As Charlie looked at the photo of the snowy courtyard, he recalled that snowy night in Kyoto many days ago.Under that heavy snowfall, he saved Nanako and unintentionally saved both Jaime and Sophie Schulz.With this thought, he quietly sighed and replied Nanako, “Thank you, and a happy New Year to you too!”He did not respond to the matter of snowing Kyoto that Nanako had brought up. He knew that he should not have too many emotional interactions with Nanako.At first, he felt that she shouldn’t be burdened by the injuries inflicted by Aurora all her life, so he wanted to heal her.Now that she had been cured and he saved her life, so technically speaking, they were even-steven. He would only complicate things if he kept having unnecessary interactions with her.Charlie also knew that his hands were tied and was unable to return their feelings when it came to the women who admired him, including Nanako.Therefore, keeping these women at a distance could be considered the mo
However, Nanako did not deny it immediately nor ran away on the spot. Instead, she put her hands in front of her body and bowed deeply. “I understand, Eminent Father!”Yahiko smiled graciously and said, “I’m too old to stand the freezing wind. I’ll go back to rest first. Don’t stay up too late.”Nanako hurriedly said, “Let me send you into the room, Eminent Father!”Yahiko waved his hand. “Never mind. Since you like pondering, I’ll let you ponder for a while longer.”With that, he made a half turn while controlling his electric wheelchair and slowly went back to his room.Nanako watched her father disappear at the end of the corridor. As she still felt the flushing burn on her face, she gently placed her hands on the thick snow and then placed them on her face.The cold hands brought down the temperature of her cheeks and also made her heart gradually return to tranquility.A moment later, she once again stretched out her hand and used her fingers to write some beautiful words o
Getting worked up, Rosalie hugged Yashita’s waist tightly and asked, “Mom, why are you here? How did you get in here?”Seeing that the soldiers had retreated, Yashita said, “Rosalie, your father asked me to come.”“Father?” Rosalie hurriedly asked, “How is he now? Has he returned home? He didn’t encounter any danger, did he?”Yashita shook her head and said softly, “Don’t worry, he’s fine. He has returned to Eastcliff safely.”Only then did Rosalie heave a sigh of relief and murmured, “Thank goodness…”Yashita said, “Rosalie, your father wanted to come to Japan personally to get you out, but because he is now the main subject of strict monitoring by the Japanese homeland security department, so it’s not convenient for him to come to Japan again, for the time being, that’s why he let me come to see you.”Puzzled, Rosalie asked, “Mom, how did you get in here? The Self-Defense Forces are keeping close watch over me in this maximum-security prison. How did they let you in?”Yashita
Yashita said, “Your father said that you can name yourself whatever you want, and he will help you with the relevant identification registration.”A trace of joy flashed across Rosalie’s face. However before she could speak, Yashita added, “Rosalie, your father said that you can still use Schulz as your last name, and you can call yourself whatever you want, but you cannot make the name sound like his descendant.”Rosalie’s delightful grin froze and was replaced by a bitter frown. She looked at Yashita and asked, “Mom, he still doesn’t want people to know who I really am, does he?”Yashita said, looking rather ashamed, “Rosalie, you are after all your father’s illegitimate daughter, and not many people know about this. Only your father and your grandfather know about you in the entire Schulz family. Your father and his wife love each other very much. If she knows about you, she will certainly break up with him…”Rosalie choked. “Mom, does it mean that I can’t tell people that Sheld
Looking at Yashita, Rosalie nodded and said with tears in her eyes, “Don’t worry, Mom! I’ll come back alive to see you!”Yashita touched Rosalie’s face with her one arm and said lovingly, “After you go back this time, don’t go to the Schulz residence first. Stay with me at your grandma’s place for a while. We’ll go back after the dust has settled.”Rosalie nodded and said, “Okay, Mom. Take care.”Yashita reminded her in a low voice, “Regarding the mission of getting you out, don’t disclose it to any of the inmates, because we only plan to get you out alone. If they know about it, they may be upset and I’m afraid it will bring any unwanted trouble.”Rosalie sighed slightly. “Okay, Mom. I know…”Yashita nodded and only then reluctantly left, and Rosalie was brought back to her cell by the soldiers.However, at this moment, Rosalie was full of gratitude to Sheldon.Although she was an illegitimate daughter and he could never disclose her true identity to the public, he was willing
Elaine said seriously, “So what? Nowadays, you don’t need acting skills and an angelic voice to be a star. Pretty is enough! Look at those popular stars, they can make albums even if they sing like crap; they can even act in movies even if they can’t speak properly. Why? Because they are pretty!”Claire shook her head and said helplessly, “That’s enough, Mom. Just let me watch the show.”Elaine added, “Claire, I’m being serious. I really think that you have what it takes…”At this moment, Quinn started singing, and Elaine couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh my! This girl’s voice is really nice!”Claire hurriedly waved her hand. “Be quiet, Mom!”Charlie was a little surprised when he heard Quinn singing. He thought that she was an idol star with a pretty face, but once she started singing, her voice and skill were definitely professional level.The song she sang had a melodious and fresh tune that was comparable to the songs of the well-known divas.Charlie couldn’t help but be immerse
