Renee could not stop Stefan from talking nonsense, so she could only cover her ears with both hands.The scenery outside the car gradually changed from a beautiful suburban environment to a bustling city center. They eventually arrived at a Western restaurant.“We're here,” Stefan said without any gentlemanly manner.Renee sulked in the passenger seat and refused to get out of the car. To be precise, she did not want to dine with Stefan.'There's a huge rift between us, and we dislike each other, but now we have to eat at the same table? Doesn't he feel awkward?'After taking a few steps, Stefan realized that Renee had not gotten off the car, so he returned to the car and looked down at her with a slightly puzzled expression. "Why are you still in the car? It's already so late. Aren't you hungry?”“I'm not hungry!”Renee continued to sulk, hoping that the man could read the mood.”Are you sure you're not hungry? “Stefan was amused.It was already 8 pm, so it was long past di
”Ahem!”Renee cleared her throat a few times and tried to cover up her embarrassment by drinking water.Stefan pretended not to hear anything. He elegantly spread a napkin on his legs, then wiped his hands with a hot towel. His movements were dignified and elegant.The waiter soon brought some exquisite dishes to their table, including braised beef in red sauce, braised cold shrimp with lime, caviar, prime sirloin steak, and a fruit salad.Renee's eyes were glued to the delicious food on the table. Not only did her stomach growl even harder, but she also could not help swallowing her saliva again.Stefan wordlessly carved a piece of steak and put it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly and then showed a regretful expression. "I consider myself a picky eater, but the quality of the steak here is really something else. Too bad you're not hungry, or you could have tried it.”Renee tried to shift her gaze to the outside of the window. She raised her chin high and said disdainfully, "It'
The red liquid ran along Stefan's hair and dripped down to his cheeks. Although he was in a mess, he still exuded a regal air.“Stef!”A woman's voice came from behind them.Seraphina was holding onto the hand of her best friend, Lina Hepburn, while staring at Stefan incredulously.After confirming that it really was him, she dashed over to Stefan with large, unladylike steps and wiped the wine from his head with a napkin.“My silly brother! What is going on? Why would someone as respectable as you let her splash wine on you in public? Look at you. Your hair and clothes are all wet. Oh, it pains me to see you like this!”As she wiped, she mumbled about how angry and upset she was, then turned angrily and admonished Renee, "Renee, you're in the wrong here. We're all civilized people, so there's no reason to act like this. Splashing wine on my bro's face is like splashing wine on my face. Even if he wouldn't pursue the matter, I would...”Seraphina disliked Renee. When she had to
“Aah! I'm so mad! I'm so mad! Stefan Hunt, you bastard! I hope you choke on that steak!”After Renee left the restaurant, she finally couldn't maintain her dignified demeanor anymore. She started cursing Stefan out.She never knew that he could be this shameless. After making her so mad that she almost had a stroke, he actually had the gall to sit back down and enjoy the food she paid for with Seraphina Murphy, who kept finding faults with her. What did he take her for? His credit card?!Renee hated how easily she let him affect her emotions even after all these years and even though she had maintained a clear mind... It made her feel useless and powerless.Stefan Hunt was the bane of her existence. Nothing good happened whenever she ran into him. She must stay as far away from him as possible from now on.Thinking of that, her emotions finally calmed down a bit.If she could not deal with him, she could just avoid him, right?She reached out for a taxi and returned to her apart
“The Rainbow Glaze?”“The Rainbow Glaze is exquisitely designed and made from glasses of seven different colors. Each side is carved with images of rare birds and beasts. It's a famous, auspicious treasure. In that chaotic era, it ensured the peace of Manchest for a hundred years. It is said that owning the “Rainbow Glaze” can lead to prosperity, long life, and fulfilled dreams. I've wanted it for a long time.”Renee continued to roll her eyes. She was exasperated. She asked, "You're not asking me to help you find this so-called ‘treasure’, are you?”“You're so smart, Ren. As expected of someone that I knew could be a great friend to me right away. You figured it out so quickly.”Renee was howling inside. She said through gritted teeth, "You're not doing this to toy with me, are you? Maybe this bottle is just folklore that doesn't exist. How am I supposed to find it for you?”“It's precisely because the task is difficult that it can prove your capability...”Rubio smiled and said
“You've found it already? Adie, you're so amazing!”Renee was delighted. She quickly got up from the sofa and moved over to the computer.“Look, Mommy!”Aiden pointed to the exquisitely shaped Rainbow Glaze on the computer screen. His chubby little face was proud as he said, “The latest information I've managed to trace shows that this item is currently stored at the Carmine Pawnshop. If you like it, just ask Q to give it to you. He said that everything he has is yours if you agree to be his wife anyway.”“That's... bizarre.”Renee's feelings were complicated. She did not know whether to feel happy or awkward.Why must this thing be in Mr. Q's possession? Now she did not know whether she should ask for it or not.If she did, it might make him think that she was after his assets.But if she did not, she would not be able to make a deal with Rubio Pascal. He only gave her one week...While Renee was stuck in a dilemma, the doorbell rang, and something even more bizarre happened.
