Xavier happened to hear their conversation outside the ward, and he rolled his eyes as he walked in with a golden velvet cake he had just bought. "What's the good of eating apples? They're cold and bad for your teeth... This, on the other hand, is a golden velvet cake I bought for you after much effort and lining up." Xavier stood between Santiago and Leia before handing the cake to Leia. Although Leia scowled at Xavier, she had actually been craving that famous golden velvet cake, so she didn't reject it. Besides, the chef that made the golden velvet cake only made three of them a day, and they could only be bought if the person was sincere enough. Leia had tried lining up several times and begged the chef for ages, but hadn't managed to get it. Somehow, Xavier had managed to get it, which meant he had probably put a lot of effort into it."Apples are nutritious, and that cake is too sweet. Lei is recovering now, so she can't have too much sugar." With a cold expression, Santiago s
Xavier's words made the atmosphere tense, and Leia felt like she was going to go crazy with the two men constantly fighting over her. Furious, she typed a message on her phone and showed it to Xavier and Santiago. "You two don't have to come and take care of me from tomorrow onwards. I don't want to see either of you.""I'm sorry, Lei, it's my fault. I shouldn't have forced you." Santiago immediately apologized to Leia. His innocent gaze made him look like a college student, and it could soften any woman's heart. The brash Xavier knew he couldn't win against that boyish face. He gritted his teeth and glared at Santiago, muttering, "Sissy boy!" However, Santiago didn't get mad, and just hung his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stuart. I know I should be friendly towards people who love Lei sincerely, but I'm very much into her. My possessiveness got the better of me and I said something rude. I'll go now; I don't want to make Lei unhappy.""Stop pretending! You're just faking it for b
Leia broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly typed out, "I heard that people will do bizarre things when they wake up from general anesthesia. How did I embarrass myself that day? I can't remember a thing.""Do you really want to know?" Santiago smiled and asked.Leia quickly nodded."Forget it. I'm worried you'll get embarrassed if you know." Santiago had recorded Leia's reaction with his phone that day because he found it very memorable. After meeting so many insincere people, he found a simple and honest woman like Leia to be rare. Even if her cuteness was not because of him, he wanted to keep it as a memory for the rest of his life. "No, tell me how crazy I was!" Leia put her hands together and pleaded with Santiago, hoping he would tell her. She had watched such a video before and found it very funny. Maybe she'd learn about her inner self. "Okay, I'll show you." Santiago fished out his phone and showed Leia the video he took that day. Eagerly, Leia clicked on the video.
Leia left the hospital after she had recovered a week later, and the first person she wanted to see was Renee. She still couldn't speak because her throat was recovering, so she had been texting Renee, but Renee hadn't replied to any of her texts. This worried Leia, so she wanted to go to Renee's house the instant she was discharged. As Leia left the hospital, Santiago and Xavier were right by her side. "Let's go. I want to go to Renee's house too. It's on the way." Xavier immediately took Leia's luggage as if he were her boyfriend, but Leia snatched it back, typed something on her phone, then showed it to Xavier angrily. "Didn't I ask you to stay away from me? I don't want to see you.""Just close your eyes if you don't want to see me." After that, Xavier shot a snide look at Santiago. "You don't have to go since they're our friends; it'll only be awkward if you go." "Leia should be the one who decides that. It's not up to you, Mr. Stuart." Santiago ignored Xavier and looked at Lei
Leia couldn't understand what was going on. She felt as if she was in a world where she had to choose between Xavier and Santiago, and everyone had an opinion on her choice. When the cab arrived, she hurried into it and closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief. The driver was a young man. He stared at Leia in the rearview mirror for a while before he asked calmly, "Aren't you Miss Osborne from The Choice of Love? The show is pretty good, so why did they stop it? Didn't a sea snake bite you? Are you discharged now?"Leia smiled politely even though she felt like jumping out of the car. How had a typical reality show like theirs become so popular? It felt like everyone had watched it at this point."I like Xavier best. It was hilarious watching him help that pig deliver her babies; he really is talented! But who do you like the best? Who did you pick in the end? I think Xavier suits you better. Maybe he can even help you give birth in the future. Haha!" The driver laughed heartily
