Summer came out of her thought after a while and went into the kitchen to make a simple corn chowder. She then sat at the dining table and started eating, once again ignoring him completely. Mark found the water hard to swallow when he saw she was giving him the cold shoulder again. Gloominess shrouded his good mood, his deep squinted eyes staring at her from behind. “Let’s talk, Mrs. Valentine.” After taking a sip of the corn chowder, her hands and feet warmed up. She looked up at him and spelled out her words. “What does Mr. Valentine want to talk to me about? Is it about the tripartite relationship between the three of us? Since you refuse to divorce, then your intention must be to maintain the status quo. And the so-called status quo means that our marriage is just a transaction. When you have the right to interfere with my affairs, but I can’t with yours, what is the point of talking?” Mark narrowed his eyes, thinking she was not ordinarily smart. She always hit the nail o
After that, he picked up the quilt and blanket from one side. Instead of returning to the living room, he spread the blanket on the floor and lay down beside the bed. The room was small and just for two people. Even though the heater did not work properly, it was still much better than sleeping in the living room. There was only the faint breathing sound of the two of them in the room. Summer woke up in the middle of the night to answer nature’s call. Pregnancy made her not only lethargic but also prone to frequent urination. Sitting up in bed, she could barely make out a person lying on the floor under the faint moonlight. She frowned, turned on the table lamp, and she finally saw it clearly. The man was sleeping on the floor with his handsome face resting on his arm. He was casual, lazy, and looked entirely different under the moonlight. Perhaps, outside the apartment, after he ignored Raine, grabbed her by the wrist, and took her away; or perhaps, when she asked him if h
But at the same time, the landlady could not quite understand something. Judging by Mark’s attire, graceful and dignified way of speaking, deeds, and every move, and his car that was worth millions, he was a rich man. But why did he stay in such a place?The landlady shook her head, stretched as she walked toward the nearby square for her morning exercises. Summer was still asleep when Mark returned. He did not wake her up, but sat at the dining table and pecked at the breakfast. After that, he put the rest of the breakfast in a heat-insulation container, checked the time, picked up his black coat and left. He had to attend an international conference at 7:30 am, and it was 7:00 am now. It was 7:10 am when Summer woke up. The first thing she did by instinct was to glance down at the floor. The quilt on the floor had been folded up and placed aside neatly, and there was no sound coming from the living room. Obviously, he had already left. She got out of bed and freshened up.
Standing in the crowded airport, Summer’s eyes searched for Jazz. She took out her cell phone and called him again. “Where are you, Jazz?” “The bakery on the side.” Hearing this, Summer’s tensed body and heart eased up instantly. She panted, patting herself on the chest in relief, knowing that Jazz had not left yet. She carefully looked at the surrounding shops, searching one by one, until she saw a bakery. When she walked in, Jazz was sitting on the corner table by the door, fiddling with his cell phone. He looked up and broke into a bright smile that was unique to a teenager. “Why didn’t you go to school? What are you doing at the airport?” Summer gave him an earful. Saying nothing but still with the corner of his mouth turning up, he rose to his feet and stood in front of her, then put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her carefully. “Let me take a look at you.” “What are you looking at?” She asked in puzzlement. “Look what you look like when you are worried a
Jazz looked up at her. He had that youthful look, but more of seriousness and solemnity on his face. “I am already an adult, and I know what I am doing. I am not on an impulse.” “Then why did you suddenly decide to go to Athana? You haven’t finished your high school. What kind of decision have you made? Do you think you are rational enough? “What happened yesterday accounts for only a quarter of the reason I want to go to Athana. The other reason is my future career. Of course, one of the most important reasons is you.” Summer was startled. But she said nothing. He then continued with his firm and unshakable tone of voice. “I like you, but in name you are my sister-in-law. If I continue to look at you like this, I will only sink deeper and deeper in the hole, and eventually become unable to extricate myself. I need something else to divert my attention. I have never been so rational. So don’t stop me because I will not change my mind, no matter who it is.” Although he was s
Summer stood on the spot until Jazz went out of sight. Blinking her welled up eyes, she left the airport to return to the school. She had always not been a sentimental person, but at the moment, she was. She just could not bear to see Jazz go. The afternoon class ended quickly. But during the class, she could not help glancing at the seat in the last row by the window. It was as if she could still see the charming boy lying his head lazily on the table and dozing off, and when the sun shone in through the window, it coated him with a faint glow. That was not all; she seemed to have heard that boy humming with his naughty voice, ‘Reserve my love for you with golden quill, and precious phrase by all the muses filed.’ He left to fly higher. So how could she break his wings? Some girls in the class had not given up asking his whereabouts. So Summer told them the truth, that he had applied to leave the school and gone to Athana. They all had a disappointed look on their faces,
Four men backed her into a corner, all of them with cigarettes hanging from their mouths. She knew they were anything but good men. “Where do you go in such a hurry, lady? Come with us, would you?” The man blew out a lungful of smoke and revealed his yellow teeth. He squinted and took out a reflective knife to threaten her. Her body was tightly pressed against the wall, but she did not panic. She looked shocked but still collected. With her hand in her pocket, she felt with her fingers and typed something on her phone while she said to those men, “What do you all want?” “What do you think we want?” “If you are after money, I can tell you clearly that I have $500 in my bag and an ATM card that has only $2,000 in the bank account. I will tell you the password and will not call the police nor go after you all. The money is enough for you all to enjoy an expensive meal and a night stay in a hotel.” She was composed, articulate, and methodical. The four men exchanged glances w
“Hey, rascal! Are you trying to be a hero? I advise you to run as far as you can. Not everyone can be a hero. Am I right, mates?” one man said.The rest sneered. “If you want to be a hero, you have got to pay a price. Don’t overreach yourself.”“You have one last chance. Get out of the way, otherwise, we can’t guarantee what the consequences will be.”But Mark ignored their bluster, strode over with his long legs, and gave the nearest man a good kicking.That man did not see it coming and was kicked face down to the ground, his head hitting the wall so hard that he wailed in pain. The other men did not sit idly when they saw their mate beaten. They let go of Summer, got up from the ground, and lunged at Mark while cursing something in their mouths.“You must have a death wish!”“Let’s beat the living daylights out of him, mates!”Mark glanced at them coldly without saying a word, his eyes deep and his face grave.A melee started. In the silence of the night, there was only th