The Spring Festival Gala was broadcasted live to 1.4 billion viewers nationwide, so when Charlie finished watching her solo performance in front of the TV, Quinn had just finished her performance and came backstage.The first thing she did was to send Charlie a message before she got changed. She was most concerned about Charlie’s opinion of her performance.Initially, the gala director team wanted her to sing another song which was about friendship, which she had promised them a long time ago, but after meeting Charlie again, she had a change of heart.Therefore, she negotiated with the director team and expressed her wish to change the song.At first, they were reluctant to do so as the program was meticulously planned and such things as the temporary song changed almost never happened.However, as Quinn continued to reason her change persistently, the team finally made a compromise seeing that she really wanted to sing the song so badly.The reason why Quinn chose to sing the
So, Charlie replied, “Then you should hurry up and go back to accompany Uncle and Aunt. Help me to send a greeting to them. I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year!”Quinn also replied, “Thank you, Charlie. I wish you a Happy New Year too!”After that, Charlie put away his cell phone and he concentrated on watching the Spring Festival Gala with his wife, Claire.When it was almost twelve o’clock at midnight, Jacob lamented, “Although it is really much more environmentally friendly now that firecrackers have been banned, the New Year atmosphere seems to be lacking. It is really a pity…”“That’s right.” Claire who was aside could not help but sigh as she said, “When I was young, I especially liked the smell of the fire and smoke after the firecrackers are lit. It is rare for us to have the opportunity to see firecrackers nowadays.”Charlie replied, “Although we are not allowed to set off firecrackers in the urban area, it is still possible for us to set off firecrackers in
Jacob's brain blanked out, leaving only a dull hum as soon as Walker mentioned 'Professor Hall'.Already feeling nervous in the first place, he quickly said, "Okay, okay—I got it. Anyway, I'm hanging up if there's nothing else!"With that, he promptly pressed the button to hang up.Nonetheless, Elaine was soon asking in curiosity, "Who's Professor Hall?"If Jacob had any semblance of composure, he would have said 'a colleague at Senior University' as if it was perfectly natural, and the matter would have been forgotten.But the reality was that he didn't—in fact, he was the champion when it came to dropping the ball as a casual question from Elaine left him sweating all over his brow.Even as he slid nervous glances at her face, he stammered uncontrollably, "N-Nobody…"Elaine promptly noticed his strange reaction and frowned. "I'm talking about Professor Hall. What do you mean, nobody? Who are they? And what's this about an invitation? Inviting you for what?"Seeing that he was
Jacob had really had too much to drink and couldn't remember the later parts of what had happened last night—even how he had gotten home was a blur.Naturally, he also forgot that Walker had brought Matilda's wedding invitation, and therefore didn't hesitate to answer the in-car answer button.Over the phone, Walker was positively fawning as he asked, "Mr. Wilson? It's Walker. Why didn't you come in today? Had too much to drink last night?""Uh-huh," Jacob grunted, lethargic. "I did—my head still hurts now… Anyway, what's up? Trouble at the association?""No, of course not," Walker quickly said. "I was just worried you're still hungover, so I called to ask. If you need a driver or anything, you just need to ask!"Then, before Jacob could answer, he continued, "By the way, my wife is somewhat knowledgable in Oskian medicine, and she has recipes for brews that cure hangovers and nourish the liver. I'm sure you'll need the latter since you're always drinking at social events, so I as
Fortunately, Elaine and Jacob's bickering never escalated.Even though Elaine was winning, Jacob found it tolerable.After Jacob finished his lunch and cleaned up, he never looked up as he said, "Charlie sent a text, saying Claire's flight would touch down earlier at three. We will leave at two."Elaine grumbled. "Why leave so early? She's coming back from abroad, and there'd be checkpoints she has to clear—she'd be lucky if she could leave by half past three. I'm sleeping a few winks now, and we'll leave at half past two."As she left the dining room, she didn't even look back as she said, "Clean up for me too."Jacob had a million complaints but said nothing as he kept his head down, throwing Elaine's lunchbox in the trash can as well.With Elaine gone, he sat on the couch as her hangover slowly cleared while his mood soured with the lack of alcohol.In the end, the pleasure of being fawned over at the Diamond Room was but temporary—the pain of his beloved leaving with someone