After spending some time together, both of them started to feel a little bored."Ren, do you want to walk around the nearby garden? A lot of things have changed around here. At first, there were plans to build a factory here, but the residents protested and decided to make it a habitable neighborhood. They even built a wetland park nearby, and it's really pretty..." After typing those words, Leia suddenly realized that Renee couldn't see. Feeling sad, she changed the words and turned her text into a voice message. "Ren, let's take a walk at the wetland park nearby. The weather is nice.""Sure!" Renee quickly agreed. She found it rather boring staying at home all day, and had wanted someone to accompany her outside. Hence, Leia took Renee to the nearby wetland park. There was a large man-made lake in the center of the park with reeds around it, and many popular streamers went there to take photos. Both Renee and Leia didn't like crowded places, so they picked an isolated spot at a b
Leia had only been there for twenty minutes, but she had already cursed Stefan and all his family members.After sensing Leia's anger, Renee lost the courage to tell her that she had reconciled with Stefan. Quickly, she changed the topic. "How about you? How's it going with your reality show? Who did you fall for in the end?" "Ugh, why did you have to bring that up?" Leia sniffed and picked up another orange to peel."I only watched one or two episodes, but it's obvious that Xavier and Santiago have feelings for you. Are you not sure who to pick?" Renee was also curious about Leia's choice. "Everyone's asking me the same thing. I must be cursed…" Leia sighed unhappily, unable to escape the question. Unconsciously, she began to wonder who she liked more."Ren, who do you think… I should choose?" Leia always listened to Renee, and hoped Renee would give her the right answer. "Tell me who I should choose. I'll listen to you.""Stop messing around. This is a big deal, so why are yo
"Of course, it's different!" Renee said seriously, "It's different because Stefan is the only man I love. No matter who likes me, I'll only pick Stefan… but you're different. You're moved by Santiago, but you're addicted to Xavier. Seems to me like you want them both!" "Haha! You're right. You saw through me!" Leia couldn't deny it, and smiled awkwardly. She had never known why she couldn't choose, but now it just seemed like she was being fickle and greedy."So, face your heart. Don't run from it. Isn't it nice to have both of them? If I could love more than one man, I would have many lovers by now," Renee said jokingly."You're right—I should be more open-minded. Well, I'm not conflicted anymore." Enlightened, Leia started typing on her phone. "Well, men always have the advantage in relationships because it's women who have to give birth and suffer through periods. We even have to take care of our in-laws and kids, work well, and be cautious of homewreckers. Women suffer a lot, b
After a long pause, Stefan finally admitted honestly, "That wasn't a lie." He turned to look at Renee. He knew what he had to do, and heaved a long sigh."But life isn't just about love.""Why not?" Renee became teary as she stared at him like a child who failed to get what she wanted. "To me, that's already enough. As long as we love each other, we can conquer everything. Without love, it'll be hopeless.""If loving each other is already enough, there wouldn't be the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Didn't they love each other deeply? They loved each other a lot, but they ended up dead!" Stefan shot back.He could not stop himself from getting impulsive. Heartbroken, he turned around to look into Renee's eyes. "Compared to love, I'd rather you lead a steady and happy life. But I'm not the one who can give you that. I'll only bring you pain and death!""Romeo and Juliet?" Renee found that preposterous and bizarre. "What a lousy excuse! Did I kill your parents, or did you kill my p
"How could you…" Stefan looked at Renee in disbelief. For a moment, he was struck dumb. Renee quietly removed the oxygen mask and the needle. She calmly sat up in bed. "I thought you'd never be honest with me.""When did you wake up?" Stefan finally regained his wits. Because of his guilt, he was too scared to look into Renee's eyes. "I had long woken up." Renee was very calm. She looked weak because she had lost too much blood, but at the same time, she still looked firm like a rose blooming in winter. "So, you purposely lured me here, didn't you?"When Stefan learned that she had long woken up, he realized with shock that he might have stepped into the trap she and Jovan set up.Naturally, he was uneasy, given the proud man he was. He could plot against others but could not tolerate others doing the same to him, let alone the fact that it was his beloved woman."Hmph! Did I lure you here?" Renee laughed sarcastically and disappointedly. She looked at Stefan as he tried
