A Beautiful Misunderstanding

"First of all, you are my wife. Even if I bought the house, you legally own half of it. The law will protect you from anyone who wants to take away that right, including me. Second, if you had shared your apartment with me, I would be worried about my sleeping place all the time, so where will I get the time and energy to invest in the stock market? Finally, you're my lucky charm in choosing which stocks to invest in. Without you, I probably would be suffering losses in the stock exchange. Now, do you still think you'd be freeloading by living here rent-free? All of those reasons make perfectly justify your stay here,"

Zac spoke in a slow, unhurried manner, and his voice wove a bewitching melody in Essie's ears. It put her in a hypnotic trance; the more he spoke, the more she was convinced of the logic of such an arrangement.

After all, she did make a significant contribution to Zac's success. Without her, he still would have been living as a penniless hobo. He would not have been able to afford his living expenses, let alone a house of his own.

Fine, she could move in and live with him until they get divorced.

Lost in her thoughts, Essie found herself smiling. Somehow, she felt happy at the thought of not having to be separated from Zac.

Maybe they had been living together for too long that she already got used to it.

As Lucy and Bob had yet to return, Essie sliced some oranges and sat with Zac on the balcony to eat and watch the sunset.

"Now that you've bought a house, do you intend to live in Yang City instead of going back to Dragon City?" she asked casually.

A slight smile turned up the corners of Zac's mouth. "Marriage to me means that you will follow me anywhere. In the future, I'll take you back to Dragon City together with me."

"I won't go. I don't like Dragon City." She curled her lips in an expression of disgust.

raised. "Based on your ID card number, you're a Dragon

certain sadness, barely perceptible, was in her eyes even as she tried to say the words lightly. Nothing awaited her in Dragon City but darkness, people

looked at her face searchingly, eyes perceptive and

then." She lowered her head, and her voice was as soft as the night breeze. After her parents' divorce, she left with her mother to live in Jiang City. Her mother

the last fourteen years. I'll take you to visit one day, but

you?" Essie asked

her in-laws. You're not even ugly, come to think of it." He gently touched her nose, with teasing affection evident

a real wife by then and take her back with you to meet them." She wrinkled her nose at him and fled into her room. 'This guy has been teasing me all day. He is not serious at all,' she thought with

stared out at the scenery, lost

no choice

fell, Essie

nights, Zac did not move much, except to throw away the pillow in between them in the middle of the night and secretly draw Essie into

thought of what that wolf of

usual, wrapped like a dumpling

seemed to

Zac eschewed his night robe and wore only a pair of night pants. His torso was completely