Lilia sat on the bed and stretched her body. She felt much better and fresher than before. Lilia turned to her side, but it was already empty.
She got out of bed and immediately went into the bathroom. This time she didn't dare to soak in the bath for long. When Lilia finished taking a shower and was about to leave the room, she remembered what Jean said the day they moved here. The man said he had prepared a special room to store Lilia's clothes. The wardrobe was connected to their bedroom.
Lilia turned around and headed for the door at the corner of the bedroom. Lilia's eyes widened as she looked at the various types of clothes in the room. Apart from the clothes she brought from home, there were also many new clothes that Jean had bought for her. Lilia spent quite a long time choosing what clothes to wear. Finally, she chose a white knitted cardigan.
Then Lilia came out of the bedroom. She immediately smelled the fragrant rice smell from downstairs. Lilia came down to the dining room and found Sister Mei busy cooking in the kitchen. She looked around, but she didn't see Jean's figure.
"Good afternoon, Sister Mei." Lilia greeted the middle aged woman.
"Ah, Mrs. Lilia! Good afternoon!" Sister Mei turned around and greeted her in return.
The mention made Lilia's heart pound. She lowered her head to hide her blushing face. But the corner of Lilia's mouth lifted into a small smile. Just hearing that mention was enough to make her feel like she was floating above the clouds.
Lilia glanced at the dining table which was filled with various dishes such as soup and vegetable dishes. Sister Mei intentionally prepared a meal suitable for Lilia who had just recovered from a cold.
"Sister Mei, where's Jean?" Lilia asked.
Sister Mei wiped her hands with her apron as she replied, "Young Master is taking a shower. I just heated up the ginger soup, why don't you eat it while waiting for him?"
Lilia agreed and accepted a bowl of ginger soup from Jean's nanny. It seemed that Sister Mei had added honey to the dish, as the soup was sweet and was easier to swallow.
As Lilia finished the soup, there were footsteps from outside the dining room. The woman looked up and saw Jean enter. The man was wearing a gray casual dress made of silk. Lilia could see water droplets travelled down her husband's wet blonde hair. When the midday sun fell on Jean, his hair looked like shining gold and made Lilia's eyes dazzle.
Jean saw Lilia's figure and smiled warmly. He walked over to his wife, then rubbed her head, "Are you feeling better?"
Lilia nodded, "Yes, really. It's just a little flu."
Jean pulled his hand back and sat across Lilia, "You're still sick, so you need to eat a lot. If there is any other food you want, Sister Mei will prepare it for you. Don't hesitate, okay?"
Sister Mei observed the two's interactions with a big smile. They acted so intimate, as if no one other than the two of them was here. Sister Mei was grateful that Jean had found a woman like Lilia who could make him happy!
*****
When they finished their lunch, the sun was already overhead. A cool monsoon breeze blew outside the window, reducing the scorching midday sun.
Jean and Lilia sat side by side on the sofa in the living room. Lilia's body was covered in a light blanket, the result of her compromise with Jean. The man originally wanted her to wear a thick jacket and blanket, but Lilia refused. She leaned on Jean's shoulder while enjoying the view of the lake outside the window.
"Do you have any work this afternoon?" Jean asked while wrapping his arm around Lilia's waist.
"Yes." Lilia frowned when she heard her nasal voice due to the flu, "I have to attend an awards ceremony. This job was scheduled for months, so I can't possibly cancel it."
"Then, wear thick clothes to keep you warm and don't worry me, okay?" Jean said while kissing Lilia's forehead.
He wanted to cancel the job and let his wife rest at home, but Jean knew Lilia would throw a tantrum if he did.
Lilia nodded, "I know. I've told my assistant to prepare a suitable dress to wear during the rainy season. Jean, you don't have to worry about me. Last night was just an accident, that's all. I won't do it again."
Lilia thought that was enough to satisfy Jean. But when the man didn't answer, Lilia looked up at him. The man frowned in disapproval, but he didn't say anything.
"Jean, what's wrong?" Lilia asked.
The frown on Jean's forehead deepened. He finally opened his mouth, "What did you call me just now?" He asked in a deep voice.
"Jean?" Lilia tilted her head in confusion.
"Hmm…" Jean stared back at her with faint irritation, "We're married, but you still call me that?"
"Then how do you want me to call you?" Lilia replied in surprise, "Doesn't 'Jean' sound familiar enough?"
"What if…" Jean brought his face closer to Lilia. "'Dear'?"