Vera kept her plan to investigate the identity of the abbess deep in her mind and told Charlie nothing.Instead, she smiled as she said, "It seems that it's both yours and Ms. Ito's good fortune that she has attained enlightenment. You've never had anyone who could attain enlightenment and master Reiki at the same time, so Ms. Ito will definitely be a great help to you in the future."Charlie chuckled and said calmly, "I'm not hoping for her to help. I'm simply happy for her with her enlightenment and excited to have another comrade in my solo ventures into the dark forests."Vera nodded in understanding, and she murmured emotionally, "I've lived for so long, and it's only when I opened my heart to you that I felt that sensation you described."There was a flicker of wistfulness in her eyes.She really did not expect to attain enlightenment before meeting Charlie.Years ago, she thought that she would eventually avenge her father.Now, she no longer hoped to murder Fleur Griffi
Vera was inwardly disappointed to hear that Claire was returning.That meant there were fewer chances of Charlie visiting the Scarlet Pinnacle Manor, as were her chances of seeing him again.Still, she didn't let it show, instead asking casually, "How are things at Champs Elys? Are the warriors improving at a rate to your satisfaction?""Well, most of everyone's improvement is within expectations…" Charlie explained, just as he remembered a certain someone. "By the way, there's something I haven't told you yet. Are you perhaps acquainted with the name Ito Nanako?""Yes," Vera smiled. "The Japanese lady who was with you. What about her?""She attained enlightenment days ago.""Enlightenment?" Vera did a double take and soon pressed, "Enlightenment in what sense? Essential Qi or Reiki?"After all, the former was the path to enlightenment in martial arts, while the latter meant enlightenment in cultivation.But despite the distinction between both domains, enlightenment was a comm
While Charlie had long since gotten used to Elaine and Jacob's bizarre marriage, being near the heart of the storm still took a toll on his senses—to the point that he felt physically sick.Leaving right away was therefore his best solution.Once he left, however, he realized he didn't have anywhere to go. Champs Elys was quite far, and it would take a lot of time.As he started to feel bored stiff, he remembered Vera for some reason and called her.Once Vera answered, she quickly asked in curiosity, "To what do I owe the pleasure? Lunch, perhaps?"Charlie chuckled. "Since you've put it that way… I haven't eaten either, so lunch it is!"Vera giggled. "Come over to my place, then. It's cold outside, and I was just lighting up a hot pot. I'll have Madam Marilyn prepare an additional portion.""Okay!" Charlie agreed to it without hesitation. "I can return her car too. Just wait, I'll be right there!"Once he hung up, he got on the Rolls Roycs he had borrowed from Scarlet Pinnacl
Charlie shook his head. "It's alright, Dad. You can go ahead if you're busy—I can pick up Claire on my own.""No way!" Elaine promptly snapped. "It's been so long since she came back. We are all going to the airport!"Jacob sighed in exasperation. "Well, I'm sticking to my schedule—first the Calligraphy and Painting Association, then I'll be back an hour before to pick you guys up before going together to the airport."Elaine was left fuming. "Is there no getting through to you? You really have to go to that stupid association, don't you? Okay, fine. If you must go, I will be going with you!""You're their honored vice president who will be promoted to president soon, no? As Mrs. Vice President and the future Mrs. President, is there an issue if I went for a look?"Jacob shuddered at the thought of Elaine going to the Calligraphy and Painting Association as he absolutely didn't want her to humiliate him with her antics. People would talk, asking how a proper gentleman like him c
Jacob yawned, stretching his arms and smacking his cheeks, before finally retorting in contempt, "For Pete's sake, woman—don't make dissing me a habit. Or does it please you so much?"Elaine pursed her lips. "You call that dissing? It's all facts—do you think I don't know you? Tell me, what qualifications do you have? Your knowledge about calligraphy is skin-deep, and even the frauds working on Antique Street could beat you.""Only you would have the audacity to take the role of vice president at the Calligraphy and Painting Association—heaven's above, how blind is the president to appoint you as his second fiddle? Still, you'll be packing your things as soon as he realizes the truth.""Oh, Elaine, poor Elaine…" Jacob grinned smugly at her right then. "I'm afraid things won't go the way you want. Mr. Bay's been chasing a promotion lately, and once he gets it, I will take his place as president. That means I'll be the top dog instead of second fiddle!""Bullshit!" Elaine snapped in
Jacob slept in the next day while Elaine got out of bed past ten as well.However, in the case of the latter, she wasn't drunk and was simply watching livestreams and video clips on her phone—a hobby she had picked up recently.As for Charlie, he had initially planned to visit the Champs Elys hot spring villa and train Nanako in her Reiki control. However, since Claire would be arriving in the afternoon, he stayed home, planning to leave for the airport when it was time.Elaine appeared groggy as she emerged from the elevator, rubbing her eyes while holding her phone in the other hand.Seeing Charlie cleaning the living room, she asked in curiosity, "Not going out today, Charlie? Aren't you usually going out to meet clients?"Then, she became concerned in an instant, "Wait, don't tell me—the Feng Shui business is falling off? Are we going to be affected altogether?"Charlie laughed. "You're just getting paranoid now. Things are going fine—I'm just giving myself a day's leave.""