Midnight.
In the corner of the bedroom, the computer screen glowed softly. The reflection of dense lines of text shimmered across Nathan's thin gold-rimmed glasses.
"Buzz—buzz—"
Nathan set his glasses aside and looked up at Emily lying flat on the bed. A faint smile slowly formed on his lips.
"Nathan." A male voice came through the phone.
Nathan's gaze remained on Emily, his tone turning lighter. "What is it?"
The person on the other end sounded amused. "Well, well, well… I heard Young Master Reed played hero at a drinking party today?"
Nathan's eyes dimmed slightly. He didn't respond. "Do you need something?"
"I'm just saying, Nathan—you like that type, huh? No wonder Uncle Reed introduced you to so many high-society girls in the capital and you weren't interested in a single one."
"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." Nathan said flatly.
"Hey, wait!" the other side quickly stopped him. "My birthday party is tomorrow night. All the usual crowd from the capital will be there. If you don't show up, you're disrespecting me."
"Mm. I'll be there. Hanging up."
Nathan walked over to Emily. Seeing her hand exposed above the blanket, he bent down and tucked it back in. He gently stroked her cheek and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
The next day.
Emily stirred slightly. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, softly falling across her face.
She stretched her arm, adjusted her position, and rubbed her face before slowly opening her eyes. Seeing the unfamiliar room, she jolted upright in shock.
"You're awake?"
Emily turned sharply toward the voice, her expression freezing. She slowly raised a hand to her neck.
Nathan stood by the bed, holding a cup of coffee, his eyes flickering slightly.
Emily lowered her head, wincing as she gently pressed her neck.
"Twisted it?" Nathan was already kneeling on the bed, his hand covering hers.
His fingers replaced hers, gently massaging her neck as he spoke, still teasing, "Honestly, you're this grown and still this clumsy. What man would ever dare marry you?"
Emily immediately shot back, "Not you, anyway."
The moment the words fell, Nathan's hands froze. His voice turned faint. "Yeah. Not me."
He stepped back until his feet touched the floor.
Emily looked at him, panic flashing across her face. "That's not what I meant…"
He let out a soft scoff, looking at her. "If that's not what you meant, then what did you mean?"
Nathan waited a few seconds, his gaze fixed on her. Emily quickly avoided his eyes, her lips tightly shut, her grip on the bedsheet turning pale.
In the end, Nathan lowered his head and said with a self-mocking tone, "Forget it."
Then he left the room.
Emily watched him go silently, not saying a word to stop him.
First floor.
Nathan came downstairs with a cold expression. The servants, seeing his face, continued their work as usual.
He sat at the head of the dining table, dark circles under his eyes revealing his fatigue.
"Young Master." Margaret Wu placed breakfast in front of him.
Nathan gave a slight nod, idly stirring the spoon in the bowl. The golden pumpkin porridge released steaming heat that rose toward his face.
Margaret Wu placed another bowl beside him, smiling with satisfaction at her own arrangement.
Nathan glanced coldly at the extra bowl. "Who told you to prepare that?"
Margaret Wu froze, her hands suspended midair. Her voice trembled. "I… last night, Young Master…"
"Mind your own business." Nathan said coldly, grabbing his phone and walking out of the villa.
"What happened?"
The housekeeper, Marcus, who had just returned from the backyard, saw Nathan storm out. He quickly approached Margaret Wu. "Are you alright?"
She shook her head, still dazed, rubbing her hands nervously. "Mr. Marcus, do you think the young master is angry? I thought that young lady was someone important to him, so I prepared breakfast for her and placed it next to him. I didn't expect him to be upset…"
Marcus sighed softly and comforted her, "It's alright. The young master is reasonable. As long as you do your job well tonight, he won't blame you."
She nodded repeatedly, then looked at the porridge again. "Then… what about this?"
Marcus glanced toward the closed master bedroom door. "Leave it for now. Is she still inside?"
"Yes." Margaret Wu nodded.
He patted her hand lightly and walked toward the master bedroom.
Master bedroom.