"Huh?!" Lilia automatically tried to get away from the man, but Jean tightened his hug so she couldn't escape, "W-What's wrong with 'Jean'?!"
"If you don't like it, you can call me 'Husband', 'My Beloved Husband', or 'My Love'." Jean offered with a serious expression.
"It's embarrassing!" Lilia protested with a red face, "Don't you have a better alternative?!"
"Choose one of my affectionate nicknames." Jean commanded while laughing at her adorable reaction, "My beloved wife." He teased.
When Lilia didn't answer, Jean brought his face closer and whispered in her ear, "Which would you choose, My Beloved Wife?"
Lilia glared at Jean with teary eyes and a flushed face, but the man refused to back down. Finally Lilia opened her mouth and said in a low voice, "A-Alright ... H-Honey ..."
Even though she halfheartedly said that, Lilia felt like she was getting a little closer to Jean. For the first time, she realized that they were really married.
Meanwhile, Jean himself felt like he was floating above the clouds when he heard the call. His chest was filled with an overwhelming feeling of love for Lilia. He pulled her closer and stole her lips to channel the feeling that filled his chest.
The two of them spent time together in that sweet and romantic atmosphere.
*****
Around half past two, Jean reluctantly released Lilia from his embrace. He then changed into a black shirt and blue suit which emphasized his male appeal. After Jean advised Lilia to take care of her health once again, he got into the car with Kenny waiting for him inside and drove to the office.
Lilia felt a little guilty about keeping Jean at home when he was so busy. Before Jean left, he received a phone that seemed urgent. The man's mood immediately changed and he looked angry.
As his wife, Lilia wanted to help ease all the heavy burdens that Jean had been bearing alone all this time. And yet she didn't know what she could do for that man.
Not long after Jean left, Lilia got a message from Merry. Half an hour later, her assistant arrived at the Lakeside Villa to pick her up. As usual, Clifford drove the car.
When Lilia got into the car, she was surprised to see Merry's disheveled appearance. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her swollen eyes.
"What happened, Merry? Did you not sleep all night?" Lilia asked in her flu-like nasal voice.
Merry laughed when she heard Lilia's voice, "Sis, do you also have the flu?" She asked hoarsely.
Lilia just nodded at her question. It looked like Merry also caught the flu last night. Was this a sign that the air was getting cold?
"Haha, we are like sisters, huh!" Merry jokingly said as she laughed hoarsely.
"Don't talk too much, you will lose your voice." Lilia scolded while closing the car's door.
Clifford glanced at Merry in the rearview mirror. His gaze was colder than the autumn wind blowing outside.
Merry happened to see the man's cold gaze. She hastily closed her mouth and averted her gaze. Merry prayed that they would get to their destination soon so that she would not have to feel Clifford's piercing gaze. Along the way to the villa, the atmosphere in the car was so cold and heavy that Merry felt the cold was getting worse.
Of course, Lilia's assistant didn't dare to express her frustration at Clifford's treatment. She could only grumble inwardly, hoping that the man would be transferred so they wouldn't have to see each other again. Merry never thought that this wish would come true in the near future. But she also didn't expect that she would feel a lifetime remorse when she couldn't see Clifford anymore.
The reason for Clifford's cold treatment was last night's incident.
After Clifford escorted Merry to her apartment, the young woman changed into party clothes and was determined to go to the bar alone. Even though it was now mid-autumn, Merry still wore revealing and provocative clothes. She acted as if she couldn't feel the cold night wind.
Half an hour later that night, Merry arrived at the bar. She walked in in a cheerful mood. The bar was filled with cigarette smoke and flickering disco lights. On the dance floor, the crowd shuffled wildly to the booming music.
Merry immediately jumped onto the dance floor without thinking. She swayed to the music while singing along loudly. Merry didn't realize that her young and beautiful appearance made her stand out from the crowd. Plus, she was wearing seductive clothes which probably attracted some nasty eyes around her.
After a while, Merry felt that she was often nudging several men around her. But she didn't really think about it. On this crowded dance floor, it was impossible to avoid body contact with other people.
But as the men kept nudging her and even started moving around her, Merry finally realized that something was wrong. She tried to escape from the place, but someone caught her arm. To make matters worse, the guy started dragging her further into the center of the dance floor.
Merry turned and saw four men who exchanged vulgar smiles. She looked around, trying to find help. But the people who were dancing around them ignored her gaze. If anyone noticed Merry's pleading gaze, that person would just laugh and do nothing. For them, incidents like this were common and bound to happen.
Note:
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