《I Went Viral After a Flash Marriage》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It was midsummer in July in the capital city at the hottest hour in the afternoon, and there were very few people on the streets. Mila Sullivan came out of the interview venue and sighed helplessly. She waited outside the door for two hours and auditioned for ten minutes. She was sweating profusely from the heat, but the interview still failed in the end. The casting director kept praising her for acting well, but in the end, he still chose another actor. Mila couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was too difficult to find a job these days, and it was even harder to survive in the entertainment industry! It was depressing to go home hungry without finding a job. Mila decided to turn her grief and indignation into appetite and make a table full of dishes for herself to comfort her injured heart. She came out of the supermarket with two bags of groceries. As soon as she got into the taxi, her cell phone vibrated. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± Yvonne asked softly, ¡°Mila, are you home yet?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m on my way,¡± Mila replied. ¡°Mila, Grandpa Chapman called yesterday and asked about your situation. Your grandfather is very happy, but we still have to ask for your opinion on this matter. Do you think¡­¡± Yvonne¡¯s voice trailed off as if she was waiting for Mila¡¯s answer. Mila knew what she meant. The Sullivan family and Chapman families agreed on this marriage decades ago. Back then, Old Mr. Chapman was her grandfather¡¯s superior. The two of them were on a mission together when they were young and were ambushed by the enemy. Her grandfather took a bullet for Chapman, and the bullet pierced his shoulder blade, causing serious aftereffects. Her grandfather¡¯s career was rising at that young age, but because of this incident, he took a back seat and switched to a desk job. To thank him for taking the bullet, Chapman decided to let the children of the two families get engaged. Mila¡¯s father was supposed to be the candidate. Unfortunately, both families only had sons in that generation, and the marriage arrangement could only be put on hold for the time being. Later on, when she was born, the Sullivan family finally had a girl. Coincidentally, the Chapman family also had a boy of similar age. Only then did Old Mr. Chapman bring up the past and arrange a marriage for them. However, young people nowadays wanted to choose their own spouses, and the two families didn¡¯t force them to become a couple. However, the son of the Chapman family was almost thirty years old and still didn¡¯t have a girlfriend. Hence, Old Mr. Chapman suggested that they spend some time together. Perhaps they could become a happy couple. Yvonne waited for a long time but didn¡¯t hear Mila¡¯s response. She said gingerly, ¡°Mila, I heard from your grandfather that the Chapman family¡¯s son is an outstanding young man. He¡¯s a businessman and has his own house and car. He¡¯s quite handsome. You don¡¯t have a boyfriend yet, so why don¡¯t you go and meet him? If you like him, you can become a couple. If you don¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter either. No one will force you to stay with him.¡± Mila looked at the scenery outside the window and was silent for a few seconds. She said softly, ¡°Alright. Give me his contact information, and I¡¯ll find a time to meet him.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send it to you immediately. Although he¡¯s quite outstanding, we won¡¯t force you to like him. Don¡¯t worry about your grandfather. Everyone can understand you.¡± Actually, Yvonne didn¡¯t want her daughter going on blind dates. The relationship between a man and a woman depended on fate. Those who came on blind dates were all aiming to get married, so they naturally skipped the step of falling in love. However, her daughter had been focused on her acting career over the years and had never been in a relationship. Yvonne was afraid Mila would waste her youth on work and miss the best years. Mila was already 27 years old and had never been in a relationship before. Many people would consider it quite unusual. ¡°Mom, I understand. I¡¯ll talk to you later. I need to get out of the car.¡± After hanging up, the car stopped. Mila quickly got out with the bags, wiped the sweat on her forehead, and returned to the small place she had rented. All the apartments in the building were for rent. The rent was very cheap, and her apartment was rather small, but she had made it into a cozy place. The first thing one saw when entering the apartment was an open kitchen with all the kitchen utensils. It was clean and tidy without a trace of oil. There was a blue sofa in the living room with a white plush carpet under it and a small floral square table in front. Pushing open the hidden glass door beside the living room, one would see a small open-air balcony. Mila kept some succulents and tulips here and had even set up a table and a rocking chair. When the weather was good, she would sit here occasionally to drink tea and admire the flowers. It was very comfortable. Mila placed the groceries she bought from the supermarket in the kitchen before going to the bedroom to change into her pajamas. Just as she put on an apron, her cell phone suddenly vibrated. She looked down and saw that her mother had sent her the young Chapman¡¯s name and social media account. Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After hesitating for a few seconds, Mila decisively befriended the man on his social media account with a note saying, ¡°Hello, Chaucer. I¡¯m Mila.¡± Chaucer¡¯s account name was his real name, which sounded poetic, and his profile picture was also a simple landscape photo. There was scarcely any information in his account. After adding him on social media, Mila put down her phone and went to the bathroom to wash her face. The cool water splashed on her face and drove away the irritating heat. Just as she wiped her face, she heard her cell phone vibrate. She picked up her phone and saw that Chaucer had rejected her request. Mila¡¯s face darkened, and she muttered unhappily, ¡°Serves you right for not being able to find a wife at your age. I took the initiative to add you, but you rejected my request!¡± She was about to put her phone aside to make dinner when she suddenly remembered that every time she went to see her grandfather, he would mention the grandson of the Chapman family. This time, she had finally agreed to meet him. Her grandfather should be very happy. After hesitating for a moment, Mila added Chaucer as a friend again with a clearer message. ¡°I¡¯m the granddaughter of Grandpa Chapman¡¯s friend, your blind date.¡± This time, it didn¡¯t take long before Chaucer accepted her request. Mila broke the silence first. ¡°My name is Mila.¡± Chaucer wrote, ¡°I see. Hello.¡± Such cold words! Mila felt this man probably didn¡¯t want to go on a blind date either, but he was forced to. That was probably a good thing. The two of them could have a simple meal and chatted for a while, then told the elders of both families that they weren¡¯t suitable. That would put an end to this arrangement. Thinking of this, Mila went straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Chapman, shall we meet when you have some spare time?¡± Chaucer wrote, ¡°How about today?¡± So soon? It seemed he didn¡¯t want to waste a second. The sooner he ended it, the sooner he would be free! Mila hesitated for a moment and looked at the pile of vegetables in the kitchen. There was also a bag of lively shrimp, fresh pork ribs, and some chicken. If she didn¡¯t eat them today, they wouldn¡¯t be fresh tomorrow. Mila wrote, ¡°Can¡¯t we do it tomorrow?¡± Chaucer said, ¡°I¡¯m going on a long trip. My flight is tomorrow.¡± Upon hearing this, Mila fell into deep thought. A petty actress like her had to set off immediately once she received the role. She couldn¡¯t delay for a moment. When Chaucer came back, she might be filming again. She wouldn¡¯t know how long they would have to wait. After thinking for a long time, Mila deliberated over her words and replied, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble, can I invite you to my house for dinner? I bought a lot of food today. They won¡¯t be fresh if I don¡¯t eat them. I live alone. It won¡¯t be awkward.¡± Chaucer glanced at Mila¡¯s reply, and his expression froze. They hadn¡¯t met yet, and she was already inviting him over. Soon, Mila sent him the address: Blue Mountain Apartments. Chaucer had heard of this place. Many working-class people rented apartments there. The place was cheap to live in and convenient to transport. He thought, ¡°What did this Mila mean? She asked me to meet her at her place for our first date. It¡¯ll just be the two of us. Does she want something to happen so that she can force me to get married?¡± Chaucer tapped the name on the screen and replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there at six.¡± He wanted to see what tricks this woman had up her sleeves! He immediately called his grandfather and told him about his meeting with Mila tonight. He also asked for some information about her. Before the blind date, Chaucer had made it clear that he wanted his grandfather to hide his family¡¯s real financial resources, telling outsiders that he had just started his own business. Old Mr. Chapman had always been grateful to Old Mr. Sullivan for saving his life. He wanted to reject this request, but Chaucer insisted that if his grandfather didn¡¯t say so, he wouldn¡¯t go on a blind date. In the end, Old Mr. Chapman could only relent. Actually, he didn¡¯t care about compatible family backgrounds. As long as that girl had a good character and could get along well with his grandson, everything else wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡­ At this moment, Mila was leaning against the sofa watching a popular television drama. It was the leading actress¡¯ debut and the peak of her career. Her acting skills were well-received, and Mila had always liked to watch her shows. However, this actress hadn¡¯t had any formal education in acting and had always been criticized by some anti-fans. In Mila¡¯s opinion, the academic background didn¡¯t matter much. She herself graduated from the acting department and had been in the entertainment industry for so many years. She had also signed an agent but still couldn¡¯t get any jobs. Mila had been good-looking since she was young. She had porcelain skin, a well-proportioned figure, and a fit figure that never seemed to gain any weight. Her relatives and friends said that she had the potential to be a big star. Unfortunately, there were countless beauties in the entertainment industry. It wasn¡¯t easy to stand out from them. Actually, Mila had a simple beauty about her and indeed looked different among the many glamorous beauties, but she didn¡¯t like to socialize. Even when she went to dinner parties, she never drank alcohol. Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Because Mila refused to drink on social occasions, the investors and directors felt humiliated, so they naturally wouldn¡¯t give her any good roles. After a while, her manager stopped caring about her and left her to fend for herself. Only small roles that others didn¡¯t want to have a chance to go to her. Seeing the younger actresses who used to play small roles gradually become female leads, Mila would be lying if she said that she wasn¡¯t envious. Even so, she didn¡¯t want to go against her will. At six in the afternoon, Mila turned off the television and tidied up the room briefly. She chose a floral dress and changed into it. After putting on some foundation and lipstick, she went to the kitchen to start cooking. Mila¡¯s original plan was to make some braised prawns, but tonight was the first time the two of them met, and shelling the prawns didn¡¯t seem right for the occasion, so she shelled the prawns first and planned to stir fry them with some spiced salt. She finished processing the prawns and set them aside. After that, she took the pre-marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and put it in the oven. Finally, she made braised pork ribs and made a cold platter. As soon as the cold platter was on the table, Mila¡¯s phone rang. She wiped her hands and quickly picked it up. ¡°Mr. Chapman, have you arrived?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m at the elevator entrance in the parking lot. I can¡¯t get in without an access card.¡± The man spoke in a melodious baritone. It was the kind of voice that made one¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Mila immediately left the apartment with her key and access card. Just as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw a tall man walking toward her. ¡°Mr. Chapman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chaucer looked up at her, while she was also looking at him. Their eyes met. This was the first time Mila had seen Chaucer, and she couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by his appearance. He had unsmiling eyes, a straight, prominent nose, and well-defined facial features. When he looked down at her, his thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and he exuded a cold and distant aura. He wore gray trousers with a thin white shirt. The ordinary-looking outfit looked especially high-class on him. Mila didn¡¯t know much about suits, but she could tell Chaucer¡¯s clothes weren¡¯t cheap. Chaucer was different from what Mila had imagined. She had thought he was an average businessman, but after seeing him, she realized he was good-looking and well-proportioned enough to be an A-list celebrity. Neither spoke a word during the elevator ride. It wasn¡¯t until they went upstairs that Mila took the initiative to break the silence. ¡°Here¡¯s my place, Mr. Chapman. Please come in.¡± The ten seconds in the elevator just now was the most awkward moment Mila had ever encountered. She felt an iceberg standing beside her, and the pressure almost stopped her breath. She kept feeling that this man wasn¡¯t easy to get along with! ¡°This is the apartment I rented. It¡¯s a little small. I hope you don¡¯t mind, Mr. Chapman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Chaucer entered the room and looked around. Although the place wasn¡¯t big, it was clean and tidy. The decoration was very cozy. ¡°Don¡¯t bother taking off your shoes. Just come in. I don¡¯t have any slippers big enough for you. You can watch some television. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± Mila went into the kitchen and cut up a cantaloupe. She set the pieces on a plate, put two cute forks on it, and placed it on the table in the living room. ¡°Have some fruit.¡± The apartment wasn¡¯t big, and Mila could hear the sound of the television in the kitchen, which made her less nervous. Ding-Dong! The sound came from the oven. Mila took out the roasted chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. She carefully arranged the plate and prepared some lemon sauce and black pepper sauce. Right after that, braised pork ribs and spiced salt prawns were also ready. Soon, the room was filled with the aroma of food. Meanwhile, Chaucer sat on the sofa and watched Mila bustling around in the kitchen. His heart inadvertently skipped a beat, as if he had never experienced this feeling before. Twenty minutes later, Mila brought the dishes to the table. There were the fresh and juicy roasted chicken, the glossy braised pork ribs, the light, and deliciously spiced salt prawns, and a refreshing cold platter. ¡°Mr. Chapman, dinner¡¯s ready. Sorry to have kept you waiting. I hope you¡¯ll like these dishes.¡± Mila smiled and asked Chaucer to join her. Chaucer got up and walked up to the dining table. When he saw the dishes on the table, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°They¡¯re very nice.¡± Chaucer meant it. Mila was indeed a great cook. In Chaucer¡¯s understanding, girls of Mila¡¯s age liked to shop, go for beauty treatments, max out their credit cards, and never did any work, but she seemed to enjoy the process of cooking. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Mila smiled gently. ¡°Braised pork ribs and roasted chicken are my specialties. Take a bite. They won¡¯t taste good when they¡¯re cold.¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Chaucer picked up a piece of chicken and chewed it carefully. The chicken was fresh, tender, and smooth. Coupled with the sour and spicy lemon sauce, it was refreshing and wasn¡¯t greasy at all. It was even more delicious than the roasted chicken in a five-star hotel restaurant. ¡°Tastes good.¡± Chaucer secretly added points to Mila¡¯s first impression. Hearing Chaucer¡¯s praise, Mila smiled shyly. The two of them were used to eating quietly, so they didn¡¯t talk much during the meal. They only casually said a few words. After the meal, Mila tidied up the dishes and placed them in the kitchen. She then made two cups of coffee and placed them on the table. ¡°Mr. Chapman, I believe your grandfather has told you about my family background.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chaucer nodded. His grandfather had already told him about the Sullivan family¡¯s situation, and he knew Mila¡¯s family background very well. Mila took a sip of coffee and asked with a smile, ¡°In that case, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?¡± Chaucer knew this was the process of a blind date. Without thinking, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve started a small business, and it¡¯s only in its early stage, so I haven¡¯t made much profit yet. I have a house under my name in Dragon Bay. It¡¯s 200 square meters. I bought my car with cash, and I don¡¯t have any debt at the moment.¡± Mila was deep in thought. Although Chaucer¡¯s business was still in the early stage, he already had a house and a car under his name. That made him very desirable. Moreover, with his looks, if he was placed on a dating website, he would definitely be snatched away. Chaucer looked at Mila and saw she didn¡¯t seem impressed, nor did she ask anything else. He felt she wasn¡¯t satisfied with what he had. After finishing the coffee, Chaucer got up and left. Mila saw him out. Neither had any intention of continuing the conversation. Mila felt Chaucer was too distant and indifferent. There was a high chance that he didn¡¯t like her. Mila wasn¡¯t sad. She returned home, tidied up the kitchen, took a shower, and sat on the balcony to drink tea and watch a movie. The night was a little cooler, and a breeze blew past, dispelling the heat. Mila narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and looked at the brightly-lit buildings in the distance. Mila¡¯s phone beeped a few times. She tapped on the screen and saw she had received messages from her mother and Chaucer. Yvonne naturally asked her how her blind date went. She wanted to know Mila¡¯s first impression of Chaucer and what they talked about. As for Chaucer¡¯s message, it was still simple and clear as before. ¡°Mila, let¡¯s get married.¡± Those few words shocked Mila so much that she jumped up from her chair. Her heart was beating violently like clockwork, and the fingers holding the cell phone turned slightly white. She looked at the cell phone again to confirm it was a message from Chaucer. Mila couldn¡¯t understand why someone so distant just now would suddenly want to marry her. She pressed her fingers on the screen and typed a sentence before quickly deleting it. This request was too sudden and caught Mila off guard. She didn¡¯t even know how to refuse or agree to it. Chaucer was very handsome. Even by the standard of the entertainment industry, he would still make many people infatuated with him. As far as Mila was concerned, she rather liked his looks. As for his family background, her grandfather must have done the homework for her. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems. In terms of his financial situation, Chaucer had a car and a house without any debts, which wasn¡¯t bad either. After the analysis, Mila felt there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone more suitable for marriage than Chaucer. Mila was deep in thought when her phone rang. She quickly picked it up. ¡°Hi, mom.