“Sure,” Remy said. Elisa asked, “Mr. Johnson, your family lives in a manor too, right?” Remy hummed and responded, “Ms. Stone, call me Remy. We’ll be neighbors soon, so there’s no need for us to act like strangers. A near neighbor is better than a distant relative.” “Alright, but you shouldn’t call me Ms. Stone either. In your words, there’s no need for neighbors to act like strangers. You can call me Elisa.” Remy smiled and continued, “Our family’s old house is also a manor, similar to that of Mr. York’s family. Ours is called FC Manor.” He looked at the scenery in front of them and said to Elisa, “It looks like Old Mrs. York and my grandma have similar tastes and preferences. They’re from the same era and have the same aesthetic standard. FC Manor and Wildridge Manor are quite similar.” If he had to point out a difference between the two manors, it would be that FC Manor was slightly bigger. Elisa also looked at her surroundings. “I used to dream of living here. It’s qu
“In the end, Cupid had to come down to Earth to clean up his apprentice’s mess and bring together the man and woman who were fated to be a couple. The show felt so magical when I first watched it. I was young and didn’t understand love, but the idea of bringing two people together by shooting them with arrows seemed really interesting.”Zachary asked, “Was there a TV show like that? I don’t remember seeing it. I rarely have time to watch TV.”He was the successor of the company and had to learn more than his peers since his childhood. He received all kinds of training and education, so of course he did not have time to watch TV.“When my parents were still alive, I often watched TV shows with them. TVs back then were still in black and white.“After my parents passed away, my sister and I were on our own. We had to focus on studying and didn’t have time to watch TV for several years. We only watched a few shows occasionally after we started working and had time.”Zachary held her
Serenity watched her brothers-in-law bickering and felt envious. The brothers and uncles of the York family were harmonious, unlike the Hunt family where everyone was trying to plot against another.“Elisa, what did you say you wanted to invest in?”Serenity remembered about the investment and asked Elisa about it while eating the barbecue seafood platter her man specially prepared for her.Jasmine also pricked her ears to listen.She also felt some pressure now because of Josh. When she saw how her best friend was trying so hard to improve herself in order to shorten the gap between Zachary and her, Jasmine did not want to stand idly by anymore.“All the industries are saturated now, so it’s hard for us to compete with others. When I accompanied you back to your hometown yesterday, I saw the fields in your village were basically deserted.”Serenity nodded. “Many of them are abandoned. The young people leave the village to work, so only the elderly and children are left at home.
Liberty thought about it and said, “You’re right. Elisa, your way of thinking is much better than ours. You should learn more from Elisa, Seren.”The Hunt sisters were motivated and ambitious, but they might not be as good as Elisa when it came to investing and making money. After all, Elisa came from a family who ran their own business, so she at least had some experience.Elisa blushed and laughed, “I only thought of renting the fields to plant fruits and vegetables after I saw so many fields deserted on the way back to your hometown.“I talked to Clive, and he said that it’s feasible. He said that no matter what project we invest in, any project that makes us money is a good project. He suggested we give it a try.”Elisa added confidently, “Let’s just give it a go. It’ll be good if we can profit, but if we fail, it’ll be a learning experience. In any case, I’m not short of money.“Seren, mention it to Zachary later at night. If he thinks it’s worth a try, then we’ll go for it.
