly, as if he didn't care much about the gift.Charlotte, however, understood that this gift was not optional, and she couldn't just give anything; otherwise, it could lead to trouble. She used the cutlery to pick up a few bites of food for Griffith, but he didn't touch it. Instead, he glanced over the spread of dishes."What's wrong?"He furrowed his brows, opened his mouth, and asked, "Where are the meatballs?"Charlotte paused.Pfft! She couldn't hold back a laugh.Griffith's expression immediately darkened. He seemed ready to get up.Charlotte quickly stopped him. "They're in the kitchen, just waiting for you. I'll fry them now."Griffith glanced at her and, looking somewhat awkward, probably realized that he had asked something a bit childish."I just wanted to see if you were telling the truth," he added.Charlotte held back her laughter and nodded. "I know you didn't want to eat meatballs. You were just testing me."Gr
"What's the big deal about killing a snake?" he casually remarked.Charlotte was shocked.Mike put the snake down, washed his hands, and waited for Charlotte to fish out a few meatballs from the pot. He explained to Griffith, "You arrived just in time. These black snakes arrived yesterday."Griffith looked at the donkey hide on the stone platform outside and asked, "Was the donkey hide brought in yesterday too?"Mike's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes, yes."Griffith added, "I came at just the right time."Mike said, "That's right.""So after we're done with the snakes, I'll be helping you process the donkey hide, right?" Griffith asked.Mike grinned. "That sounds good."Griffith was at a loss for words.Charlotte had already caught on. She pointed at the donkey hide outside and said, "It didn't arrive today. I saw the steward take it out of the warehouse, and it was all covered in dust."Mike didn't even attempt to hide his lie. He stiffened his neck and said, "You're talking nonsens
In Charlotte's eyes, Griffith seemed like someone who sat in an office all year round. His muscular physique appeared to be the result of a successful gym routine, but she was clearly mistaken. She remembered the last time she realized her misconception was at Krystal's house when he easily took on multiple opponents with his bare hands, leaving her awestruck.This time, under the moonlit night, with a picturesque backdrop of flowers and plants, he stood nearby. Rolling up his sleeves, he casually tore off the skin of a nearly two-meter-long black snake, tossing it onto the steps.The snake had no head, but its body continued to writhe. With blood on his hands and a distaste for the smell of blood, he glanced around."What are you looking for?" Charlotte asked."Get me a lighter," he replied."Sure," she responded, rushing to the kitchen to retrieve it.She returned and handed it to him. He glanced at her and said, "Light a cigarette for me.""Alright."She proceeded to light a
All seven snakes met their end at Griffith's hands, and Mike rewarded him with three snake bodies.Charlotte was once again surprised. "What do we need these for?""We'll fry and eat them!" Mike replied.At that moment, Griffith, having washed his hands, stood in the courtyard. It took him several cigarettes to mask the scent of blood that clung to him.Hearing Mike's suggestion, he walked to the kitchen door, motioning to Charlotte. "We'll fry the snakes together, like we did with the meatballs.""Ah?" Charlotte protested. "I can't do that!""If you can fry meatballs, you can fry snakes," he said."In that case, I can't fry meatballs either."Griffith stood near the door, and the wind made his hair sway slightly. He smiled unexpectedly, though it was more of a mocking smile.With the wind blowing into the kitchen, Charlotte heard him say one thing."Coward."Mike regretted the missed opportunity. They could have eaten the fried snakes tonight."Forget it. If you scare her
All seven snakes lay coiled neatly inside an iron bucket, squirming around. Charlotte watched them, feeling a chill run down her spine. In the courtyard, Griffith had changed into protective clothing similar to the one he wore when diving to search for lotus roots.Charlotte hesitated to enter the kitchen, peeking her head out to check on him. Before Griffith started working, he lit a cigarette. When he turned, he noticed she was inside, dilly-dallying. He flicked away the cigarette butt and said, "You need time to prepare yourself before you start your work?"Charlotte emerged from the kitchen, hands clasped behind her back, thinking hard. She said, "I think it might be a waste to fry them tonight. It's better to eat them tomorrow."Mike came out with tea and said, "It won't be a waste. If we can't finish them tonight, you can fry the rest tomorrow again and we’ll eat them tomorrow."Charlotte looked at Griffith, who raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you hear that?""I…" Charlotte
Charlotte sliced the snake with great speed, while Griffith was slow in handling the donkey hide. She was getting impatient and came out to see that he had only sliced a small portion. Mike said that slicing donkey hide can hurt the back and told him to take a break.Griffith nodded, let go of the knife, and went to wash up.Charlotte was in the kitchen, preparing to marinate the snake meat. Although she was no longer as afraid, she still couldn't bring herself to handle it directly. She used a pair of tongs to mix it slowly. There were seven snakes, each about one to two meters long, in a whole bucket."If you continue at this pace, it will be daylight before you finish," Griffith commented, standing by the door.Charlotte didn't mind and said, "Slow and steady wins the race."Griffith didn't say anything but quietly moved closer to her.Charlotte looked up and asked, "What are you doing?"He glanced at the stainless steel bowl filled with snake meat pieces and, when she wasn't
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