I was so close. Maybe I could try again.I put Doggo on the floor, lay back down, and closed my eyes, trying to return to that dream.But the more I tried to fall asleep, the more awake I felt. Suddenly remembering my promise to Grandpa Shaw, I reached for my phone to check the time.6:30 AM.Grandpa Shaw and Professor Killiney kept a regular schedule, usually having breakfast at 7 AM. If I hurried, I could make it.I quickly got up and got ready. Just as I was about to leave, my phone rang. It was Luke."I'll drive you to the hotel.""Mr. Walker, I can drive myself. It's no trouble."With Luke's help, I had overcome my driving anxiety and could now drive confidently.This was a small matter I could handle myself. No need to bother him."I'm outside your house."I stopped reaching for my car door. "I'll be right out."I thought Luke was just giving me a lift on his way somewhere, but when we arrived, he got out with me."Do you have business with Professor Killiney, Mr. Wa
"Girls are like flowers; they need to be cherished. The more carefully you nurture them, the more radiant they become. With this mindset, there's no girl you can't win over."Grandpa, I'm right here! Could you be a little more discreet?This thought startled me as soon as it popped into my head.Luke's earlier words were just to appease Grandpa Shaw; he had no intention of pursuing me. I was the one taking it seriously!I couldn't let myself get caught up in this. I needed to view the situation objectively.Professor Killiney noticed my expression and spoke up: "With all these ideas of yours, how many girls have you actually won over all these years?""My methods are only for pursuing girls. At my age, chasing after women would be disgraceful. What would people think?""Now you're concerned about being disgraceful? Where was this wisdom when you were up to no good?""Watch what you say with the young ones around." Grandpa Shaw, worried about leaving a bad impression on Luke and
Breakfast consisted of Johnsonville's specialty pasta dishes paired with various small bowls of oatmeal and appetizing side dishes. Grandpa Shaw chose a mix of savory and sweet pasta.He alternated between savory and sweet bites, clearly enjoying his meal.Grandpa Shaw was like a ray of sunshine. With him around, my life was filled with warmth, brightening my mood and keeping a small smile on my face.Johnsonville is my hometown. My parents believed in the philosophy of "travel broadens the mind." From when I was just a few months old, they took me on tours all around Johnsonville.When I was older and able to travel further, they planned road trips for us to explore the beautiful landscapes across the country.When I recently moved back to the family home and was organizing things, I found the hand-drawn travel guides my parents had made for me in the study. It was heartbreaking.I stood there for a long time, holding the guides and leaning against the bookshelf until my legs we
He had a serious expression, trying to find those lost memories.The places Grandpa Shaw had marked included elegant gardens with beautiful scenery, historic landmarks, bustling amusement parks, and Johnsonville's landmark buildings.Coincidentally, my parents had taken me to all these places. Scenes from the past flashed through my mind like a silent film, brief moments of happiness mixed with guilt, leaving me silent for a long time.Luke quietly stayed by my side. After dropping Grandpa Shaw and Professor Killiney back at the hotel, Luke drove me away.On the way, I was lost in thought, not wanting to talk, leaning back with my eyes closed.When the car stopped, I thought we had arrived home. I unbuckled my seatbelt, ready to get out.But when I opened the door and saw the cemetery entrance, my breath caught, and I felt angry. "Luke, can't you stop making decisions for me?"I did miss my parents and wanted to pay my respects, but this was my business. He shouldn't have brough
"Ouch!"On our way home, we stopped at a pharmacy where Luke bought iodine and anti-inflammatory medicine to treat the wound on my forehead.When the cotton swab soaked in iodine touched my forehead, I winced in pain and recoiled.Luke's handsome face remained tense, but his hands didn't stop."Mr. Walker, maybe we should go to the hospital and let a nurse handle this."It hurt, it really hurt!I leaned back slightly, trying to avoid the cotton swab.Luke put his hand on the back of my head to hold me still. "If you had hit your head any harder at the cemetery, we'd be in the orthopedic ward of the hospital right now.""It's not that serious."I gripped the car seat in pain. Luke didn't say anything, but his touch became gentler."I was overwhelmed by my emotions and lost control. Please don't hold it against me, Mr. Walker."When one's inner secrets are exposed, it triggers a self-protection mechanism. I had worked for so long without being able to adjust before my emotions
Wendy, being considerate, glanced at Luke through the lowered driver's window but refrained from calling out to him. Instead, she made a gesture to me indicating her understanding.As the car entered the yard, Luke stepped out. "If the Walker family calls you tomorrow, tell them you're injured and unable to go out.""Okay." Remembering Joey's message from the previous night, I felt compelled to inform Luke that she had also received an invitation. "Joey was invited as well.""She won't show up at the Walker house," Luke stated confidently.According to Joey's message, it seemed she highly valued Mrs. Walker's invitation and would undoubtedly make preparations to attend!Unless Luke stepped in.But would someone as stubborn as Joey listen to Luke's arrangement?I later discovered that, to prevent Joey from attending, Luke had arranged for the magazine's owner to assign her an urgent out-of-town assignment.Joey pleaded with her boss to postpone the trip by a day, but he refused.
"You...""What 'you'? I haven't even gotten to the worst part yet!" The older woman didn't give Joey a chance to speak. "Did you just appear out of thin air? Didn't you ever have moments as a child annoying the f**k out of everyone? Looking at how bitter and mean you are, it's clear this wasn't developed overnight. They say you can tell a person's character by age three. If I were your parents, I'd have thrown you out long ago and left you to fend for yourself.""My parents are dead! If you were my parents, you wouldn't be alive now!""Are you cursing me to die?" The woman, at her age, couldn't stand hearing the word 'death'. She was furious. "Say that again, I dare you.""I just said..."Smack!Before Joey could finish, the older woman slapped her hard across the face.The woman's strength knocked Joey's sunglasses off and sent her head reeling to one side.Joey, not one to take such treatment lying down, started grappling with the older woman.By the time the flight attendan
"That tiny bit of extra insight I see can only be understood, not explained.""Wendy..." I pleaded, using the trick that had always worked with Wendy, given our close relationship.But judging from Wendy's reaction, it wasn't very effective this time!"Last time, I brought you some letters. Today, the new homeowner contacted me. Two more letters arrived."Wendy retrieved a few letters from her bag and handed them to me."Please inform the new homeowner that if any more letters come, they can simply discard them," I said. Max had previously run a public account teaching people how to invest.His academic performance was good, but solely in terms of exam scores, where he was neck and neck with Luke. In reality, he had not achieved anything significant in his field.Although he had not accomplished anything in real life, he was skilled at deceiving people online and had gained quite a following.His followers trusted him wholeheartedly. Through these letters, I discovered the publ