"Do you want some apples and strawberries? Let me get them for you."
Halfway through watching the movie, Kane quietly asked, and Lani nodded slowly. He left for a moment and returned with a plate of fruit, each piece neatly cut into small portions, which he offered to Lani.
Once again, they sat close to each other, engrossed in watching the movie. Lani took a bite of a strawberry and fixed her gaze on the screen without blinking. Whenever she was focused on something, she tended to become so absorbed that she paid no attention to her surroundings, and this time was no exception.
The fruit plate was eventually emptied by Kane alone, and he chuckled helplessly before using a fork to pick up a strawberry and holding it to Lani's lips.
"Have a bit more; the strawberries are really sweet today."
Lani didn't pay much attention, obediently accepting the fruit, her lips slightly puckering as she savored the sweet strawberry. Kane watched her and felt a touch of embarrassment. He absentmindedly scratched his head before rigidly feeding Lani a few more pieces.
When the movie ended, Lani lazily stretched her shoulders and leaned back, her head naturally finding a place on Kane's shoulder. She looked up at him in confusion, their eyes meeting in mid-air. Kane's gaze lingered on Lani's rosy lips, as clear and pure as the waters of autumn. Lani also blinked and held Kane's gaze for a few seconds before regaining her composure and sitting up straight, her voice slightly hoarse.
"There's some strawberry left; have a bit more."
Kane, out of habit, placed the plate of strawberries near Lani's lips, and she casually accepted them. It was only now that both of them realized the intimate nature of this gesture; their faces were momentarily flushed with a bright, intense red.
"Thank you," Lani stammered, not knowing what else to say. She then turned and headed back to her room, leaving Kane standing there in a daze. The close intimacy from earlier didn't make Kane feel uncomfortable; instead, his heart raced faster. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath to regain his composure, suppressing the strange emotions that had arisen.
After the somewhat awkward atmosphere of the evening, both of them quickly retreated to their respective rooms without further communication. Initially, Lani had only thought of marrying Kane to seek revenge for Amory's betrayal and prevent Hebe from getting her way. She hadn't anticipated any deeper emotional involvement with Kane.
However, she had started to think about it tonight. It seemed that having a handsome husband who could cook well and was polite, like Kane, was quite wonderful.
...
The next morning, Lani followed her normal filming schedule and woke up early. With nothing else to do, she wandered into the garden to water the flowers. She had a deep love for flowers, and her small garden was filled with various colorful blooms. There was also a small swing where she liked to sit when she needed some healing.
In the past few days, Kane has taken excellent care of her garden, as all the roses were blooming beautifully, vibrantly, and radiantly under the sunlight. Lani watered the flowers while humming a few tunes. Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere.
Seeing the name displayed on the screen, Lani's cheerful morning mood disappeared without a trace. She sighed tiredly and answered the call, quickly hearing an angry voice on the other end.
"Lani, you're really excellent. Did you get married without telling me? Do you still consider me your father?"
After seeing the wedding certificate that Hebe had shown him, Derek was furious and immediately called Lani to reprimand her. However, Lani calmly sat down on the swing, closed her eyes, and let the cool breeze rustle through her hair.
"Uncle Derek, you must be joking. Haven't we already cut off our father-daughter relationship long ago to become strangers? I'm an orphan now, my mother passed away a long time ago, and I don't have a father anymore. I can't even decide for myself when it comes to marriage, can I?"
Lani's cold and indifferent tone further fueled Derek's anger. He slammed his hand forcefully on the table in front of him and yelled.
"Lani, do you truly not care about anyone? Hurry up and bring your husband here; I want to see who you've married."
Lani chuckled mockingly, knowing that her father was not genuinely concerned about her life or her well-being but rather that Hebe had likely coerced him into making this call.
"I don't need to come back, and that's not my home anyway. Furthermore, you and Hebe, listen carefully; I married an ordinary office worker. So, Hebe doesn't need to be jealous or compare anything."
"And if Hebe ever tries to seduce my husband the way she did with Amory, I will never return. I can't let my husband know that I have such a shameless and despicable stepsister like her, right?"
Lani chuckled, her voice as light as a silver bell but carrying a warning. She could see Hebe's motives clearly—Hebe wanted to seduce Kane to make Lani feel abandoned once again, to become sad and lonely. But Lani wouldn't let Hebe have her way.