“I gave Dunc all the food I haven’t touched,” the little boy explained.Thus, the others did not find it strange.“Let’s take a break. We’ll have some free time to ourselves.”Zachary spoke to the group.He wanted to bring his beloved wife on a stroll around their home alone.The group smiled in understanding.After a short rest, Zachary took Serenity away from the barbecue site.“I’ll take you to the garden to see the flowers. The flowers are in bloom now.”Serenity did not refuse. She was not familiar with the place and did not know where the scenery was good, so she followed wherever he brought her to.The spring breeze caressed her face, and Serenity could not help but close her eyes and enjoy the wind.“The air here is better than in the city.”Zachary smiled. “Of course it is. It’s very quiet here too. It’s too bad Liberty’s store is opening tomorrow, or we could stay here for a few more days so you can get more familiar with your new home.”“I’ll be living in my home
“What’s wrong?”Zachary saw Serenity staring at the flower pots and said warmly, “If you like them, let’s take a few pots back and keep them on the balcony.”“Zachary.”Serenity turned to him and asked, “Back then, I asked you to buy flowers from the florist. Did you buy them at the flower shop or have they been sent over from here?”There was no need to hide the truth anymore, so Zachary admitted honestly, “I called Sam and asked him to arrange for someone to send some potted flowers over. I know you like large flowers with complicated petals, so I specifically asked them to pick those flowers and send them over.”“No wonder I always felt that the flowers you bought were more beautiful than the ones I bought. It’s because they’re a variety carefully cultivated by your gardener.”The flowers here were much better than the ones found in flower shops.“Are you angry, honey?”“What’s there to be angry about? The time to be angry has already passed.”Zachary stood in front of the
His mother wanted him to come home so he and Lily had a chance to cultivate a relationship.Duncan did not have a bad impression of Lily, but he did not like her either.“What’s inconvenient about that? You drive to work anyway, and no one will say anything even if you’re late since you’re the boss. There’s a guest at home now, so you have to stay home for a few days.”“Mom, I’m tired after being out and about today. I’m driving now so it’s not convenient for me to talk to you. I’ll hang up now.”Duncan did not directly reject his mother’s request and found an excuse to hang up the phone.After the call ended, Mrs. Lewis said helplessly to her husband, “I’m afraid your youngest son will be single for the rest of his life. Lily is a great girl who doesn’t mind his scarred face, but he’s not even willing to spend some time with her.”Mr. Lewis said faintly, “You’re too hasty and obvious in your motive. You’ve arranged several blind dates for Duncan, and he has developed an aversion
Liberty laughed. “Since you’re my first customer, your meal will be on the house. What would you like to eat, Mr. Lewis?”Duncan said, “No, I’ll pay. It’s your opening day, so you have to earn money. You need to collect money no matter who comes to eat.”Zachary echoed, “Paying for breakfast is pocket change for Duncan. Don’t even think of giving him a discount and only charge him the price as per your menu.”“In that case, thank you for your support.”In his heart, Zachary thought, ‘What’s there to thank? In the future, Duncan might sink his teeth into you and never let you go.’Soon after Duncan entered, there was a stream of customers coming into the store for breakfast.Liberty started getting busy.A new store opening was most likely to attract people to come in and try their food.Liberty’s store had been remodeling for a period of time. The people working in nearby buildings passing by every day were already long aware of All You Can Eat.They felt that the name of the
“A baby’s face changes almost every day. We’ll only know who he takes after when he’s a little older.”Serenity agreed. “I should call Elisa and share this news with her.”Jasmine probably did not have time to tell her friends about her newborn. Serenity also forgot to inform Elisa because she was too worried about Jasmine. Zachary told her to call Elisa only after they were inside the car. There were too many people in the hospital. Serenity held back her excitement and immediately called Elisa when she got in the car. Elisa was extremely busy at the company. She was the only one who could manage their joint company at that moment because Serenity and Jasmine were pregnant. Even if they wanted to return to the company to work, Elisa would not allow them. Rest was of utmost importance for pregnant women. Elisa was unmarried and not pregnant. She did not mind being busier. She only picked up Serenity’s call after some time.“Seren.”Elisa held the phone in her left h
“All that matters is that you’re okay, honey. Let’s not have more children. We’ll just have this one son.”Josh spoke while holding Jasmine’s hand.Women had to experience immense pain when giving birth. It came with many risks as well. Josh had heard other people saying that a woman usually had one foot in the grave during childbirth.He was genuinely shocked after accompanying Jasmine through her labor. He had been terrified and worried that something would happen to Jasmine.Luckily, everything ended well. Jasmine and their son were safe. However, Josh did not want to experience something like that again. Having one child was enough. There was no need for a second or third child. The Buchams were a big family anyway. He did not have to bear the responsibility of expanding the family alone.“Okay. We shall not have another baby.”Although Jasmine was brimming with motherly love and recovery from a vaginal delivery was quicker, she still thought childbirth was too
It was not just Camila. The rest of the people there also had the same thought. Josh and Jasmine had a great relationship. If something happened to Jasmine, Josh would be devastated and lose all hope of living.“Congratulations. The mother has given birth to a boy safely. The baby boy is six pounds and three ounces.”The people who brought Josh out were the anesthetist and nurse.The nurse instinctively reported the good news when she saw the crowd.Then, she explained, “The father probably fainted from shock after the baby was born. Come over and help bring him to the side to rest. The mother won’t be out that quickly.”Upon hearing her words, everyone’s mood brightened up.Camila, whose legs felt weak just now, was immediately filled with strength and stood up. Without Drake's help, she went to the nurse and asked, “Does the baby need to be in the incubator since he was born prematurely?”The nurse replied, “We’ll put the baby in the incubator and observe him for a while. If