¡± ¡°Mila, why aren¡¯t you replying to my messages? How did the blind date go? Do you like that Chaucer?¡± After dinner, Yvonne had been waiting for Mila¡¯s message, which never came. That was why she couldn¡¯t wait anymore and called her daughter. ¡°It was alright,¡± Mila answered ambiguously. Chen Yvonne was a little disappointed. ¡°Looks like you didn¡¯t like him.¡± The two of them were silent for a few seconds before Mila suddenly asked, ¡°Mom, if Chaucer and I get married, will you support the decision?¡± ¡°Of course! Old Mr. Chapman has been your grandfather¡¯s superior for decades, and I¡¯m sure he has taught his children and grandchildren well. Other things aside, Chaucer must have good character. I saw him once a few years ago. He was quite polite and handsome.¡± Yvonne seemed to be very satisfied with Chaucer, and there was a hint of excitement in her tone. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get along with him. It¡¯s getting late. You should get some rest.¡± ¡°Mila, don¡¯t stay up too late.¡± After hanging up, Mila opened the chat interface with Chaucer again. Twenty minutes had passed since the last message, but she still didn¡¯t know how to reply. Mila was conflicted when Chaucer sent another message. ¡°See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.¡± Mila gasped. He proposed on the first blind date and wanted to get married the next day. That was unbelievably fast! Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Mila stood up abruptly and paced around the room in frustration. After thinking for half an hour, she finally replied to Chaucer, ¡°Okay.¡± On the other side, Chaucer was still awake. When he saw Mila¡¯s message, his lips curled into a wicked smile. ¡°Mila wants to marry into the Chapman family so badly that she¡¯s even agreed to such an unreasonable request. In that case, I¡¯ll marry her. Why not use a woman to shut the elders up?¡± ¡­ The next morning. Mila opened her dry eyes. She had many dreams last night, and her head felt numb. When she closed her eyes, all kinds of images flashed in her mind. In one of the dreams, she married Chaucer. The two of them looked harmonious but were at odds with each other. They often quarreled and lived separately. In the end, Chaucer cheated, and they divorced. In another dream, she rejected Chaucer and continued to struggle in the entertainment industry. After another ten years, she still didn¡¯t achieve anything. In the end, she married 37 to a divorced man who had a child. That man often abused her, and her life was worse than hell. Her dreams were all over the place. In the end, she gave up on sleeping. She closed her eyes and let her imagination run wild until dawn. Actually, dreams could also reflect reality. From the looks of it, it was better to marry Chaucer. The worst outcome would be that he would cheat on her and they would get a divorce. Anyway, with Grandpa Chapman around, Chaucer wouldn¡¯t dare to physically abuse her. After pondering for a moment, Mila got up and decided to marry Chaucer. Since she had to marry someone, she might as well find a handsome man with a familiar background. Mila quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth. She changed into a white dress, put on some light makeup, and left her place with her household registration permit in her handbag. When she arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Chaucer had already picked up his number and was waiting. He was sitting on a chair and flipping through documents with a focused expression. His well-tailored suit and handsome face attracted the attention of many girls. Mila walked to his side with a smile. ¡°Morning, Mr. Chapman.¡± ¡°Morning,¡± Chaucer looked up at her and said lightly. ¡°We¡¯re getting married. Don¡¯t call me Mr. Chapman all the time. Chaucer will do it.¡± ¡°Then just call me Mila.¡± Chaucer nodded and looked at the number displayed on the big screen. He frowned slightly and said seriously, ¡°Although we¡¯re getting married officially, I think it¡¯s better not to publicize our relationship for the time being. It¡¯ll also affect your career as an actress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. No problem.¡± Mila agreed with this suggestion. She had never been in a relationship and didn¡¯t look forward to a happy marriage. She was just looking for a suitable person to live with. It didn¡¯t matter if they made their relationship public. They waited for nearly an hour before it was their turn. Together, they went to the counter, filled out the application form, and handed it to the staff. Mila was in a daze the whole time. She only returned to her senses when the staff stamped the wedding photo and handed her the red booklet. They were really married! Mila didn¡¯t know how to feel when she walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau. They were total strangers the day before, but today, they were already legally married. ¡°It¡¯s still early. I¡¯ll drive you back home,¡± Chaucer said. As he spoke, he took her hand and walked towards the parking lot. Mila followed him and got into the front passenger seat. Chaucer took out a key and access card from his briefcase and handed them to her. ¡°Since we¡¯re married, we definitely have to live together. My place is in Dragon Bay A-601. Move your things over as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mila took the key and nodded obediently. After getting their marriage registered, of course, they had to live together. They could work on their relationship, and she could save the rent. It was killing two birds with one stone. ¡°After I send you back, I¡¯m going to take a plane to Sea City. It¡¯ll take me at least half a month to come back, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you to move alone. I¡¯ll transfer you some money later. If you need anything, you can buy it yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own. You don¡¯t have to give me any money.¡± Mila seemed fragile, but she was very independent and strong on the inside. After graduation, she moved out of her home and rented her own place. Once she started working, no matter how hard it was, she never asked her parents for a single cent, so she wouldn¡¯t ask Chaucer for any money. Moreover, she had moved many times over the years and had always done it alone. She was already used to it. Mila returned to the apartment and looked at everything in the room. She felt a little reluctant. After all, she had lived here for a year and felt attached to the place. She had spent two days decorating the small apartment. After that, she bought a lot of things to make her life as comfortable as possible. She didn¡¯t want to abandon these things, so she could only take everything with her. Chapter 6 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Mila packed her kitchenware and tableware first, then moved onto pack her clothes. She worked from morning to night before packing everything in the apartment. Her things filled the entire living room. After quickly making herself some noodles, Mila called the moving company. The movers carried the packages out one by one, the originally crowded living room became empty. Soon, the room was cleared. Mila carried a backpack downstairs, handed the key to the administrator of the apartment, and took a taxi to Dragon Bay. Half an hour later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the estate. The moving company¡¯s vehicle was also parked nearby. The workers had already started unloading it and carrying things into the estate. Mila got out of the car and hurriedly ran after the first group of movers, following them into Building A. Dragon Bay was considered a top-notch estate in the capital. Mila couldn¡¯t help but sigh along the way. The place was worth the high property prices. The surroundings were so unique. Mila swiped the access card and brought the first batch of workers up to the sixth floor. She opened the door with the key that Chaucer gave her. She pushed open the door and saw a spacious living room. The decor was mainly black, white, and gray. Instead of looking dull, the colors gave the place an elegant feeling. On the other side of the living room was a large open-air balcony, which was more than four times the size of the balcony of her small apartment. Mila had already thought of planting roses and tulips on the balcony, putting a larger coffee table, and arranging a few more chairs. When her friend came, they could go to the balcony to admire the flowers and drink tea. Mila walked around the living room before going into the bedrooms. There were two of them. The master bedroom was slightly larger, and there were some of Chaucer¡¯s personal belongings inside. Since they were already married, they should be staying in the same bedroom. However, Mila had only known Chaucer for a day, and she found sharing a bed with a stranger unacceptable, so she decided to sleep separately for the time being. ¡°Please leave everything in the living room.¡± With that, Mila handed the access card to the movers so that they could let themselves into the building. She then went to the second bedroom. Although it wasn¡¯t as big as the master bedroom, it was fully furnished with a floor-to-ceiling window, which gave a wide view. Mila immediately fell in love with this bedroom. She had already thought of putting a carpet and a bean bag next to the window. She could also hang a projection screen on the wall. When she was free, she could watch a movie in the room. Half an hour later, the movers moved everything in. Mila took out 150 dollars from her bag and handed it to the leader. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Keep the 20-dollar change. Dinner¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The moving workers took the money with a smile and left. Mila locked the door and looked at the packages all over the living room floor, feeling weak all over. After resting for ten minutes, Mila began to open the packages one by one. She worked until ten at night before everything was in place. She was so tired that she couldn¡¯t even lift her arms when she lay on the sofa. