“Zuko, what are you thinking?” asked Lina.
“Hmm?” Zuko regained his focus and rubbed her hair. “Nothing.”
“Did you hear what I just said?” she asked.
Bewildered, Zuko’s expression showed that he hadn’t heard a thing.
Lina smiled helplessly and repeated herself, “I said, don’t let my classmates know about your identity either, okay?”
“Oh…”
“I’m concerned that it might bring unnecessary trouble for you…”
Lina turned her face away, trying to appear nonchalant, but her voice was soft and barely audible.
But what did she mean by “unnecessary trouble”?
Simply put, if her female classmates found out about Zuko’s identity, they would undoubtedly pursue him. Even
Mrs. Nash’s daughter had her eyes on him, didn’t she?
It was better for him to maintain the image of an ordinary guy!
Lina pouted, and Zuko saw through her little plan. He gently hugged her and pulled her back into his arms. “Don’t
worry. None of those things you’re worried about will happen.”
“What are you saying…”
Zuko pressed his forehead against hers, giving her a faint smile, and whispered, “I’ll follow your lead.”
…
The next day, Lina received a message in the school group chat.
Heidi had been privately accepting gifts from students, causing significant damage to the school’s reputation. As a
result, she was expelled from her teaching position and could no longer work in the field.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIn the group chat, the wealthy heirs and heiresses who had been bullied by her but had never dared to resist sent a
series of celebratory emojis.
With the absence of the teacher leading the group, the study tour had to end prematurely.
Upon returning to Jangasas, Melissa was overjoyed to see Zuko. She almost set off a string of firecrackers to
welcome him.
“Ah, Zeke, you’re finally back!” She pulled him toward the supermarket, saying, “You have no idea. The shelves
have been in disarray these past two days while you were gone! And your father-in-law couldn’t handle the
deliveries when they arrived. Dave was still in class, so he struggled to move those boxes alone… Now, his back is
hurting again! By the way, your treatment worked well on him last time, so you should treat him again this time!
“Zeke, after you finish at the supermarket, come back quickly. I haven’t taught you how to make caramelized
drumsticks yet!
“Oh, Zeke, while you tidy up the shelves, clean the place too. It’s covered in dust…
“Zeke—”
“Mom, will you ever stop?” Lina stomped her foot anxiously. “He just came back. Can’t you let him rest?”
“And why should he rest?” Melissa stared at her. “He’s a grown man. Will this little bit of work tire him out?”
“Mom!”
Never mind when Lina didn’t know about Zuko’s identity before. Now that she knew he was the esteemed
Hamerton heir, she had to exercise more restraint.
But Melissa remained oblivious. She still treated Zeke the same as before—as the son-in-law she wanted to groom.
“Lina, it’s fine,” Zuko said happily with a gentle smile. “I’ll go to the store now. I’ll probably be done by noon, and
the delivery truck won’t arrive until the afternoon, so it won’t disrupt business.”
Upon hearing this, Melissa’s eyes lit up, and she patted Zuko’s shoulder, looking at Lina. “See? I still have to rely on
my son-in-law in crucial moments!”
Zuko pursed his lips and walked out of the alley.
Lina watched his broad back, feeling warmth in her heart. She smiled with her head lowered before turning to glare
at her mother.
“Don’t boss him around anymore in the future!” said Lina.
“What’s gotten into you, girl?” Melissa rolled her eyes. “I’m just teaching him!
“Men… You have to push them constantly, especially someone like Zeke… He’ll be our son-in-law in the future, so
we can’t be too nice to him now. We need to establish some rules!”
Despite talking about setting rules, Melissa put on her apron and hurried into the kitchen to cook for Zuko.
Lina smiled helplessly. Since she didn’t have many classes in the afternoon, she took advantage of her mother’s
distraction and secretly sneaked out of the house to go to the small supermarket.
Zuko had already organized most of the shelves when he saw someone bounding in with a bobbing head and two
cups of milk tea in her hands.
He frowned. “Why are you drinking this artificially sweetened stuff again?”
After saying that, he willingly took a cup of mango yogurt from her and began to gulp it down.
They said women never meant what they said, but when men acted similarly, the level of surprise could be just as
high.
Lina sat by the side, propping her cheek with her hand and sipping her milk tea as she watched him work. She saw
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmhis sweat-soaked T-shirt clinging to his body and the lines of his biceps when he raised his arms.
Every move he made exuded a strong masculine charm.
Lina blushed and quickly suppressed those suggestive thoughts in her mind.
Zuko turned around and looked at her. “Oh, by the way, Lina, my young brother is also in Jangasas. I’ll bring him to
meet you one day.”
“Your young brother?” asked Lina.
“Well, more precisely, he’s here with his girlfriend too!”
Lina chuckled. “Then I need to do some skincare before I meet them! Can’t embarrass you.”
Zuko approached her and leaned down, resting his hand on the back of the chair. “I think you look fine. You don’t
need to dress up.”
“I’ve always had sensitive skin, my body too… Since my surgery, I’ve always found that part uncomfortable!”
“Surgery?” Zuko paused. “What surgery? Were you sick before?”
“Not sick!”
“Then what was it?”
Lina suddenly stopped, unsure whether to reveal that she had undergone surgery in the past to remove the
birthmark on her waist. How would he react if she told him? And if she said more and accidentally revealed that the
mole on her face was artificial, what would he think of her?
Those surgeries were all cosmetic procedures. It was said that men disliked women who had undergone plastic
surgeries the most.
Besides, the surgery had been performed on her waist, a private area. She couldn’t just blurt it out like that!
Lina swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
“It’s nothing. It’s all in the past. There’s no need to ask,” she said.
Zuko frowned. “Lina!”
“I’m fine now, right?” Lina glanced at him and said, “Alright, let’s not discuss this anymore! When are we meeting
your brother?”