Chapter 5: Living Together

After Kane left Lani's house, he drove back to his mansion in the city center. Familiar with the route, he parked his car in the garage, entered his house, and collapsed onto the sofa, closing his eyes to rest.

Everything had happened so quickly today that Kane couldn't believe he had a wife in the blink of an eye. In his daze, the sound of his phone ringing slowly filled the room.

"Mom, what's up?"

Kane glanced at the flashing name on the screen and sighed before answering. A gentle female voice quickly reached his ear, filled with excitement.

"How did the date go, Kane? The dating app worked out well, didn't it? Did you like the actress?"

Maris had been urging Kane to get married for years, and now that he seemed happy going on a date, she was overjoyed. She had even prepared dates with beautiful actresses and models of the right age for Kane, ready to set them up in case he wasn't satisfied with today's girl.

"Mom, I and she got married."

Kane poured himself a glass of water, swirled it around like a glass of wine, and took a sip casually. On the other end, Maris seemed to be slow to react, lost in her own pace.

"It's okay, my dear son. I have a list of beautiful and gentle girls for you to choose from. I guarantee you'll find someone you like."

Kane placed the glass on the table, counted to three seconds, and now Maris had managed to process Kane's response.

"What, what are you saying? Did you marry the girl you met today?"

Maris's voice was particularly high-pitched, making Kane instinctively cover his ears and move the phone away, but he could still hear her excited tone.

"So I have a daughter-in-law now, haha. When can you bring her over for me to meet? I am looking forward to meeting her."

"Right, what does she like to eat so I can have someone help with the cooking? Also, what gifts does she like? Jewelry, clothes, cars, or houses? I'll give her a jewelry store, a luxury clothing shop, a Rolls Royce, and a downtown mansion. Is that enough?"

Kane had already anticipated this situation and wasn't surprised. He replied slowly after Maris had finished speaking.

"We can't meet right now. She's a famous actress and is currently filming, so she's very busy. Whenever she has some free time, I'll bring her to meet you."

Kane responded with a casual tone, not wanting his mother and Lani to meet, as it would reveal his fake, poor identity. Maris, however, didn't think much about it and happily agreed, wanting to send gifts to her new daughter-in-law.

"Do you have a picture of her? Even though we can't meet yet, I still want to know if my beautiful daughter-in-law looks like what?"

Kane comfortably sent Maris a selfie of him and Lani taken earlier. Maris couldn't stop praising how obedient and beautiful Lani looked, truly living up to her status as a famous actress.

After a while, Maris remembered something and asked, "Have you informed your father about this?"

At the mention of his father, Kane's gaze momentarily turned cold and filled with disdain. He raised his head to look at the white ceiling and replied casually, "Why should I inform him? He's happily living with my stepmother and their beloved son, not interested in my life at all."

Maris didn't comment on this matter and simply told Kane that if he had the time, he should bring Lani to meet her, and then hung up.

Kane's mood remained relatively good. After resting enough, he went to the shopping center to buy some ordinary and affordable clothes, shoes, and household items before driving back home. When he was in front of Lani, he needed to appear poor, and he didn't want to reveal his true identity too soon.

After completing his tasks, Kane stayed at his own home for a few more days before finally moving to Lani's house when she was about to return to the city. Over the past few days, he and Lani have been in regular contact. Most of the time, Lani would inform Kane about her schedule and instruct him on anything he didn't understand or know how to use.

Although Kane was familiar with high-tech gadgets at home, to play the role of a convincingly poor person, he pretended not to know how to use a vacuum robot, prompting Lani to video call him to teach him.

Finally, the day arrived when Lani returned. Compared to their last meeting, when she was unscathed, her left hand is now bandaged. Kane was taken aback by the sight, and Lani chuckled awkwardly upon seeing his surprised expression.

"Oh, I wasn't careful while filming and injured my hand. It's not dangerous."

Behind her, Aurora helped Lani bring her luggage inside and then gave Kane some instructions on taking care of Lani. Kane silently absorbed the information, and when Aurora left, the two of them sat in the living room, exchanging awkward smiles.

Kane was inherently reserved and not talkative, so Lani had to initiate the conversation.

"Have you gotten used to being here these past few days? Any problems?"

Kane shook his head. Honestly, Lani's apartment was well-equipped and cozy, and it was closer to his company than his own mansion. Lani let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, thinking that Kane was comfortable.

Sitting face-to-face in the living room wasn't ideal for conversation, so Lani stood up slowly, pretending to be at ease.

"Well, you can continue resting. I'll go take a shower. After being outside all day, I'm covered in dust."

Her white dress fluttered past Kane as she walked by, and he also got up to tidy up the house. While he was busy cleaning under the kitchen counter, he heard Lani's soft voice echoing from upstairs.

"Kane, could you help me with something?"

Kane washed his hands and went upstairs to find Lani standing in her room, biting her lip, and looking a bit embarrassed. After seeing Kane, she helplessly pointed to her dress and blinked her eyes.

"I didn't mean to do anything bad, but could you help me unzip my dress? I can't raise my arm."

Lani finished speaking and continued to pursed her lips, her petite face blushing with shyness. She was wearing a white dress adorned with sparkling pearls, and initially, Aurora had helped her zip it up, so she hadn't anticipated this situation.

Kane silently nodded and approached, gently helping Lani unzip her dress, revealing her fair skin. His warm hand brushed against her soft skin, making her tremble slightly. In such close proximity, Lani could faintly smell the subtle scent of mint emanating from Kane's body.

Kane remained courteous, tilting his head slightly in another direction, and asked in a matter-of-fact tone if Lani needed any further assistance before leaving the room.

The background music that had been playing earlier came to an end. After Kane had finished tidying up the room, he proceeded to cook dinner. Lani, still feeling a bit embarrassed about the earlier incident, didn't dare to go to the kitchen. Kane called her down only after he had finished cooking.

For dinner, Kane had prepared spaghetti and beefsteak. Knowing that Lani's hand wasn't in the best condition, he cut the steak into bite-sized pieces for her. The two of them sat across from each other, savoring their meal. Lani took a bite, and the explosion of flavors delighted her taste buds, causing her eyes to light up with praise.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to cook so deliciously. I'll get to enjoy restaurant-quality food every day from now on."

Lani's eyes sparkled with a pure, innocent glow as she curved her lips into a smile. Kane tilted his head to look at her and responded in a soft, reserved manner.

"If you like it, that's good. In the future, just tell me what you want to eat, and I'll cook it for you."

Lani nodded enthusiastically, quickly finishing the beefsteak on her plate and moving on to the spaghetti. Each time she enjoyed a delicious bite, her head would gently sway in appreciation, showing her happiness. Kane observed her and couldn't help but find her adorable.

During the next few days, Kane's life at Lani's place seemed just as dull as when he was at his own home. However, when Lani returned, everything became remarkably special.

After they finished eating, Kane cleared the table and placed the dishes in the dishwasher. Then, he and Lani went to the living room to watch a movie. Perhaps getting used to Kane's presence, Lani felt comfortable enough to let him sit beside her. They watched a recent film in which she had starred.

Lani had a habit of rewatching her previous films to observe her acting skills and identify areas for improvement. Kane, who didn't have any particular preferences, quietly watched with her. The evening passed peacefully and serenely for the two of them.