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Chaucer. ¡°Chaucer, I¡¯m done moving. Everything is settled.¡± Chaucer replied shortly after. ¡°Got it.¡± Mila pursed her lips. ¡°What an arrogant man! He must love to play the cool guy. I¡¯m his wife now!¡± While Mila was cursing in her head, her phone suddenly rang. It was her good friend, Elaine Lewis. ¡°Hello, Elaine.¡± Mila sounded exhausted. ¡°Mila, I just came back from filming. I ate nothing but vegetables for the past two months, and I¡¯ve begun to dream of meat. Come out and have dinner with me!¡± Coincidentally, Mila hadn¡¯t eaten yet, so she immediately agreed. ¡°Sure! I¡¯m hungry too!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be at your place in ten minutes. Why don¡¯t you put something nice on and we¡¯ll have a big meal! How about we go to the karaoke after that?¡± Mila was stunned for a moment and quickly said, ¡°Elaine, I just moved today and didn¡¯t have time to tell you yet.¡± ¡°Huh? Why did you suddenly move? Where did you move to?¡± Elaine asked in confusion. ¡°Dragon Bay. Come here and pick me up.¡± Mila didn¡¯t tell Elaine about her marriage over the phone. Otherwise, Elaine would definitely stop the car on the spot and start questioning her. ¡°That¡¯s great! Mila, you can afford Dragon Bay now! Hold on. I¡¯ll be there soon!¡± Elaine teased Mila and hung up. Mila put on some light makeup, put on a long aqua-blue thin dress, and a pair of high heels decorated with white pearls. She carried her handbag downstairs and saw a white BMW parked in front of her as soon as she left the building. Chapter 7 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations As soon as Mila got into the car, Elaine asked anxiously, ¡°Mila, be honest with me. Which rich man did you hook up with? How can you afford to live in the expensive Dragon Bay?¡± Elaine still remembered coming to check out the houses when Dragon Bay opened. In the end, she was scared away by the properties that would cost her tens of millions. With Mila¡¯s current work situation, it was absolutely impossible for her to afford the rent here. That meant that Mila had a man! ¡°What rich man?¡± Mila glared at her coquettishly, then said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± Lu Elaine suddenly stepped on the brakes and the car shook violently. It stopped by the roadside and almost hit a tree beside it. Mila stroked her messy hair. ¡°Elaine, can you calm down?¡± Elaine took a deep breath and looked at Mila in shock. She questioned loudly, ¡°What did you say? You¡¯re married?¡± ¡°Yes, I just got my marriage certificate yesterday,¡± Mila replied lightly. ¡°Mila, we¡¯ve been good friends for so many years, but you didn¡¯t tell me you were getting married. I don¡¯t even know when you had a boyfriend. You¡¯re having a secret relationship!¡± Elaine was furious and shocked. She treated Mila as a good friend, but Mila kept her marriage a secret. If she hadn¡¯t found out Mila had moved, who knew how long she would keep the news to herself? After calming down, Elaine drove to the nearest cafeteria and asked for a small private room. As soon as she entered, she said solemnly, ¡°Mila, tell me the truth. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about walking out of this door today!¡± Mila cleared her throat and said, ¡°Do you remember that I had a betrothal when I was young? It was because my grandfather saved Old Mr. Chapman¡¯s life. That man and I went on a blind date the night before yesterday, and we got married yesterday.¡± ¡°What? Are you crazy?! You¡¯ve only known him for a day, and you¡¯ve already married him! You don¡¯t know him at all! You got married on an impulse!¡± At this moment, Elaine wasn¡¯t angry anymore, but she felt like her good friend had been stolen away. ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± Mila paused before adding, ¡°He¡¯s quite handsome. He has a car and a house.¡± She really didn¡¯t know Chaucer well enough. Other than these superficial things, she couldn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°I see! Mila, so you¡¯ve taken a fancy to his good looks. Didn¡¯t you say a man¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t matter, but his character did?¡± Elaine looked disappointed. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for so many years and have seen many handsome men. You should be immune to them. How can you still be charmed by beauty?¡± Mila covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as you put it. I just think it¡¯s time to get married, and he just happens to be suitable.¡± Elaine shook her head in resignation. ¡°Let me show you Chaucer¡¯s photo.¡± As she spoke, Mila took out the marriage certificate from her bag and handed it to Elaine. ¡°Shit!¡± Elaine exclaimed, then looked at Mila in disbelief. ¡°This dude is really handsome! No wonder he charmed you so much. I wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it either! You know what? The two of you are quite compatible when you stand together!¡± On the marriage certificate, the woman had a smile on her face and was gentle and pleasant. The man¡¯s expression was solemn, cold, and serious. They were indeed a good match. Mila smiled wholeheartedly. She put the marriage certificate back into her bag. After a while, the dishes they ordered were all served. They chatted as they ate. ¡°Marrying Chaucer is the most impulsive thing I¡¯ve done in the past twenty years. I haven¡¯t found the courage to tell my parents yet!¡± Mila frowned, not knowing how to explain it to her family. Elaine was speechless. ¡°You¡¯ve done a shocking thing in silence! You usually look obedient, but you actually got married behind your family¡¯s back.¡± Marriage was a big deal in life. The longer she hid it from her parents, the more troublesome it would be. Elaine said, ¡°I think you should tell your parents as soon as possible. Don¡¯t wait for them to find out. You¡¯ll suffer!¡± Mila nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell them when we get home tomorrow.¡± The other night, Mila asked her mother for her opinion. Her mother was very supportive of her marrying Chaucer, but Mila took action before telling her mother about it. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Elaine gave the last piece of brown sugar rice cake to Mila. After dinner, Elaine drove Mila home. As soon as she entered the house, Mila took her pajamas into the bathroom. After a tiring day, Mila fell asleep immediately after getting into bed. The following day when Mila opened her eyes, it was already ten in the morning. She quickly got dressed and left the house. She first went to the market to buy some of her parents¡¯ favorite dishes, then hailed a taxi by the roadside. Chapter 8 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Mila arrived home, it was already past eleven in the morning. Mila¡¯s mother was retired and usually liked to dance with her friends. Her father was the vice-principal of a nearby school and wasn¡¯t busy with work. He stayed at home on weekends to read. The couple had already started a comfortable retirement life. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m back.¡± Mila smiled and called out to her parents. When Yvonne saw her daughter return, she instantly beamed with joy. ¡°Darling, why do you look so thin? Did you lose weight again from filming?¡± ¡°No!¡± Mila carried the vegetables to the kitchen. In fact, she had only received one job in the past month, and there were only a few scenes. However, she had always reported the good news and not the bad news. She didn¡¯t want to make her parents worry. Her parents were in the education industry. At first, they wanted Mila to take this path, but Mila¡¯s ambitions weren¡¯t there. She insisted on applying to the acting department at a drama academy. Mila had been obedient since she was young and rarely made her parents angry. However, she quarreled with her parents over applying for the acting department. In the end, her parents could only compromise. Her father¡¯s reprimand from those days still rang in her ears. He said it wasn¡¯t so easy to be an actress. She would only be young for a few years, and he hoped she wouldn¡¯t regret it in the future. If her father knew she was not doing well at work, he would definitely scold her and force her to leave the industry. ¡°Dad, Mom, I bought a lot of food. They¡¯re all your favorites. I¡¯ll cook today.¡± Mila put on an apron and went into the kitchen. Yvonne was pleased with her daughter and smiled in relief. An hour later, all the dishes were served. Gordon hadn¡¯t eaten his daughter¡¯s dishes for a long time and ate two bowls of rice in one go. After the meal, Yvonne cleaned up the dishes. Mila said nervously, ¡°Dad, Mom, I have something to announce.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± As soon as Yvonne finished speaking, Mila took out the red marriage certificate from her bag, opened it, and placed it in front of them. ¡°Dad, Mom, Chaucer and I are married.¡± After saying that, Mila squeezed her fingers nervously, not daring to look at them. The room was silent for a few seconds. Yvonne broke the silence first. ¡°Mila, you said the other day that you wanted to try to get along with him first. Why are you married already?¡± Bang! Gordon slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, ¡°Marriage is a big deal. You should ask us first! If you and that kid get married secretly, will he think highly of you in the future?¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t think too much at that time.¡± Mila lowered her head and admitted her mistake. Yvonne picked up the marriage certificate and looked at it. Her daughter was beautiful, and Chaucer was quite handsome. The two of them were very compatible, but it was irresponsible to get married so rashly. ¡°Mila, marriage is a lifetime thing. You¡¯ve only met Chaucer once, and are you sure he¡¯s the one?¡± Yvonne looked at her. Mila replied seriously, ¡°I fell in love with him at first sight, but he was the one who suggested marriage, so we¡¯re in love.