Silly Bride

Chapter 134

need to be so modest when you’re with me, you know. Just be yourself!”During the exchange, one of the reporters approached them out of nowhere, pleading with them ever so courteously, “Old Mr. Fairchild, Mr. Fairchild, Ms. Garland, I’m sorry to intrude, but could I take a group photo of you all?”“Sure.” Considering that Rufus was in a pretty good mood that night, he happily obliged the reporter’s request on the spot.Be that as it might, Xavier had always disliked taking pictures. The second he heard his grandfather agree in his stead, a look of displeasure marred his visage instinctively.However, as Xavier tilted his head to sneak a peek at Winnie standing on the other side of Rufus, he found that the woman had dolled herself up, and she looked especially eye-catching that night. Out of the blue, a sudden burst of desire overwhelmed his heart—he actually wished to have the photo taken.She’s enticing to the core tonight. I must freeze this moment in time.Xavier couldn’t be bothered about the purpose of the reporters wanting to have their photos taken at that time, for he wanted it to be regarded as their family photo.He then slipped into deep thought momentarily before hanging his head low to whisper something in his grandfather’s ear.Listening to Xavier’s idea, Rufus unwittingly glanced at the former. Following that, Rufus bobbed his head in acknowledgment.Soon enough, the trio stood at the spot designated by the reporter, and Rufus quietly swapped places with Xavier.With that, the person standing next to Winnie suddenly turned out to be Xavier instead of his grandfather.Winnie didn’t anticipate Rufus to pull off such a trick just to set her and Xavier up. She was amused by Rufus’ act on the inside; on the outside, though, she remained as calm as a toad in the sun as she cooperated with the parade of reporters to have the photo captured.All of a sudden, a cold breeze wafted past her exposed shoulder and arms in her one-shoulder dress. She couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine.The next second, a warm suit jacket was draped over her shoulders. It was Xavier who had slid his jacket on her.Upon noticing that scene, the reporters and cameramen began to press the shutter button relentlessly.A frown was then etched on Winnie’s mien because of that.That would be logical, for her impression of Xavier had never been excellent. That man possessed a prideful character, and he was full of himself. Of course, he could be thoughtful and caring at times, but he was definitely not a gentleman.We already broke up, so why’s he acting so considerate toward me and even putting his jacket on me? Worst still, I didn’t even ask for that!Baffled, Winnie hurled a perplexing look at Xavier. The latter knitted his brows, seemingly dissatisfied with that gaze of hers.Lowering his head, he muttered to her ear, “Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you know the night is bound to get chilly? Why didn’t you wear a shawl?”Winnie was bereft of speech.Indeed, Xavier was far from close to being a chivalrous man. Not with those words that escaped from his lips would he ever become one.Winnie’s smile turned awkward as she replied under her breath through gritted teeth, “That’s none of your business.”Just as she was about to remove the suit jacket from her shoulders, Xavier grabbed her wrist there and then.“Don’t do it in front of the media. You’d only end up dragging both of our families’ reputations through the mire!”Winnie was upset to death. “You shouldn’t have used so much strength to stop me either way. You’re hurting me.”This guy must be holding a grudge simply because I rejected him. Why did he still put his jacket on me, then? What a pretentious man!Xavier lost himself in his thoughts temporarily upon hearing Winnie’s complaint.He didn’t realize that he had exerted brute force. Did I just have a screw loose again?His condition appeared to have escalated, so much so that he even began to experience short-term memory loss.He would abruptly forget what he had just done a minute ago each time his mind acted up.Is it true that I’ve applied too much force on her just now? But why?Right at that juncture, Xavier’s mind became a little hazy. He couldn’t seem to recall a thing.As those thoughts popped into his head, Xavier suddenly got frustrated.What the heck is happening to me? How can I ever rid myself of this nuisance?Taking a deep breath, he fished out his phone. “I’ve got to make a call!” His tone reeked of naught but impatience.As soon as he dropped the sentence, he walked off right away. Winnie didn’t even have the chance to return the jacket to him.The moment Xavier left the spot, the horde of reporters stepped forward and started to toss questions at her.“Ms. Garland, rumor has it that your marriage with Mr. Fairchild is going through a crisis. Is it true? Does that mean you two are putting on a show in front of the public a while ago?”Winnie furrowed her brows, listening to that. “Which media company are you from? How can you openly probe into my affairs like this?”“I represent Avenport Times, Ms. Garland. The arranged marriage between the Fairchild and Garland families is a massive event itself in Avenport. Could you provide a response to that claim?”Before Winnie could get a word off her mind, Rufus was the first to pipe up, “There’s no such thing. You lot are the ones working in the media industry, so you’d better not circulate baseless rumors like that since it’s a rather negligent act to do, don’t you think? Anyway, I think we’ve been delayed long enough here. It’s time for us to head inside.”Since Rufus had already put it that way, Winnie figured she shouldn’t point anything out, for it was better to leave some things unsaid.All she could do was shoot the audience a stern countenance. “Today is Garland Group’s fiftieth-anniversary celebration. I sincerely hope that you all would shift your focus to tonight’s gala.”Even so, gossip and entertainment news would never fail to garner more attention than they deserved.The ceremony wasn’t even halfway through, but the news of Xavier draping his jacket over Winnie’s shoulders at the banquet hall’s entrance, the exchange of disgusted looks between the duo, and all sorts of assertions about how their marriage was