"Furthermore, I don't want any ties with your family, so I've refrained from bringing up the past. However, if Hebe continues to cause trouble or challenge my boundaries, don't blame me for exposing evidence of her affair with Amory in the past. At that time, I can't guarantee that her fans will still stand by her and protect her."
Lani abruptly hung up. It felt good to give Derek and Hebe a piece of her mind, even if it was through a phone call. She had endured Hebe's bullying for far too long and had been foolish to let it continue.
Lost in thought as she returned to the house, Lani accidentally stepped on a stone in the garden and stumbled, causing her to fall. She cried out in pain, and Kane, who was standing outside, rushed over.
"Lani, are you okay? What happened?"
Kane held a small watering can in his hand, probably intending to water the plants in the early morning. Lani furrowed her brows and rubbed her foot before responding.
"It hurts a bit. I was in the garden watering the flowers when I accidentally stepped on a pebble, causing me to fall."
Kane gently touched Lani's injured foot, which had now turned slightly red. She winced when he lightly pressed on it. Taking a deep breath, Kane helped her stand up and carried her, saying softly,
"You might have sprained it. Let me take you inside to tend to the injury."
At this moment, the distance between them was close enough for Lani to see Kane's long eyelashes and the perfect, straight line of his nose. Lani's hands rested on Kane's shoulders, lightly steadying herself, and the warmth emanating from his touch made her heart beat faster.
The injury on her hand was still not fully healed, and now she had added a new one to her leg, making Lani feel extremely miserable. She was currently unable to walk without experiencing pain, and even slight movements caused her leg to ache.
After Kane had bandaged her foot, he carefully held Lani and placed her on the sofa. He gently stroked her soft, fragrant hair, which still carried a faint scent of flowers.
"You shouldn't walk too much right now. Just sit here and watch TV. If you need anything, just call me, and I'll get it for you."
Lani, with both her feet and hand injured, had to move more gently. She obediently leaned on the sofa, watching a popular game show that had recently aired. Kane was still busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast, occasionally bringing Lani some snacks."Kane, that's the male actor who co-starred with me in the movie we watched yesterday," Lani said excitedly, pointing at the introduction on the screen. Kane only responded with a cold snort and no further reaction. This actor had kissed Lani in the movie, a scene that Kane undoubtedly remembered.Lani didn't understand the hostility in Kane's eyes but shrugged it off and continued munching on her snacks. Once breakfast was ready, Kane carefully carried Lani and placed her in her seat. The proximity between them was so close that Lani only needed to lean forward slightly to kiss Kane on the cheek.Lani knew this and felt a bit embarrassed. Kane helped her sit down at the breakfast table, and they ate in relative silence, with a calm atm
After the sweet afternoon kiss, the two of them had grown closer. At least in the evening, Lani could lean on Kane to watch TV and enjoy some fruit snacks. They continued to watch the TV series they had started the day before, their eyes fixed on the large screen.Lani's phone rang, shattering the harmony around them. She glanced at the caller ID and felt a wave of weariness. These days, she had been constantly bothered by Hebe, Amory, and Derek, and it was giving her a major headache.Lani icily silenced her phone, but Hebe, apparently with a lot of free time on her hands, kept calling, so Lani reluctantly answered. Kane sat beside her, pausing the movie to allow Lani to hear the conversation clearly."What's the matter, my dear sister? Haven't seen you for a few days, and you don't even want to answer my calls?" Hebe's voice was dripping with sarcasm.Since Lani couldn't use her injured leg comfortably, she sat next to Kane and raised an eyebrow. She had grown tired of Hebe, and aft
After a night of bliss, Lani awoke in the comforting embrace of Kane, feeling a level of contentment she had never experienced before. Perhaps it was the early bedtime, or Kane held her all night, but she slept soundly and woke up incredibly refreshed.Yawning, Lani stretched and lazily adjusted herself, finding Kane beside her, already awake. His gaze was gentle yet carried a hint of a smile as he carefully helped Lani tidy her slightly tousled hair."Awake, huh? Hungry yet? I'll whip up some breakfast for you."Still, in a half-asleep state, Lani dreamily nodded, prompting Kane to laugh gently before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth and then gracefully descending the stairs.Lani took a moment to stretch herself before slowly getting up, absentmindedly brushing her teeth, and making her way downstairs.In the kitchen, Kane stood, his broad back confidently engaged in preparing food. He was busy assembling sandwiches and smoothly placing them in the oven, his movements seam
