The driver was already waiting outside the door. Ava Sterling and Poe Vaughn got into the car after finishing breakfast. Soon, the car drove out of the villa. Mrs. Wei had already told Ava where the old lady lived, which was not far from Crestwood Manor. Googlᴇ search novel(ꜰ)ire.net At the foot of Mount Luna. Ava wasn’t surprised. That area all belonged to the Vaughn Family, and the location was good, the scenery was nice, far from the city’s noise, an ideal place for retirement. It was perfectly normal for the old lady to live there. However, the drive from the Green Hill Villa to the old lady’s place was neither too far nor too near, taking just about an hour. Ava was restless because of what happened that morning and couldn’t calm down. She was afraid she couldn’t control herself in this confined space and might throw herself on Poe, so she closed her eyes and silently recited, "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form." Like chanting sutras, she kept repeating it non-stop. Meanwhile, Poe Vaughn picked up the morning financial newspaper to read as soon as he got in the car. Then he answered calls, discussing work. In contrast to Ava’s strong "don’t come near me" aura, he was as usual, exuding a formidable presence that inspired awe. The car smoothly came to a stop, and Ava paused, the mantra "form is emptiness, emptiness is form" abruptly halted in her mind. In her view was a wooden gate, flanked by two ancient-looking pillars, with a courtyard of artificial hills and rocks, seemingly casually but meticulously planted rare plants, and a vague sight of a wooden gallery. Looking around, the car had already driven into the courtyard, which was a very spacious flat area, but the courtyard walls were high, and at the base of the walls were various flowers and plants, all appearing to be expensive varieties. Several cars were parked in the courtyard, all luxury cars, each definitely seven figures up. The driver got out and opened the car door, and Poe stepped out. Ava quickly took out her phone to check the time; it was actually nine thirty-seven. Ava immediately got out of the car, but just as she was about to step out, she remembered something and drew back. She quickly took a small mirror from her bag to check her face, to see if anything was amiss. Then she found that other than her lipstick being slightly faded, nothing else had changed. Ava took out a lipstick, applied it lightly, pressed her lips together, and the color came back. Not bad, this will do! She tucked the lipstick and mirror back into her bag and got out of the car to take in the surroundings. Just as she glanced around and hadn’t had a chance to look closely, a crisp voice came from inside, "The third young master is back! The third young master is back!" This wasn’t a human voice, it was a parrot’s voice. Ava’s eyes lit up and she immediately looked at Poe Vaughn: "Is this Grandma’s parrot, Little Eight?" When she had inquired about what the old lady liked, Mrs. Wei had told her the old lady had a parrot named Little Eight. The old lady was quite fond of this pet because it was particularly smart, and she treated it like her own child. Upon hearing this voice, Ava guessed it must be that parrot. Poe didn’t look at Ava, but walked up the steps and went inside. However, a muffled "hmm" escaped his throat, considered as a response to her. Ava wasn’t angry, and quickly followed Poe Vaughn. Suddenly, something flashed through her mind, and she instantly caught up to Poe, grabbing his arm with a bright smile. A light fragrance instantly surrounded him. Poe paused and looked at the person holding him. Ava winked at him: "Didn’t we fall in love at first sight?" So, we must show a loving appearance. Poe looked into those sparkling eyes, noticing the straightforward thoughts hidden inside. He redirected his gaze but didn’t withdraw his hand, and continued walking inside. Ava’s eyes turned into crescent moons with her smile. She absolutely wasn’t trying to take advantage; she just wanted to fulfill her duties as his wife, showing affection. This was a professional performance, without any hidden agendas! The parrot danced in its cage, eager as if to greet Poe. Meanwhile, Sharon Sheridan was upstairs, inspecting the newly arranged bedroom for Poe. Ensuring nothing was missing, nothing overlooked. Upon hearing the parrot’s call from downstairs, Sharon paused, her eyes flashing a bright light, immediately saying, "Is Little Poe back?" Mrs. You was with her, checking everything in the bedroom; they had already checked several times before. Upon hearing Sharon’s words, she smiled and said, "Little Eight said he’s back, so he must be back." Sharon quickly said, "Let’s go, let’s go, to see my granddaughter-in-law!" Both women hurriedly went downstairs. Ava followed Poe through the corridor, passing the main hall, moving further inside, admiring the scenery along the way, discovering that the old lady’s place truly resembled a royal courtyard lived in by a dowager empress from ancient times. A pure garden-style architecture, combining mountains and waters, with rare plants, every scene and object created by masterful hands, even an inconspicuous stone wasn’t placed randomly. It truly is a wealthy family. A truly wealthy family. Ava admired these sights, walking with Poe through a round arch into the main house, where all the wooden furnishings caught her eye. Redwood carved tables, nanmu hollowed chairs, ink painting screens, golden-thread nanmu shelves, holding various antiques... Ava had no expression. No expression at all. This isn’t just wealth, it’s wealth to the heavens! Looking at everything inside, what’s not valuable? You could say, casually taking anything out means money. Ava looked around at the heavily wooden-themed decor, at the ancient paintings on the walls, her heart pounding. Ava’s mouth twitched into a smile as stiff as could be. The world of the rich she didn’t understand, the world of wealthy families she understood even less. She was just a tiny weed, a country bumpkin to the core... "The third young master is back! The third young master is back!" Near the round arch door outside stood what appeared to be a floor lamp, but upon closer inspection, wasn’t only that. It was something for hanging a birdcage, with a birdcage hanging from it, containing a gorgeous multicolored macaw, excitedly flapping its wings. Ava’s eyes lit up, immediately letting go of Poe’s arm, quickly rushing over. Ava arrived in front of the birdcage, looking at the brightly feathered parrot, and called out directly. This parrot wasn’t just any parrot; it was a multicolored macaw, not something ordinary people could keep, nor something ordinary people could care for. Their feathers are bright, tails extremely long, eyes particularly bright, obviously very intelligent. Seeing her, the parrot in the cage tilted its head, clearly not recognizing her. Ava actually really liked small animals but didn’t keep any. One reason was the hassle, another was the fear of death. She didn’t want a pet that couldn’t accompany her for life, so she didn’t keep any. And her job also didn’t allow her to have pets. So, she just liked to look. Now, seeing such a beautiful parrot, she liked it a lot and reached out to touch it. Two voices rang out simultaneously. One was a deep voice, the other a stranger’s voice. Ava paused and turned around to look.