¡± That¡¯s right, she was lying. She didn¡¯t like Chaucer at all. She only admired his good looks. However, if she told her parents she had no feelings for Chaucer at all and only wanted to find a suitable person to marry, her parents would definitely be even angrier. ¡°Chaucer is really a good person. He bought his house and car with full payments, and he doesn¡¯t have any debt. As for his family situation, Grandpa knows it better than me. If his family isn¡¯t good, Grandpa wouldn¡¯t have let me go on a blind date with him.¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°He¡¯s indeed very outstanding and good-looking.¡± Gordon snorted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Can good looks make a living? There are so many handsome men in the entertainment industry, and each of them is more unreliable than the other. Many men have cars and houses. My daughter is so beautiful. She can definitely find someone better!¡± Seeing that her mother had no objections, Mila immediately walked to Gordon and held his arm. ¡°Dad, since you agreed to my blind date with Chaucer, you must be satisfied with his character and financial situation. He and I like each other and would have gotten married sooner or later. We just registered our marriage first.¡± Gordon was speechless. He did support Mila and Chaucer¡¯s blind date, but getting married was a different story. ¡°Since you¡¯re married, why didn¡¯t Chaucer come with you? Why are you here alone?¡± Gordon frowned unhappily. He wondered if Chaucer was too scared to come and let his daughter take the blame all by herself. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mila. Since you¡¯ve registered your marriage, you should bring Chaucer back for a meal!¡± Mila quickly said, ¡°He went to the airport for a business trip right after the registration. When he comes back, I¡¯ll definitely bring him back for dinner.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t even have time to visit his father-in-law. What a busy man!¡± Gordon said sarcastically. Chapter 9 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°How can he earn money to support me if he doesn¡¯t work!¡± Mila said with a smile. Looking at Gordon¡¯s gloomy face, she quickly stopped talking. Seeing that her daughter was like a frightened rabbit, Yvonne also tried to persuade Gordon. ¡°Young people should work harder. Chaucer is doing this to give Mila a better life.¡± Gordon looked at the marriage certificate on the table and sighed in resignation. Now that the young couple had officially married, he couldn¡¯t force them to divorce. He could only grit his teeth and accept it. ¡°We¡¯ve already gotten our marriage certificate. When are we going to hold the wedding ceremony?¡± Gordon asked. Mila lowered her head and muttered weakly, ¡°I¡¯ve signed a contract with the company now, and it¡¯s not the best time to hold the ceremony. I thought we could just have dinner together.¡± Even Yvonne fell silent this time. They had gotten married so hastily and didn¡¯t even want a ceremony. That didn¡¯t sound like a marriage at all! ¡°Dad, Mom, many people think holding a wedding is too troublesome. It¡¯s a waste of time and money. Young people choose to travel and get married. Not only can they enjoy themselves, but they can also have a special wedding ceremony. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone!¡± Mila felt that she and Chaucer were just living together. There was really no need to hold a wedding ceremony. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time on it, but her parents didn¡¯t seem to understand her. They felt that without a ceremony, it wouldn¡¯t be a real marriage. Gordon and Yvonne looked at each other. After a long silence, Gordon said in resignation, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, so be it. Ask Chaucer when he¡¯s free. The two families can have a meal together.¡± Mila heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Gordon stood up and left. Mila knew her father was unhappy and felt a little upset. Yvonne patted her shoulder and comforted her with a smile. ¡°Mila, it¡¯s okay. Your father will be alright. As long as you and Chaucer are happy, your father will be happy. ¡°Not having a ceremony is a good thing. If Chaucer treats you badly, no one will know you¡¯re divorced.¡± Mila was speechless. Her mother really had a strange way of seeing the world. ¡°I heard the divorce rate is especially high now. Many families only have one child, and they all doted on that child. No one can stand being mistreated. Once a conflict breaks out, they¡¯ll divorce quickly so that they don¡¯t have to complain to each other. If you have any conflicts with Chaucer, you must tell me. You can¡¯t secretly get a divorce without telling us.¡± Yvonne reminded her, and Mila nodded in a hurry. If she got divorced as soon as she got married, her parents would probably be angry for a long time. To be honest, she didn¡¯t have the confidence to be with Chaucer forever. Perhaps he would cheat on her in the future, and they would divorce before long. Mila stayed at home with her parents for two days before returning to Dragon Bay on Monday. Everything she had bought online had arrived. The packages were piled up at the door. She sat at the door and opened them one by one before dragging them into the house. She hung a cream curtain with stars in the second bedroom and spread a pink plush carpet under the floor-to-ceiling windows. She then put a small white wooden table and a bean bag on the carpet. On the bean bag were a small milky-yellow cushion and a small blanket. After closing the curtains, the sunlight shone on the plush carpet through the star pattern. Mila turned on the bluebell-shaped lamp, and the entire bedroom instantly became very cozy. After decorating the bedroom, Mila found a good angle, chose a filter and took a few photos. She then posted them on her usual social media account. She valued her quality of life and liked plants and cooking. She decorated her room and often posted photos or videos, but she never showed her face. Her followers liked the style of the photos and videos she took. Watching her cook quietly and gently tend to the plants always gave them a peaceful feeling. However, no one knew Milassima, the KOL with more than three million fans, was Mila, a small actress that no one knew about. As an actress that very few people know, Mila lived on a small salary. She often couldn¡¯t take on any roles for a month or two. Fortunately, after she became a KOL, she had some additional income to maintain her normal life. Even though it was so difficult to survive in the entertainment industry, Mila had never thought of quitting. Acting was her hobby, and becoming an A-list actor was her lifelong dream. People only had the motivation to move forward when they had dreams. After Mila posted the photos, she added some words, briefly explaining how she decorated the room. Before long, there were more than 10,000 likes. Chapter 10 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Meanwhile, in Oceania, Chaucer drove back to his hotel after a meeting. He took a shower and leaned against the sofa in a bathrobe with his eyes closed. ¡°Sir, Mrs. Chapman posted a few photos of the bedroom on the internet,¡± Jason, Chauser¡¯s assistant suddenly said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know mom still had the time to do that.¡± Jason wanted to sigh. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your wife, Mrs. Mila Chapman.¡± Only then did Chaucer remember he was already married. He reached out to Jason and took the cell phone. ¡°Let me see the photos.¡± Her ID was ¡°Milassima¡±, and the latest update was a few photos of the bedroom, which had cozy decoration. Chaucer asked in confusion, ¡°Jason, do all women like this childish color combination?¡± There were several houses under his name, and all were decorated in a simple style. Most of the color themes were black, white, and gray. Pink, yellow, and blue were almost never seen in the houses. From what Chaucer knew, only children would like those colors. ¡°I don¡¯t know much either, but I think Mrs. Chapman decorated the room very well! Sir, it¡¯s getting late. There¡¯s an early meeting tomorrow. I¡¯ll go back to my room. Please don¡¯t stay up too late.¡± Chaucer nodded, and Jason left. The suite quieted down. Chaucer picked up his phone and searched for Milassima¡¯s username. He opened Mila¡¯s account and scrolled through her past posts. Judging from the photos and videos she posted, she was a quiet and gentle woman who liked to cook and raise flowers. She paid a lot of attention to daily rituals. However, what was posted online must be what Mila wanted everyone to see. Chaucer couldn¡¯t be sure this was the true Mila. After all, she was an actress. Life was like a show, and it all depended on acting skills. He could only wait and see if it was true. ¡­ Half a month later, at three in the morning, Chaucer came out of the first-class cabin of the capital airport. Jason pushed his luggage and followed behind him. The two of them quickly arrived at the parking lot. A black Porsche was already waiting there. Seeing Chaucer, the chauffeur immediately opened the door. He took the luggage from Jason and placed it in the trunk. After getting into the car, the chauffeur asked, ¡°Sir, are you going back to the old residence or Dragon Bay?¡± Chaucer thought for a moment and said, ¡°Dragon Bay.¡± He and Mila were newlyweds. The day they got their marriage certificate, he went on a business trip and only came back after half a month. Logically speaking, he should go back home and take a look. He was worried Mila would turn the house into that kind of childish color. Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of the building. Jason got out of the car and took out the luggage. ¡°Sir, let me walk you up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Go home and have some rest. Be at the office at nine o¡¯clock sharp tomorrow morning.¡± With that, Chaucer carried his suitcase and entered the unit. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Jason had been Chaucer¡¯s assistant for three years and was already used to the workaholic. They had been busy for so many days. He still had to wake up early to work the next day when he got off the plane in the middle of the night. He was already so rich, but he was still so hardworking. No wonder he could become the president. Chaucer got to the sixth floor with the luggage and took out his key to open the door. At the entrance were a pair of men¡¯s slippers and a pot of white gardenias, which emitted a faint fragrance. Chaucer quickly glanced at the living room but couldn¡¯t see much change. There were just some more of her things, making the entire house seem warmer. It was almost four in the morning. Chaucer was a workaholic. No matter how late he stayed up the night before, he would wake up at seven the next day. He would run for half an hour in the morning and go home to take a shower. After breakfast, he would dress up and go to work. Therefore, he had to sleep as soon as possible to ensure his work condition the next day. Chaucer didn¡¯t turn on the lights. With the light outside the window, he took off his coat and took out a can of soda from the fridge. At this moment, Mila, who was in the bedroom, suddenly woke up. She became nervous when she heard the strange sound coming from the living room. Mila had just woken up from her sleep and was still in a daze. She had long forgotten she had a husband and thought someone had broken in to steal something. She was instantly frightened. She tiptoed out of bed and picked up the lamp beside her to protect herself. She gently pushed open the bedroom door and saw a black shadow sneaking around the living room. ¡°What a bold thief! How dare you steal from me? Don¡¯t blame me for this!¡± Mila encouraged herself in her head. She walked to the living room barefoot and threw the lamp at the black shadow when it wasn¡¯t paying attention. She decided to subdue the bad guys before calling the police. Chapter 11 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Chaucer was leaning against the sofa and drinking water. Suddenly, he felt a strong gust of wind coming from him. He dodged and the lamp smashed into his shoulder. Bang! Chaucer cried out in pain and gritted his teeth. ¡°Mila!¡± Hearing the man¡¯s voice, Mila was stunned. She quickly ran over to turn on the lights in the living room and panicked when she saw the man sitting on the sofa with anger in his eyes. Oh no! She had just hit Chaucer with the table lamp. The shirt on his shoulder had been cut, revealing a fresh wound. It was hard to imagine what would happen if the lamp hit Chaucer¡¯s head. Would she become a widow? ¡°Chaucer, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯m sorry. I thought you were a thief!¡± Mila looked apologetic and quickly went to find the medicine box. She unbuttoned Chaucer¡¯s shirt and cleaned his wound with iodine. Chaucer was in great shape without a trace of extra fat. His skin was fair, and his collarbone was well-defined. This was the first time Mila was so close to a young man, and he was wearing disheveled clothes. However, she didn¡¯t have any romantic thoughts and was filled with guilt. ¡°Mila, are you trying to murder your husband?¡± Chaucer¡¯s gaze fell on the lamp. Even though it had cut his shoulder, the lamp was still intact. He had to admit it was really well-made. Mila lowered her head and helped him clean his wound. Before she knew it, her eyes were filled with tears, and she said with a sobbing tone, ¡°I was muddle-headed from sleeping. I thought you were a thief, so I hit you with the lamp. I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± She blamed herself and forced herself not to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to stay out of danger¡¯s way? If a thief really came in, you should have hidden in the bedroom and called the police, not come out with a lamp and fight for your life.¡± Chaucer glared at her. ¡°I learned martial arts when I was young. Ordinary people can¡¯t beat me.¡± Mila sniffed, looking a little aggrieved. Chaucer sneered. ¡°With your little fists?¡± He sized up Mila. She was wearing a pink silk nightdress. Because her frame was too small, the straps on her shoulders had slipped off, revealing her snow-white skin. Chaucer looked away and cleared his throat. ¡°If you appear in front of another man dressed like this, can you guarantee you can escape unscathed?¡± Mila looked down. As she had just woken up from her sleep, she wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear. She was only wearing a thin nightdress, and the straps had slipped off her shoulders. She quickly adjusted her shoulder straps with a blush. After packing up the medicine box, she hurried back to her room. After returning to her room, Mila put on her underwear and a knee-length dress before walking out of the bedroom. Hearing that Chaucer had returned home as soon as he got off the plane, she knew he definitely hadn¡¯t had time to eat. Mila felt guilty and asked softly, ¡°Chaucer, let me cook some wonton for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± the man replied angrily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cook my own if you don¡¯t want to eat.¡± Mila walked to the kitchen with a look of pity. Chaucer gritted his teeth and became even angrier. ¡°Can¡¯t this woman persuade me? Why did she let it go just like that?¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯m not eating? I¡¯ll give you a chance to atone for your sins. Make me some wonton.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mila agreed with a smile. Looking at Chaucer¡¯s angry expression, she suddenly felt this man had a cute side. Mila took out the shrimp wonton she had made in advance from the fridge and cut a plate of spiced beef from yesterday. When the water in the pot was boiling, she carefully put the wonton in. After boiling them for five to six minutes, he scooped the wonton into a bowl and added salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Then, he poured hot soup on it. Two bowls of hot wonton were ready. ¡°The wonton is ready. Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± As soon as Mila said that, Chaucer walked over. He had injured his right shoulder, and it hurt as soon as he raised his hand. He could only eat the wonton with his left hand. Chaucer ate one wonton after another. With the sauced beef, he finished everything in no time. He had to admit Mila was a great cook, which was also the reason why he decided to marry her. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Chaucer placed the bowl in the sink and got up to leave. ¡°Alright, get some rest.¡± Chaucer nodded and went into the bedroom. Although it wasn¡¯t a peaceful night, he got to see the other side of Mila. She would tear up from her guilt and clean his wound gently. She would cook wonton for him at four in the morning. Her actions seemed sincere. She was such a gentle and kind little woman. However, he had also seen her flaws. She could be impulsive and often made mistakes. She actually mistook her husband for a thief. Chapter 12 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations At seven in the morning, Chaucer woke up on time. After washing up, he pushed open the door and smelled the fragrance of breakfast. There were two chicken sandwiches and two cups of hot milk on the table. ¡°Morning! Come and have some breakfast.¡± Mila walked out of the kitchen and spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chaucer¡¯s heart softened as he sat down obediently to eat breakfast. Because of his injured shoulder, he still ate with his left hand. Mila sat opposite him, stared at his shoulder, and asked softly, ¡°Does it still hurt? I¡¯ll apply some medicine for you later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chaucer nodded calmly. ¡°Chaucer, I¡¯m really sorry. I hurt you in a moment of folly. I¡¯ll make it up to you. You¡¯ll have trouble moving around for a while, so I won¡¯t go out to work. I¡¯ll take care of you at home until you recover.¡± Mila looked at him sincerely. After she returned to her room last night, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She blamed herself and finally decided to make it up to Chaucer in this way. ¡°Good. Then cook for me every day and iron my shirt later.¡± Mila nodded repeatedly. ¡°Of course. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared your lunch. I¡¯ve made you shredded chicken salad, steak, and vegetable salad. It¡¯s all packed. Remember to bring it to work later.¡± Mila¡¯s voice was soft, and her tone was filled with gentleness as she looked at him with a smile. Chaucer was stunned for a second. He looked away and nodded. While Chaucer was eating, Mila ironed his shirt and brought over the first aid kit. After he finished lunch, she gestured for him to sit on the sofa and carefully applied the medicine. She even blew on the wound a few times. Chaucer¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but his heart was beating wildly. He got dressed and was about to leave. He frowned when he saw the milky yellow thermal bag on the cabinet at the entrance. ¡°Can¡¯t you use another bag?¡± ¡°This is the only thermal bag I have. I¡¯ll go out and buy a new one today.¡± Chaucer didn¡¯t say anything else and left with the milky-yellow bag. After parking the car outside the office building, Chaucer glanced at the bag and finally left it in the car. After entering the lobby of Fortune Corporation, everyone greeted him along the way. Chaucer only nodded lightly and strode into the private elevator. He arrived on the 18th floor at nine o¡¯clock sharp. Jason was already waiting at the office door. As soon as he saw Chaucer, he started to report. ¡°Sir, the project plan and the meeting content have been distributed to the various managers. I¡¯ve also sorted out the content of the meeting for the next few days. Shall we start the meeting now?¡± ¡°That can wait.¡± Chaucer flipped open the document of the meeting and threw the car keys to Jason. ¡°Jason, I left my things in the car when I came up just now. Please fetch it for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jason walked out of the office with the key. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little strange. Why did he see a hint of embarrassment on Chaucer¡¯s face just now? When Jason opened the car door and saw the milky-yellow thermal bag in the car, he instantly realized it must belong to Chaucer¡¯s wife. Chaucer was too embarrassed to bring it into the building, so he deliberately asked him to fetch it. Jason walked into the office with a milky-yellow thermal bag that had cartoon characters on it. People passing by couldn¡¯t help but take a second look. ¡°Jason, is that a lunchbox from your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Your girlfriend is so nice. I really envy you!¡± Jason was speechless. He wished that were true, but unfortunately, he was only the delivery man. However, Jason didn¡¯t dare to say anything about the president¡¯s private matters. He could only smile awkwardly at everyone. After the morning meeting, Chaucer opened the milky-yellow thermal bag. In it was a milky-yellow lunch box with a cartoon character printed on it. The corners of Chaucer¡¯s mouth twitched as he sent a message to Mila. ¡°Change the box, too. It has to be high-end and classy.¡± Mila wrote, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy one right away.¡± Only then did Chaucer open the thermos box in satisfaction. The dishes were still warm, and the food smelled nice. They were all his favorites. Soon, he finished everything. After work, Chaucer returned home, but he didn¡¯t see Mila. Just as he took off his coat, he heard a voice coming from the bedroom. ¡°I know, but¡­ ¡°Jane, I really want to go, but someone in my family is injured. I have to stay at home to take care of him. There¡¯s nothing I can do. ¡°Can my situation be worse than it is now? I can¡¯t take on any roles for a month or two on end. When I do get one, I get lousy roles that no one wants to take. What good things have happened to me in the past two years after I signed my contract with the agency?¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The bedroom door wasn¡¯t closed tightly, and Mila¡¯s voice was a little loud, so Chaucer heard her clearly in the living room. Chaucer was a little surprised. Mila actually gave up her job to stay at home and take care of him. She even quarreled with her manager. Before Chaucer married Mila, he investigated her background in the entertainment industry. She had no scandals, but her resources were also very poor. All her roles were very small. After hanging up, Mila walked out with a displeased expression. Only then did she realize Chaucer was back. She immediately said, ¡°Chaucer, rest for a while. I¡¯ll make us some dinner now.¡± Mila¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t as gentle as it was this morning. With a hint of grievance, she lowered her head and entered the kitchen. Chaucer followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the door. ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± Mila lowered her head and cut the vegetables. She shook her head and said in a muffled voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chaucer was injured because of her, but if she accepted this role, she would need to join the production team for a month and wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of him. Today, she had already promised to stay at home to take care of him until he recovered. She couldn¡¯t go back on her word. Mila didn¡¯t want to share her work with Chaucer. It was her unnecessary emotion and would affect his mood if she told him. Seeing that Mila didn¡¯t want to say anything, Chaucer didn¡¯t ask further. He went back to his room to check on Mila¡¯s company. Big Dipper Entertainment was only a medium-sized entertainment company in the country. Most of the artists signed by them were D-list ones, and only a few of them often appeared in the public eye. Mila¡¯s manager, Jane, was infamous for having a bad character. She often took her signed actors to her clients¡¯ dinner parties and even forced the female actors to entertain the clients. Chaucer¡¯s face darkened after reading the comments and gossip online. How could an innocent and gentle woman like Mila follow a manager? Not only did she have poor resources, but Jane might even make her drunk and send her to some man¡¯s bed. No matter what, Mila was his wife. He couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. Half an hour later, Mila brought the dishes to the table and knocked lightly on the door. ¡°Chaucer, dinner is ready.¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Chaucer pushed open the bedroom door to walk to the dining table. The dishes that Mila made today were very light. There were stir-fried asparagus, spiced beef, and rib soup with lotus roots. They were as delicious as ever. Chaucer quickly finished the bowl of soup, took out a bank card, and handed it to Mila. ¡°That¡¯ll cover the groceries. I¡¯ll transfer 1,500 dollars into that card every month.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I have money to buy groceries.¡± Mila immediately turned it down. Although she was very poor, she still had the money to buy groceries. Now that she didn¡¯t need to rent a house, she could save some money. Overall, she was richer than before. Chaucer put down his chopsticks and said seriously, ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife now, and you¡¯re taking care of me at home. You can¡¯t go out to work, so I should pay for your expenses. However, I¡¯m in the early stages of my business, and I¡¯m very tight on funds. I can only give you 1,500 a month.¡± Actually, 1,500 dollars wasn¡¯t much to Chaucer, but in order to maintain his image, he could only give her that much. It was enough to buy groceries. Mila didn¡¯t refuse anymore and put away the bank card. It made sense. She and Chaucer were already husband and wife. Why did she have to be so careful about the money? She should be happy that he had the ability to give her money to spend. After dinner, Mila got up to clean up the dishes, while Chaucer went into the bedroom and called Jason to discuss the acquisition of Big Dipper Entertainment. Jane was the cousin of the company¡¯s boss. She entered the company after college and had done many bad things over the years. Actors complained about her and exposed her deeds online, but they were all suppressed by the boss of the company. As long as the owner of the entertainment company didn¡¯t change, Jane¡¯s status wouldn¡¯t be shaken. After thinking about it, Chaucer decided to acquire this company. After that, Mila would be able to work under his nose. ¡­ For the next week, Mila lived a comfortable married life. She cooked for Chaucer every day, took some videos and photos, and posted them online. The caption was ¡°making a few delicious meals for an unwell member of my family¡±. As usual, she was well-liked by her followers. Everyone jokingly called her ¡°the woman a man wants to marry the most¡±. Many followers thanked her for sharing the photos and said their family members happened to be sick as well. They could cook the same things for them. While Mila was living a carefree life, Big Dipper Entertainment suddenly had a new boss. The entire company was shocked. Chapter 14 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although Big Dipper Entertainment wasn¡¯t the best in the industry, it had always been profitable. Why did the boss suddenly sell the company? What shocked everyone, even more, was the acquisition company. It was the Fortune Corporation, a renowned company in the capital. After the company completed the acquisition, Mila received a notice from the company, asking her to go to the office. Mila thought she was going to be fired. She arrived at the company, ready to hear the bad news. Just as she reached the gate, she saw Jane walking out with a box. Although Mila hated Jane, Jane was her manager after all. She couldn¡¯t ignore Jane now that they had bumped into each other. She went forward and greeted the latter, ¡°Jane, where are you going?¡± The innocent Mila didn¡¯t have any ill intentions, but when Jane heard this, the anger in her heart surged. After the company changed to a new boss, she was fired on the same day. Right on the heels of that, she heard the company had arranged a top manager for Mila. Jane had been in the entertainment industry for many years and was clever enough. After thinking about it carefully, she understood what happened must have something to do with Mila. ¡°Mila, why are you still pretending in front of me? Are you satisfied now? I¡¯m fired!¡± Jane mocked Mila. ¡°I asked you to go to dinner parties with me before, but you refused. I thought you were so pure! It turned out those bosses weren¡¯t rich enough! You¡¯ve found a more powerful sugar daddy!¡± Jane scolded Mila a few days ago, and right after that, the company was acquired, and she was fired. The company had actually given a top manager to Mila, the actress that no one knew about. She decided Mila must have found a rich sugar daddy. ¡°Jane, what nonsense are you talking about? I still have something to do. Bye.¡± After that, Mila suddenly realized Jane said she had already been fired. She didn¡¯t need to endure Jane¡¯s insult anymore. She turned around and left. Seeing how arrogant Mila was, Jane shouted in exasperation, ¡°Mila, just wait and see. I won¡¯t let you have it easy!¡± ¡°I see,¡± Mila replied disdainfully and kept walking. Mila entered the building and went straight to the office on the sixth floor. She knocked lightly on the door. A woman¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Mila entered and found two women sitting in the room. One of them was in her thirties and had an imposing demeanor. Mila had seen her many times. Her name was Laila, and she was the top manager of Big Dipper Entertainment. The celebrities under her were all very popular. The other woman was slightly younger. She looked at Mila with a smile. Mila had never seen her before. ¡°Hello, Laila.¡± Mila walked up to the two women and greeted Laila warmly. She then smiled and nodded at the other woman. ¡°Mira, please sit down.