Zachary was also worried that Serenity would go into premature labor out of shock. He also persuaded her to go for her checkup in a gentle voice. They could not do anything but wait anyway.Serenity finally decided to conduct her prenatal checkup first. Zachary accompanied her. Just moments after they left, the door to the delivery suite opened. A nurse stood there and shouted, “Is Jasmine Sox’s husband here?”“Yes. I’m her husband,” replied Josh quickly. He dashed to the nurse. “You must save Jas, doctor. Save the mother no matter what.”His family members behind him also echoed, “That’s right. No matter what happens, you have to save Jasmine.”The nurse said, “The mother is fine. It’s just that she wants her husband to accompany her as she’s in a lot of pain.”Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Josh was about to rush inside but was stopped by the nurse.She asked him to change his clothes before taking him inside the delivery suite.Jasmine was wailing in pain. When
With advanced medical technology, a premature baby could still be healthy if taken good care of in the incubator. Serenity said, “Jasmine should be at thirty-five weeks. I just don’t understand why she would suddenly go into labor. Did she fall at home?“Or did she eat something that made her go into labor?”Zachary said, “That’s most likely not the case. Josh’s cousin is Jasmine’s dietician and keeps an eye on her food every day. There’s no way Jasmine would’ve eaten something bad unless she ate it secretly.”Serenity and Zachary suddenly went silent. Pregnant women had weird appetites. Once they had a craving, they could not go unsatisfied. Sometimes, they would even crave fruits that were not in season. Serenity herself was one of them. Once, she woke up in the middle of the night craving mac and cheese. Of course, Zachary, the ever-doting husband, had to satisfy her request. However, where could he find mac and cheese at that hour?Ultimately, he had to drive to the
People would reap what they had sown. They would have to bear the consequences of their actions. Sometimes, interfering in another person’s fate would backfire. After chatting for some time, Serenity said, “I have to go for my checkup now, Liberty. Let’s talk again when you’re free another day.“By the way, I’ll get someone to bring Sonny to you this weekend. He misses you.”“Okay,” said Liberty. After the call ended, Serenity put her phone into her bag and stood up. She told the man behind the office desk, “It’s almost time, babe. Let’s go.”“Okay. I’m almost done.”Zachary quickly signed and stamped a document before closing it. He walked over with the document in hand. Serenity and Zachary left the office together. He handed the document to his secretary. The secretary did not expect him to pass the document to him personally. He had thought of entering Zachary’s office to request it later. The secretary watched Zachary and Serenity leave. He could not believe
Lilian often messed with the medicinal herbs her master cultivated, which led to her being chased and scolded by him.It seemed her son had inherited her restless nature.“How’s Sonny been lately?”Liberty had been on edge these past few days because Caroline had been preparing to lure her three brothers into a trap and had not had time to call her son.“Same as usual, but it seems like things have soured again with the Browns.”Serenity added, “Sonny still answers when Hank calls him, but he doesn’t seem happy when his grandparents visit. He doesn’t like going to the Browns’ place, and he doesn’t want to take their calls either.“Hank’s mother and sister are truly incorrigible. They must have been badmouthing you and Duncan in front of Sonny again, which is why he’s upset with them.”During the holidays, Sonny had stayed with the Browns for a few days and started to warm up to them.However, who would have thought that the mother and daughter would start spouting nonsense in f
Once the baby was born, he would apply the knowledge he had learned over the past few months to care for the baby. He was determined to be a competent and responsible father.Serenity released her arms from around him and shifted to her side.Zachary let go, too, allowing her to turn.Then, she planted countless gentle kisses on his face.“Babe, with you here, the baby and I will be just fine. Don’t worry too much,” Serenity comforted softly after kissing him.“You are my rock. If even you are nervous, I’ll start feeling anxious too, and that won’t be good.”Hearing this, Zachary immediately said, “Seren, don’t worry. I’ll protect both of you. Alright, I won’t be so nervous anymore.”He gently touched her rounded belly again. “Lil’ Bun should be a calm kid. He’s not that mischievous.”He felt that the baby’s movements were not too intense.Serenity wanted to tell him that there were times when the baby kicked more vigorously, but she decided against it, knowing it would only m
“Just hit the gym a few more times. Lately, you’ve been spending less time there.”Every day after work, he would come home and orbit around her. As a result, he had less time to work out.It was normal to gain a few pounds eating well and exercising less. Did he really think he could eat anything without gaining weight?The reason he could maintain a model-like physique before was that he exercised daily.“Ow.” Serenity suddenly cried out in pain.This startled Zachary so much that he nearly jumped up, asking anxiously, “Is it stomach pain? Are you going into labor? Let’s go to the hospital right away.”He was about to pick her up, but Serenity stopped him by pressing his hand.“Don’t be so nervous, Zachary. It's not time yet. It’s not happening so soon. It’s just the baby kicking again. His kicks are getting stronger.”As she entered the later stages of pregnancy, the little one inside her was growing stronger. Sometimes, a couple of kicks from the baby could actually hurt.