Walking through the alley. The road wasn’t very wide, the snow on the ground had been shoveled to the sides, but another layer had fallen, and various footprints left marks. Her hair was blown into a mess, with some strands falling beside her face. A wisp of hair in her peripheral vision was dusted with snowflakes, which melted into water after she watched them for a few seconds. "Brother, are you going to the pretty sister’s house? I saw you two together last time." "Brother, can you give the pretty sister a flower for me? She’s so beautiful, I really like her, and I’m going to marry her someday." "Why not?" Follow current novᴇls on ɴovelfire.net "Because we’re romantic rivals." The young, tender voice and the mature, deep voice rose and fell together in the wind and snow, intertwining. It was quite amusing. Nora Scott stopped at the corner, taking a glance sideways. She saw a five- or six-year-old boy sitting on a bench at the shop entrance, holding a rose in his hands, looking up at the tall and strong man standing in front of him. "Oh." The boy nodded, expressing understanding, then his black eyes rolled slightly, as he asked in a crisp voice, "Have you given her flowers yet?" The man didn’t answer, as if sensing something, suddenly looked up in this direction. He collided directly with Nora Scott’s inquisitive gaze. The chaotic, fragmented snowflakes danced in the air, and Nora Scott sent a teasing glance. Pedro Langley chuckled lightly. Next, he pulled out a palm-sized flying toy, and in about half a minute, right in front of Nora Scott, exchanged it for the rose the child originally wanted to give to Nora Scott. Pedro Langley walked over, holding a rose in one hand and a bag of soy sauce in the other, strolling over without change in expression, without a hint of guilt. As he got closer, he held out the rose he’d tricked, approaching Nora Scott. Nora Scott looked at him calmly, not taking it, "Childish." With his eyes lowered at her, Pedro Langley curved his lips, "Don’t want it?" Nora Scott turned and left. Pedro Langley chuckled softly, following her with the rose in hand. After walking a while, Nora Scott glanced sideways at the soy sauce he was carrying, squinting her eyes slightly, "How did you know there was no soy sauce at home?" "Your grandpa told me." Nora Scott paused in her steps and turned around, "Didn’t he delete your contact?" His eyes glinted as Pedro Langley raised his eyelids, calmly saying, "I contacted him first, so I have it again." Nora Scott’s suspicious look lingered on him for a moment. Pedro Langley playfully curved his lips, allowing her to scrutinize without showing any sign of fluster. Unable to find anything, Nora Scott shrugged, decided not to pursue it further, and turned to continue walking forward. When they got home, Antonio Easton heard the commotion and immediately invited Pedro Langley into the bedroom. Nora Scott initially wanted to accompany them to see what was happening that required Pedro Langley’s presence. However, before she could step through the door, Antonio Easton looked over, raised his hand in a wave, signaling her to leave. As his biological granddaughter, being treated this way left Nora Scott in a foul mood, and she glared at Pedro Langley. Pedro Langley, taking her glare, looked quite innocent, blinked at her a few times, feeling both amused and helpless. Although he’d secretly "conspired" with the old man, this time Antonio Easton calling him over was something he had no knowledge of, much less did he know why it couldn’t be said in front of Nora Scott. He was truly innocent. The door was shut by Nora Scott. The light sound carried a hint of dissatisfaction. Antonio Easton lay weakly on the bed, staring at Pedro Langley, his voice hoarse, "This must not be known to her." Hearing the caution in his tone, Pedro Langley’s brows moved slightly, showing a more serious expression. Antonio Easton said, "If things don’t develop to that point, she must never find out in this lifetime." The door had good sound insulation, and Nora Scott could not hear the conversation inside at all. Having nothing to do, she wandered aimlessly around the living room a couple of times, then drifted into the kitchen. Seeing the unwashed fruits bought by the maid, her eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips, then slowly rolled up her sleeves. A few minutes later, Nora Scott carrying a bowl of washed fruit knocked on Antonio Easton’s bedroom door. Knock knock knock, knock knock knock. She knocked persistently, filled with boredom, until Pedro Langley opened the door. Pedro Langley opened the door just a crack, standing in the way so Nora Scott couldn’t see inside, all she could see was Pedro’s figure. Pedro Langley curled his lips in amusement, "What’s up?" "Brought you some fruit." Nora Scott’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and her fingers tapped lightly on the glass bowl, making