Chapter166.

I forced a smile more bitter than tears. Who’d enlist in that parade?

“Can’t my ambition… bloom elsewhere?” I looked up, my voice barely a whisper.

“Of course,” His nod held absolute conviction. Starlight shimmered in his smiling eyes, his voice warm and mellow as aged wine. “Any arena you desire–I’ll pave your path with gold.”

I could have held on longer. I’d never been one to turn myself into a tearful spectacle. But in this moment, I allowed myself to be willful, to be fragile, to be indulged. A sour yet warm current welled up from deep within, dissolving the dam I’d so stubbornly maintained.

My eyes welled up, blurring my vision. I let go of all my tension–no longer fearing stumbles that would leave me bruised, no longer dreading phantom cliffs beneath my feet. Leaning against him, I released everything in soundless

torrents.

Evan, ever mindful of my pride, draped his suit jacket over my head as he guided me out of the restaurant.

Even in the car, my shoulders kept trembling silently.

Emotions were tidal. Once the floodgates opened, the surge must would run its course before calm could return.

When the storm finally passed, clarity hit like icy water:

My arms were wrapped around his waist!

My face was pressed against his chest!

Exactly like how I clung to my bedtime bolster every night–instinctive, shameless, and catastrophically problematic.

My eyeballs darted around in panic.

Retract naturally? Sit up casually? Or play unconscious? Wait for him to shake me awake, then claim amnesia?

The latter seemed feasible. I’d fallen asleep in his arms on the last business trip, and he didn’t say anything.

As I agonized over exit strategies, a voice came from above.

“Stop overthinking. Dusk is coming,” he gently patted my head.“Dinner first. You can resume hugging afterward.”

Petrification spread from skull to toes.

Then–crack–I shattered.

Five minutes later.

Seated in a secluded courtyard restaurant where artificial streams murmured tranquility, I embodied Zen serenity. Evan perused the menu across the table.

the surface, I was calm and serene, matching

me!

fix this? How do I fix this? How do

on him! I shouldn’t have hugged

like shrimp?”

heart skipped a beat.

sweet lotus root or avocado

16:43

93.8%

< Chapter166.

“…Either-”

“Both?”

Menu

“either

six dishes. After that, he looked

my water, sipping it slowly while pretending to look at the scenery. Unfortunately, I was

this glass…” Evan

glass, confused. “This glass? What’s wrong

“It’s not edible.”

it earnestly, his tone and expression like he was

glass in

the food arrived quickly. I focused on eating so that I didn’t have to talk to him

some shrimp.”

placed it on my plate.

enthusiastically, “Thank you! Thank you so much, Mr.

I ate the shrimp, he gave me a piece of pan–fried lamb chop.“Come

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

this soup.” He poured

you! I

“Olivia…”

Thank you!

processors stuck

“Yes“.

turned my head, and softly closed my eyes.

expression, a mix of a smile and speechless understanding. After a long moment, he responded to my thanks, “If you really want to thank me, peel me a

turned back, putting down my fork.“Okay, okay, I’ll

shrimp. One

In less than two minutes, a small mountain of peeled shrimp piled up

one up and ate it, sighing. He raised his eyes, “We just came for a meal, I’m

a “I don’t understand what you’re saying” expression.“No, why would

16:43

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255