Renee was so embarrassed. She glared at the two kids and said, "That's enough, you two. No matter how approachable Mr. Q is, he's still your elder, so don't be rude. You can't boss him around.”Aiden turned around and put on a somber expression. "Mommy, you're such a hopeless romantic. You haven't even married him yet, but you're already protecting him.”Renee was speechless.'Dear Lord, please make a hole appear in the ground so that I can bury myself in it! My son is trying to embarrass me to death!'“These two kids are very naughty and lack manners. Please don't take it to heart.”She glanced at Mr. Q, feeling extremely awkward.Although she and Mr. Q were no longer strangers, their relationship had not reached this level of intimacy. Moreover, he was her creditor, so she could not be too impolite to him.Surprisingly, Mr. Q did not mind at all. He even kind of liked it. He placed his long arm on Renee's shoulder and asked with a smile, "It doesn't matter. A husband should tr
Renee walked in with a curious expression and asked, "What can I help you with?”Mr. Q was wearing disposable plastic gloves in both hands. He was marinating the steaks with a secret sauce.“Help me wear the apron, please. My hands are occupied.”He gestured to an apron hanging on the cabinet with his chin, giving out the command naturally.“Help you... put on the apron?”Renee felt a moment of awkwardness. She hesitated and did not move.This kind of action was way too intimate. Wasn't this usually something that only couples would do?Mr. Q turned around and looked at her flatly. "Is something wrong? Are you... shy?”“Of course not!”Renee did not want to show him her cowardly side, so she grabbed the apron and moved behind him. She had to tiptoe to put the apron over his head. She pretended to be nonchalant and said, "I'm a divorced woman. I've experienced everything before. Why would I be shy?”Her slender arms wrapped around the man's strong waist, and her thin fingers t
Similarly, Renee used an iron wire to cut her wrist just to meet Stefan."Am I right? You did so many things just to see him. Now you finally met him. Are you happy and satisfied now? But you look worse than before." Jovan teased Renee. He found her pitiful, but at the same time, he felt that it served her right. It seemed everybody was a joke in their romance with others. Only those who never loved could be at the top of the food chain. They would laugh at those who gave up their hearts to others and could not understand those people's bizarre actions."Stop gloating. It's none of your business! Let go of me, or I'll make you feel sorry for yourself."Renee had just escaped death and was weak. Had it not been for that, Jovan wouldn't be able to stop her or watch her make a fool of herself. Still, she would be fine with losing blood again just to torment him if he kept on talking nonsense. Then, he would watch his tongue."Tell me, Phoenix. Is he telling the truth?" Justin
The loud noises in the ward naturally alerted Justin and Jovan."What's going on?" Justin became very nervous and kicked the door of the ward open. He saw that Renee had woken up and was crazily tearing at the bandages."Uh…" Justin was struck dumb. He had thought of the possibility of Stefan waking Renee up, but he did not expect it to be that effective. Renee ended up becoming a maniac who had lost control of herself. "You're awake?" Jovan was stunned too. He instantly understood the whole incident and gave Renee a thumbs-up. "You're great!"Renee looked coldly at them and ordered them, "Get out, you two! I haven't settled things with him!" Although she was fine with the way they regarded her, she did not want them to see her as a maniac. Besides, their presence would affect her and stop her from being crazy."I won't get out."Jovan turned Renee down. He rushed over and hugged her, stopping her from hurting herself."What are you doing? Let go of me!"Renee was still ha
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