a crisp ringing sound. "That’s very thoughtful." Pedro Langley naturally took the fruit from her hand. Nora Scott lifted her eyelids. Pedro Langley blocked her firmly, the smile on his lips deepening, "You go rest. As for the door, I’ll come in later." Nora Scott turned her head and left. There was a clear air of dissatisfaction in her retreating figure, which made Pedro Langley stifle a laugh. She had never been one to do any household chores; even washing fruit was considered troublesome for her. The fact that she had washed the fruit herself and brought it over in person couldn’t be more obvious. However, all her thoughts were completely written on her face, lacking the calm, indifferent, and languid demeanor she usually showed. She was even more lively and lovable, as vibrant as she was many years ago. This time, she couldn’t get what she wanted. Holding the fruit, Pedro Langley headed back to the bedroom. Having gone through the trouble of washing fruit once without success, Nora Scott didn’t bother herself further and returned to her bedroom. The bedroom, which had appeared cramped and cluttered due to being filled with books, suddenly felt much more spacious after more than thirty sets of books had been moved out at once. Excess books were placed one by one on the bookshelf, fitting in perfectly. Looking around, the bedroom was exactly the same as it had been years ago, with no changes, as if stepping inside could bring her back to her student days. She walked to the bookshelf, selected a complete set of comic books, placed them on the desk, found a usable pen from the penholder, sat down, and began signing. She still owed Pedro Langley a set of books. Beside her lay the comics given to her by Eleanor Taylor, full of densely packed annotations in red pen. Pedro Langley and Antonio Easton were talking about something unknown. They talked for a full two hours. From dim daylight to the pitch black of evening. After two hours, Pedro Langley walked out of the room holding a thick document folder, its contents unknown. He glanced around the living room, seeing no one, the bedroom door was open but empty, though he vaguely heard some noise from the kitchen. Pedro Langley was quite surprised, placed the document folder on the sofa, and then went into the kitchen. Sure enough, as soon as he reached the door, he saw Nora Scott’s figure. She had pulled her hair back, revealing a smooth forehead, looking crisp and neat. Her face seemed more delicate and petite, her neck slender and long, with a light glow casting a division of light and shadow, her skin in the light so white it was almost transparent. A light brown apron tied over a white sweater accentuated her tall and graceful figure, devoid of any aloof and cold vibe. On the stove was a cooking pot emitting hot steam. Standing next to it, she held a soy sauce bottle, slowly adding soy sauce to several condiment dishes. The smell of home permeated the kitchen, and her busy figure within it seemed like a heavenly immortal who had come to earth, touched with mundane worldly elements, yet staying light and wonderful, enchanting to the point you couldn’t take your eyes off her. Watching her was enough to melt one’s heart into a puddle. Sensing his presence, Nora Scott turned her head slightly, casually asking, "What did you guys talk about?" "Gave me your dowry." Pedro Langley’s voice was low as he stepped into the kitchen. Nora Scott was taken aback, "Antonio prepared a dowry for me?" He paused beside her, saying nothing, his eyes and brows carrying a hint of a smile, slightly lowering his head, quietly watching her. Her discomfort was evident under his gaze; Nora Scott frowned, "What are you smiling at?" "Didn’t you notice, even you’ve accepted it?" Pedro Langley retorted, pleased to see Nora Scott’s expression change, then added, "Would you marry me? I’m free anytime to sign the papers." "In your dreams, you couldn’t afford it." Nora Scott shot him a cold glance, swinging her elbow back. Pedro Langley stepped back half a step, dodging. The next moment, he leaned in closer to her, slightly bending forward, whispering near her ear, "I told you, I can give you anything." His breath was so close it was tangible. Her left ear tingled. The motion of pouring soy sauce paused, Nora Scott remained still and coldly uttered two words: "Move aside." Pedro Langley, of course, did not move aside. In his vision was her delicate left ear, porcelain-white skin, a slender long neck, her Adam’s apple subtly shifting twice, leaving his heart impossibly soft. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her from behind, clearly feeling her body stiffen. But he held her tighter, resting his chin on her shoulder. His nose filled with her sweet and pleasant scent. "Why did we break up?" He spoke lowly, his voice magnetic and hoarse. For some reason, there was a trace of suppressed, aggrieved feelings mixed in.