"Can I wake her up?" Stefan seemed to be asking them and himself. He shook his head in self-hatred. "I'm afraid I'm the reason why she wants to escape this world. She must hate me to the core and refuse to see me. She might know that I'm here, so she's avoiding me and refuses to wake up."He recalled how much he had harmed her. He was not confident to wake her up, let alone face her."Yes, you're sinful, ut you must be held accountable for it!" Justin could not bother to waste his time talking to Stefan. He pushed Stefan into the ward instead. "You made her so angry, she's in a coma now. So, you have to wake her up. If she doesn't, you can't leave the ward!""Agreed!"Jovan was standing on the other side. He and Justin seemed to have formed a barrier and refused to let Stefan back down.After some contemplation, Stefan decided to face the music. He closed the ward door and quietly went to Renee's bed. It was the first time he was alone with her after a long time."You're tr
Unsurprisingly, Renee remained irresponsive. Justin gradually grew depressed. Before, he was confident. Seeing that he was getting no response from her, his confidence waned. Undeniably, he was probably not that important to her. If not, she wouldn't remain indifferent. She would have sensed that he was around. "I got it. You don't need me." Justin smiled helplessly. He felt pathetic too. He took a deep breath and finally stood up to exit the ward."How's it going?" Stefan asked.He kept waiting outside the ward, paying close attention to it in hopes that Renee could wake up. He also felt that Justin could bring Renee wonderful things and hope. She would wake up when she sensed that Justin was calling for her. "Hmph! Isn't it obvious? Of course, he couldn't wake her up!" Jovan casually leaned against the bench in the corridor, not even looking up. He sounded vicious. "He's just a backup guy. Of course she doesn't care about him! She's not in love with him." Justin glared at J
Stefan remained quiet as he calmly watched Renee. He extended his hand to touch her face but retrieved it before he could.She used to be the woman he was familiar with and the one he had hugged and kissed countless times, but now, he didn't even dare to touch her. "I think she doesn't even want you here. She must hate you so much and is disappointed in you. She'll be even more pressured if you stay here, and it'll push her further from this world. So please, get the hell out of here if you want the best for her!"Justin could not hold himself back from scolding Stefan. If Jovan was telling the truth, Stefan must be aware of the fact that Jovan was holding Renee hostage. Yet, he remained indifferent and feigned ignorance. He didn't even care if Renee was fine. What a cruel bastard! Justin was disappointed in Stefan. He wanted nothing more than to see what was really on Stefan's mind."Take good care of her." Stefan did not want to defend himself. He glanced at Renee, relucta
"What did you do to her?!" Stefan interrogated Jovan coldly, his eyes teary. "She isn't the kind to kill herself! What the hell did you do to her?" "Try to wake her up if you want to know." Jovan was pale. His previous sickness, coupled with his recent blood donation to Renee, made him very weak. Despite that, he refused to stop infuriating others. "Do you think I can't do anything to you? Do you really think that?" Stefan could no longer hold himself back and strangled Jovan. "I'm going to kill you! Repent for the terrible things you've done!"He couldn't imagine the kind of thing that could force the strong and stubborn Renee to resist by using such a desperate means. "You obviously won't go easy on me! I'm sure of that!" Jovan sneered. His pale face turned flushed as he suffocated from Stefan's powerful grip. "But you'd better kill yourself first if you want to avenge her! She ended up like this because of you." "What?" Stefan's face was frosty. He strengthened his grip a
Jovan slowly got up from the ground, looking incredibly weak. He whispered, "She lost too much blood. The doctor claimed she's out of danger, but…she hasn't woken up.""What did you say?" Stefan and Justin were bewildered. They couldn't process his words."So, she was the female college student who tried to kill herself?" Stefan said. He staggered after linking the information he had heard from a nurse with the things that Jovan had said."Stop acting dumb! You're so smart, how could you have missed that?" Jovan glared coldly stared at Stefan, scrutinizing him in disdain. "You were just too scared to face the truth and your woman! You're such a coward! You're an embarrassment to your family!""Agreed!" Justin added; he suddenly found Jovan useful, especially when the latter started insulting Stefan. It felt just right."Although I'm a fallback guy, I'm braver than you. I accept that she doesn't love me, and I'm willing to give it a try with her. And although this guy's a vill
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo