Ava disinfected the cup, dried it with a towel, placed it back on the washbasin, returned to the coffee table, and put the remaining empty bag into the cupboard for garbage disposal. Now that Ava finally tidied everything up, she sighed with relief and looked at the book and notes on the coffee table, ready to start work. So as not to disturb Poe Vaughn who was watching TV, she headed to the study, leaving him in the living room. Ava was about to pick up her books and notes but noticed the untouched tea on the coffee table. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Poe Vaughn. Poe Vaughn’s eyes were on the TV, sitting as imposingly as always, exuding a powerful aura yet somehow different. His expression was different, as if lost in thought, not even noticing her presence. Ava blinked, carefully observing Poe Vaughn’s face, and confirmed that he was indeed daydreaming. This person could actually daydream! Instantly intrigued, Ava leaned in front of Poe Vaughn, blocking the TV, meeting his gaze. At that moment, Poe Vaughn’s eyes shifted from the TV, the depth within returning, landing on Ava’s face. Ava fluttered her eyelashes, then smiled, "Poe Vaughn, were you just daydreaming?" As if it were something delightful, Ava laughed, especially happy. Poe Vaughn looked at the person in front of him; her eyes were bright and crystal-clear, captivating. Inside them were surprise, unexpected delight, and a deep sense of amusement. She was like a joyful cat, happily playing in front of him, completely at ease. With a slight movement of his eyes, his arm reached out, and in an instant, Ava tilted over and fell into Poe Vaughn’s embrace. Ava was startled, her lips parted in surprise, eyes widening slightly at his sudden action. What was he going to do? In a blink, from bending over, Ava found herself sitting on Poe Vaughn’s lap, embraced by him. After such a move, he did nothing more, just held her, watching TV. Was he planning to hold her while watching TV? Didn’t he think it was heavy? Hot? Uncomfortable? Ava looked at this indifferent person watching TV, seeing no sign of anything unusual in his eyes. From his gaze, she saw clearly that he didn’t find their current position inappropriate at all. Ava’s face stiffened. He might think it’s okay, but she didn’t. She still had work to do, and delaying would eat up a lot of time. So Ava quickly said, "Poe Vaughn, I need to work." Poe Vaughn kept his eyes on the TV, not a flicker of movement in his gaze, but he spoke, "Watch TV." She wanted to work, but he asked her to watch TV; did she look idle? Frowning, Ava immediately said, "I need to organize the key points the teacher covered today; I need to reflect, ponder, and recall them carefully." "You watch yourself; I’m going to the study." Ava was a bit unhappy; she had already spent time with him, how much longer did she need to accompany him? Even though his time is precious and it’s rare for him to have leisure time to watch TV, her time is also valuable. She might not earn as much as he does, but it’s not trivial either, right? She couldn’t neglect her work just to keep him company, that wouldn’t do. Poe Vaughn’s eyelids fluttered, finally pulling his gaze away from the TV to look at the person in his arms. She was firm, insistent, and unhappy. She felt constrained. Poe Vaughn focused on her unsmiling face, particularly the furrowed brow, then released Ava, "Alright." This text is hosted at nοvelfire.net Ava was surprised; she had been thinking about how to persuade him to agree, since he was usually so domineering, but she hadn’t expected him to agree so easily. Ava was quite incredulous. But quickly, Ava got off Poe Vaughn’s lap, instantly smiling brightly, "Then you watch, I’m off to work." "If you want to go to bed early, just freshen up; don’t worry about me." With that, Ava took her book and notes to the study. Soon, with a bang, the study door closed. Poe Vaughn sat there, listening to the sound of the door closing, stared ahead, into the night outside the window, then took out his phone and dialed a number. "Bring the stuff up." The call ended, and Poe Vaughn laid down the phone, his gaze returned to the TV, continuing to watch. But suddenly, he felt a stir in his heart, picked up his phone, and opened his messages. The message contained photos Ava had just sent him from outside the door, over a dozen shots, taken while she covered his eyes in the elevator. He opened the photos, looking at the person inside. The elevator lights were bright, his eyes covered by her so he couldn’t see anything, yet he still held her, and she was in his arms. She continued covering his eyes, her phone in hand, taking pictures of them. Sometimes she made funny faces, sometimes she smiled brilliantly, sometimes she acted playful, her expressions lively and joyful, especially her eyes shining brightly in the lens. Poe Vaughn looked at each photo, at her playful expressions, at her smile, then his finger paused on one photo. She no longer made playful faces, but instead faced him, pouting as if about to kiss him. She didn’t actually kiss, just struck the pose, but the pose was perfect, with her arched brows and smiling cheeks, as if she was very happy. Poe Vaughn focused on her, on her pouted lips, his eyes growing deeper. The doorbell rang, breaking the silence in the living room. Poe Vaughn’s eyes shifted slightly, he set down his phone, and got up to answer the door. Outside, Old Zhang and another person stood holding vegetables, fruit, meat, and Poe’s change of clothes. The items had arrived earlier, but when Old Zhang called Poe Vaughn, he and Ava were at the mall; Poe said they’d discuss it when he returned. Old Zhang agreed, parked the car outside the complex, and waited for Poe Vaughn’s call before bringing the items in. Seeing Poe Vaughn and Ava return without a call made Old Zhang feel curious, but he didn’t ask. President Vaughn must have his reasons. So, he waited outside until Poe Vaughn called him, and then he came right up. Normally, The Kestrel Apartments wouldn’t let Old Zhang in, but Poe Vaughn had given instructions long ago, so Old Zhang brought the items directly to the door. Upon seeing Poe Vaughn, Old Zhang immediately bowed, "President Vaughn." Poe Vaughn said, "Give it to me." Old Zhang and the person behind him handed over the large bags, and once Poe Vaughn received them, he closed the door and went back inside. There were several sets of clothing, neatly folded in one of the bags. Poe Vaughn placed the clothing bag on the sofa, then put the other bags on the coffee table, leaving them unattended. He sat on the sofa, picked up his phone, resumed looking at the photo Ava sent him, and after a long while, he saved all the photos Ava had sent, then opened the settings.