He watched the curved corners of Lani's mouth and the sparkling eyes as she entered a nearby jewelry store. The words "Or should we go back and store the things first?" were silently withdrawn.As for Lani, once inside the jewelry store, she quickly succumbed to the allure of the dazzling pieces, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She swiftly selected a beautiful swan-shaped necklace from a renowned local brand. Just as she was about to ask the staff for assistance with the payment, her attention was captivated by a nearby bracelet.It was a delicate bracelet adorned with a few small round stones in a light blue hue. Under the warm light in the store, it emitted a sparkling glow, surpassing all the other bracelets placed around it. Lani didn't know what gemstones those light blue stones were made of, but based on their exquisite craftsmanship and perfect color, she could tell they were so expensive."Can I try on that light blue bracelet?" she asked.The salesgirl, a young and enthusi
Director Lee stands at the pinnacle of the entertainment industry today, with each of his films garnering prestigious awards, both nationally and internationally. Consequently, the actors featured in his projects are top-tier celebrities nationwide."The Wind Whispers Beside Us, You Come to Me" is Director Lee's most ambitious undertaking this year, boasting substantial investments in both its script and the director's cinematic prowess. Casting sessions have been ongoing since the beginning of the year. However, she knew that many famous female actors in the country did not pass the casting round, so the film crew continued to search for the female lead.Lani, a relatively unknown actress, never dared to dream of landing a role as the lead in such a film and opted not to participate in the casting process.Unexpectedly, the film crew contacts Aurora directly to offer her an opportunity."What's up, Lani? Are you on cloud nine now, haha? The path to becoming the top actress seems wide
Director Zhang's film project is about to start shooting, and finding new investors to compensate for the withdrawn funds is no simple matter. Moreover, Aurora just messaged that the previous investors pulled out a million dollars of the initial capital. Currently, the remaining budget for the film is insufficient to invest in costumes for the main actors."It's quite fortunate. If Hebe hadn't snatched the lead role, I would be panicking now. Furthermore, Director Lee's film started shooting just a month later. If Hebe hadn't stolen the main role before, I would have missed a great opportunity.""Now I can't guess, what Director Zhang did to anger the investors to the point of pulling out funds. Isn't it because he unilaterally changed the lead actor? The investors couldn't tolerate Hebe's pretentious and insincere acting? Anyway, Hebe's acting can be described as downright terrible. Her previous roles were all bought with my father's money."Lani spoke more passionately, seeming to t
Daniel took a sip of his coffee, nearly choking on it. He widened his eyes, staring at Kane, whose mouth was wide open enough to fit an entire egg."Are you kidding me? When did you tie the knot?""And here I thought we were best buds! You get married and don't even bother inviting me to the wedding, and now not even a heads-up?" Daniel exclaimed with a mix of shock and irritation. Regardless of their long-standing friendship since kindergarten, Kane had managed to keep his marriage under wraps, making Daniel feel somewhat dismissed.Seemingly unfazed by Daniel's reaction, Kane justified himself, "If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered following your advice to pull out of the film. I should've let you invest in the movie and let your wife take the lead role."Daniel muttered under his breath, expressing his discontent, "Should've just let it be and not listened to you, withdrawn my funds from this film. I would let you invest in another film and choose your wife starring in it."Kan
Kane's hair-drying motion halted, and a perplexed expression crossed his face. Why did Lani's reaction differ from what Daniel had anticipated?"Why are you just standing there? Hurry up, put some clothes on; you'll catch a cold if you stay like this," Lani urged, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. She quickly grabbed a set of clean clothes and pushed them toward Kane, still concerned, then gestured towards the bathroom.Kane stood there, dazed, as Lani urged him. With a slight frown, he reluctantly took the clothes and started putting them on, the shock not dissipating.Why did Lani act like that? Is he doing something wrong?The first time, he intended to use his well-built physique to seduce Lani, and it ended like this?Although Kane felt disheartened, he had no other choice. He sighed deeply and headed to the kitchen to prepare their usual dinner. After all, Lani enjoyed his cooking, considering it a culinary art capable of captivating her."Tomorrow, I have to shoot an advertisemen