"They've been asking around, and this set is specifically handmade by a master craftsman. Look!" Austin revealed a delicate-looking box as he spoke.Dominic scoffed lightly and put up a faint smile. "These days, anyone can call themselves a master. Which master is this?"Any ordinary person would have been discouraged after hearing this, but it was just another day for Austin. He had already mentally prepared himself for this. He kept his smile, removed the teapot set, and said, "Look! It looks like a pumpkin."Dominic glanced at it but said nothing. However, that was already considered a perfect reaction. Since the older gentleman did not scold or shun Austin, the teapot set caught Dominic’s attention.Back then, Austin was still determining what Dominic liked. Austin would often bring over things from traveling abroad, be it expensive calligraphy, paintings, or antiques. Ultimately, Dominic would throw them all out.After countless scoldings, Austin gradually figured out what Do
“Granduncle, boiling this medicinal herb is a usual thing to do. I can control how much effect the herb would have on its users and how much would get absorbed into people’s blood vessels. Still, it’s too difficult to manage its absorption after evaporation.”Austin felt helpless. “Based on your experience, is it possible for me to control the medicinal herb’s evaporation process entirely?”Dominic threw Austin a sideway glance and pursed his lips, smiling. “What? You haven’t solved such a simple problem even after being in that stupid lab for a long time?”“It’s not like that…” Austin heard that Lily had already solved this problem, but as he was competing with Lily, he had to figure things out independently since she would not give him her data.He must piece all the puzzles together by himself. Plus, he was doubtful, not entirely believing that Lily had solved the problem and thought it was just a cover-up on her end. ‘I know so much about these herbs, and I’ve spent so much t
“Granduncle, it’s my fault! I shouldn’t have asked so many questions! Don’t get mad, please. I’ll stop asking!”“Get the f*ck out of here! Don’t you understand what I’m saying?” Dominic looked around. It seemed he did not find anything to grab, so he picked up the woven fan again and threw it in Austin’s direction. “You brat! Why do you need to come over and piss me off so often? Do you believe you can dictate how I live my life when I’ve lived much longer than you? Get the h*ll out of here right now, and don’t ever show your a*s here again!”Austin dodged the woven fan every time Dominic threw it his way, even though it wasn't likely to hurt him much if it did hit him. He was anxious when he heard Dominic ban him from coming over again.“Granduncle, don’t be mad! I won’t ask any questions anymore, and I’ll leave now! Please calm down. Getting mad isn’t good for your health! I’ll go back now, and I’ll visit you again soon!” With that, Austin turned around and ran out the door like
“Who the h*ll are you?” Austin tugged at his collar as he spoke in a tone that contrasted with his usual gentlemanly appearance.“I-I’m Mrs. Moore. We’ve met before.” The woman sounded slightly upset but spoke in an ingratiating manner.Austin had no idea who she was. “Mrs. Moore? Which one? I don’t know a Mrs. Moore!”Besides his relatives and a few friends, Austin had little interaction with women, let alone someone else’s wife. As the woman said she was Mrs. Moore, Austin thought he would not know such a person. Plus, why would he be in contact with someone else’s wife? However, that did not apply to Lily.Maria could sense that Austin was going to hang up soon. She became anxious and spoke quickly, “Mr. Fike, I’m Mrs. Moore. We met at the seminar the other day and exchanged a few words. At that time, you were even…”She wanted to bring up that he had been splashed with a drink that night but realized that doing so would offend Austin. Hence, she quickly stopped and said, “
Then Austin hung up the phone and blocked the number immediately. ‘What the h*ll was that?’He started the engine and stepped on the accelerator, trying to calm himself down with the wind that blew in his face. …On the other hand, Maria, who had the call hung up on her, had a terrible expression. “You haven’t said everything. What’s wrong with you?” The man by her side inquired, slightly impatiently.Holding her phone, Maria pursed her lips. “He… hung up on me.”“What?” The man asked in a raised voice before he sneered. “What are you doing? You’re so unreliable! What did you tell me earlier? You said you'd get a miracle doctor to cure Anastasia’s illness! But look at what’s happening now. He doesn’t even want to talk to you!”The man emphasized his words to show his disapproval of Maria. She was upset as well. “I didn’t expect it to be so hard to get his help! I went through so much trouble just to get his phone number, and who do you think I did all that for? Do you think I
After some thought, Maria stood up and said, “What about this? I’ll look for him since he won’t answer my call.”That earned her a surprised look from Fabian. “He doesn’t even want to answer your calls, so are you sure he’ll be willing to meet you? Even so, would he agree to your request?”“We can’t talk things out on the phone. When we meet later, I’ll stop Mr. Austin from leaving, so he will have no choice but to listen to whatever I say.“I heard he’s busy with something at the institute’s lab, so I bet I could meet him if I wait long enough. Plus, I have a great gift for him, and I’m sure it’s something he’ll be interested in!” Maria pinched her fingers mid-air, smiling confidently.“It’s all talk now, and you’re planning to spend so much already? Do you think my money grows on trees?” Fabian was displeased after he learned that his wife would spend money on Austin.His business had not been faring well recently, so he wanted to seek help from Cameron, his brother-in-law, who
Lily looked around as she exited the car. It was not far from what she had imagined. With Cameron’s identity, it was not a good idea for him to live too extravagantly. Hence, he stayed in an ordinary, two-story bungalow which looked elegant from the outside.After entering the house, a maid served Lily some tea and desserts. “Ms. Rollins will be down soon.”Lily nodded, and the maid left to do her work. The house was spacious, and because there was not much furniture and appliances around, it made the space look even more prominent. She could see almost everything in the living room at one glance.There were not many luxurious or expensive things here, and it appeared that Cameron was just as Alexander had described. Cameron was a meticulous man in many aspects.There were a few decorative items in the living room as well. A few pots of bonsai were in sight, and the pots which contained them looked plain. While looking around, Lily heard slow and heavy footsteps coming from the sta
“I wouldn’t mind that.” Lily noticed Anastasia looked weak and appeared tired after saying just a few words. “Do you get tired easily?”With a pillow under her head, Anastasia nodded, her gaze lowered. “Yeah. I’m fat and lazy, so I get fatigued easily.”“Are you lazy? You’re not,” Lily pointed to the few bonsai pots in the corner. “You managed those plants, didn’t you? How could you call yourself lazy when you could care for and prune those plants so well.”Upon hearing that, Anastasia looked toward the plants. They had a lush appearance and were well-maintained. The most exciting thing about them was that Anastasia had pruned them into the shapes of cartoon animals.“How did you know I was the one who pruned them?” Anastasia smiled. “Why didn’t you think the maids did it?”Lily shook her head. “They wouldn’t have pruned the bonsai into such cute shapes if it were them. Only someone as innocent as a child would do something as such.”“Innocent…” Anastasia repeated the word softly