Emily picked up her phone, staring at the missed call from Yvonne. She froze for a moment, then instinctively dialed back.
"Beep—beep—beep—"
"Emily?" Surprisingly, Yvonne answered quickly today.
Emily quickly held the phone to her ear. "Ms. Yu, about last night…"
"You and Nathan didn't do anything, right?" Yvonne's tone was calm.
"No." Emily's voice rose suddenly.
Yvonne paused, then said, "Good. Do you have time today?"
"Today… I should be going to the set…" Emily looked at the new script the director had sent her.
"Alright. Come to the company when you have time."
"I'll hang up now."
Emily looked out at the sunlight, stepping toward the window. Her gaze fell on a small wind chime hanging on the balcony, and she froze.
She watched it sway gently, her eyes lowering.
Knock, knock—
Emily turned toward the door. "Come in."
The door opened slightly. Marcus peeked in, looking at Emily by the window. "Miss Carter."
Emily studied him carefully, her tone uncertain. "You… you're the one who used to wait for Nathan outside our classroom in high school."
Mr. Marcus smiled lightly. "You have a good memory."
He met her gaze, his expression returning to calm. "Breakfast is ready. Please come downstairs."
Emily nodded and followed him.
The first floor was quiet. Margaret Wu was busy in the kitchen. Hearing footsteps, she came out with a warm smile. "Miss Carter."
Emily smiled faintly at the plainly dressed woman in an apron. "Thank you."
She sat down where the bowl had been placed. Looking at the pumpkin porridge, she gently stirred it and took a bite.
Looking up at Margaret Wu, who was watching her closely, Emily spoke softly, "Auntie, this porridge…"
Margaret Wu smiled. "I heard you grew up by the sea, so I added dried shrimp and scallops for extra flavor. How is it? Does it suit your taste?"
Emily took another bite, her eyes curving into a smile. "Mm. It's delicious."
"I'm glad you like it." Margaret Wu finally relaxed and returned to the kitchen.
Emily looked at the porridge, a faint smile forming as her gaze drifted around the living room.
The décor was simple—black, white, and brown. Comfortable at first glance, yet faintly distant.
Her gaze dropped to her watch—9:30. She quickly finished the porridge, stood up, and carried the bowl to the kitchen.
"I'll take it, Miss Carter." Margaret Wu hurriedly took it from her.
Emily smiled and thanked her.
She raised her phone to her ear. "Judy, come pick me up. I'm at…"
She looked out through the floor-to-ceiling window at the lush greenery and froze.
"Are you leaving, Miss Carter?" Marcus's voice broke through her thoughts. "The driver is already waiting outside. The young master arranged it before he left."
Emily's voice caught in her throat. She took a deep breath and nodded with a smile. "Okay."
She turned slightly and said into the phone, "Wait for me at the set."
Before Judy could respond, Emily quickly hung up and jogged to the door.
Marcus had already opened the car door, waiting beside it.
Emily approached the car and froze when she saw the license plate: A1111.
She turned to Mr. Marcus and spoke quietly, "Does your young master have a more low-key car?"
Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly. "This is his most low-key one."
Emily stared at him, forcing a stiff smile before getting into the car.
Along the way, she sat rigidly, watching the passing teenagers outside. Her thoughts gradually slowed.
Seeing them laughing and playing by the roadside, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
The flashy car sped through the streets. Emily leaned back in her seat the entire ride. As the surroundings became more familiar, she suddenly spoke, "Stop, stop, stop!"
The driver pulled over and turned back. "Miss Carter, we haven't arrived yet."
Emily adjusted her hair, put on a mask, and said, "It's fine. I'll get off here."
She carefully looked around to make sure no one was watching before quickly opening the door. "Thank you."
The driver blinked in confusion as she hurried off. He quickly took out his phone. "Mr. Marcus, Miss Carter got off early."
Marcus replied calmly, "Mm. Come back."
After hanging up, Mr. Marcus looked toward the garden in the backyard, then up at the sky. A faint smile appeared on his lips, "Everything is getting better."