¡± Laila pointed at the chair beside her and introduced the other woman to Mila. ¡°This is Rosy, your assistant. She¡¯ll look after your career from now on.¡± ¡°Hello, Mila.¡± ¡°Hello, Rosy.¡± Mila was very surprised. She didn¡¯t expect the company to arrange an assistant for her. Then who was her manager? Could it be Laila? Mila looked at Laila expectantly, but she felt it was impossible. The artists signed by Laila were all A-list celebrities. Why would she care about a small actress like her? The next second, Laila pushed a contract in front of Mila and said softly, ¡°Mila, this is a new contract drawn up by the company. Just sign it if there¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll be your manager from now on.¡± Mila was stunned for a moment. She then smiled and nodded. ¡°Got it, Laila.¡± In fact, she was filled with emotions. However, as an actress, she had to keep her emotions hidden and be good at managing her expression. Mila flipped through the contracts. After the company¡¯s acquisition, all the artists¡¯ contracts had to be signed again. The duration of the contract was still five years, but the company gave her a little more money, which meant her financial situation would improve significantly. She checked the contract word by word. After confirming there were no problems, she signed her name. ¡°Laila, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± Mila smiled gently, her bright eyes exceptionally charming. ¡°Mira, I think very highly of you. I¡¯ve always thought you have good acting skills, and you¡¯re one of the best-looking actresses in the company. I¡¯ll do my best to help you get more opportunities. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± Laila patted her shoulder, her eyes filled with appreciation. ¡°Laila, I will do my best!¡± Mila was so excited that she was about to cry. She had been in the entertainment industry for so many years and finally saw hope! Chapter 15 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Mila¡¯s mood was indescribable. Back then, she had entered the Capital Drama Academy as the top student in her major. Be it looks or ability, she was ranked first. It was a pity that she had been buried by the company all these years. Jane was even more dissatisfied with her and only threw some lousy roles at her. Now that she had a top manager like Laila, everything would be different. ¡°Thank you, Laila.¡± Mila¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. As long as you¡¯re willing to work hard, I¡¯ll feel very rewarded. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to come to me. Artists and managers need to communicate more. Just treat me as a friend.¡± Mila nodded obediently. When she left the building, she was so excited that she almost jumped up. She quickly took out her phone and called Elaine. ¡°Elaine, I have good news for you!¡± Mila and Elaine were university classmates. After graduating, both of them started their own acting careers. Elaine chose another entertainment company. Although it wasn¡¯t as capable as Big Dipper Entertainment, it treated her well. She had always been the first one to choose good resources. After a few years, Elaine was now a popular starlet. ¡°What? Jane, that SOB took on a role for you?¡± After that, Elaine suddenly remembered something. ¡°I heard that your company has a new boss.¡± ¡°Yes. I just found out my company was acquired by Fortune Corporation. The boss is pretty nice. Not only did he raise my salary, but he has also signed me with a top manager.¡± Mila shared the good news in excitement. ¡°Elaine, have you heard of Laila? The company actually asked her to look after me and even arranged an assistant for me. It¡¯s like a dream!¡± Elaine was also a little surprised. ¡°That¡¯s great! Laila is capable and responsible. She¡¯ll definitely be able to get you good roles. Your company finally realized you¡¯re a hidden treasure!¡± All these years, only Elaine knew how difficult it was for Mila. She was more outstanding and beautiful than most people, but she had never had the chance to shine. Elaine wanted to help Mila, but she didn¡¯t have the power to do that. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll work harder than before to catch up to you,¡± Mila said with a smile. ¡°Mila, you¡¯ll definitely be better than me. When you become rich, don¡¯t forget me!¡± ¡°Of course! You¡¯re my best friend!¡± Mila and Elaine lived in the same dormitory university and had become inseparable. They had known each other for seven years, and both of them treated each other as family. ¡°Mila, let¡¯s celebrate tonight. You have to treat me to a big dinner!¡± Elaine said excitedly. ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to cook for Chaucer!¡± Mila paused and went on. ¡°How about I have dinner with him first? Then we can go have a drink!¡± ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re heartless!¡± Elaine snorted unhappily. ¡°Alright, send me a message when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± After hanging up, Mila got on the subway and went to the nearby market first. She bought two large bags of vegetables and meat. When she reached home, the heavy bags left two red marks on her fingers. Chaucer¡¯s wound had recovered very well, and he didn¡¯t need a light diet anymore. Mila decided to make some savory dishes tonight. She prepared all the ingredients first and put them aside to use later. She would start cooking when Chaucer returned home. If she started in advance, the food would be cold by the time Chaucer came back. Mila wiped the sweat off her forehead and drank her cold tea on the rocking chair on the balcony. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction as she watched the light of the sunset paint half the sky red. Click. Hearing the sound of the door closing, Mila shouted, ¡°Chaucer, you¡¯re back!¡± She didn¡¯t hear a response, but she was used to it. Chaucer didn¡¯t talk much, to begin with, and sometimes when he was in a bad mood, he wouldn¡¯t say a word. Mila stood up and walked out. She was shocked to see the person. ¡°Grandpa Chapman, why¡­ why are you here?¡± Mila was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t speak properly. ¡°Mila?¡± Old Mr. Chapman was even more surprised than her. ¡°Grandpa Chapman, please sit here. I¡¯ll make some tea for you!¡± Mila immediately ran to the kitchen and took out a bag of tea. She boiled a pot of water and brought it to the table outside. Old Mr. Chapman was already sitting on the sofa. He asked softly, ¡°Mila, why are you staying with Chaucer?¡± Recently, Old Mr. Chapman felt his grandson became rather strange. He hadn¡¯t returned to the old residence for many days and had been staying at Dragon Bay. The grandfather was acutely aware of that and suspected his grandson had a woman outside. However, he didn¡¯t expect this woman to be Mila. Chapter 16 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Chaucer and I are already married. Of course, we have to live together.¡± Mila looked at him in confusion. ¡°Married?¡± Old Mr. Chapman was so shocked that he lost his grip on the teacup. ¡°When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Hearing that, Mila realized Chaucer hadn¡¯t told his family they were married. ¡°We got our marriage certificate a month ago. I¡¯ve told my parents.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Old Mr. Chapman slammed the table. He used to be a high-ranking officer for decades, and he was especially terrifying when he was angry. Mila trembled in fear and took a few steps back. Seeing that Mila was like a frightened rabbit, the grandfather quickly restrained his emotions and said gently, ¡°Gosh! I scared you. I¡¯m not angry at you. I¡¯m angry at that brat Chaucer!¡± ¡°Mila, call Chaucer immediately and ask him to come back right now. Tell him I¡¯m waiting for him here!¡± Old Mr. Chapman was so angry that he clutched his chest. Mila didn¡¯t dare to delay. She quickly dialed Chaucer¡¯s number and turned on the speaker. Soon, Chaucer picked up the call and said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Before Mila could speak, Old Mr. Chapman held the phone and roared angrily, ¡°You bastard! Mila is your wife, not your subordinate. What kind of tone is that? Get back here immediately!¡± On the other end of the phone, Chaucer was stunned for a moment. His tone became gentle. ¡°Grandpa, are you at my house?¡± ¡°Yes, you have ten minutes to come back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already on my way home, but I don¡¯t think I can make it back in ten minutes. Let her keep you company for a while.¡± Old Mr. Chapman snorted coldly and hung up without any response. He put the phone on the table and sighed. ¡°Does he always talk to you in that tone?¡± Mila nodded, so obedient that it made one¡¯s heart ache. Her skin was fair and tender, and her pretty eyes looked like clear pools. Anyone who saw her would feel pity for her. Old Mr. Chapman knew she had been wronged, so he said, ¡°Mila, don¡¯t be afraid of him. I¡¯ll back you up. When he comes back, I¡¯ll beat him up!¡± With that said, Old Mr. Chapman knocked on the table with his walking stick, as if he was ready to knock Chaucer around. ¡°Don¡¯t, Grandpa Chapman. He¡¯s already a grown man. Getting beaten up will be so embarrassing!¡± Mila sounded very understanding, but she thought he deserved a good beating. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what embarrassment is! How could he hide something as important as his marriage from his family? He¡¯s in his thirties. A few blows won¡¯t kill him. You don¡¯t have to worry. ¡°Mira, you and Chaucer are husband and wife now. How should you address me?¡± ¡°Grandpa,¡± said Mila, and Old Mr. Chapman immediately beamed. ¡°Good girl!¡± Old Mr. Chapman had always wanted Mila to be his granddaughter-in-law. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. He even felt Chaucer wasn¡¯t worthy of her at all. Seeing that the teacup was empty, Mila got up and refilled the cup. ¡°Grandpa, please wait here. I¡¯ll make us some dinner. We can eat when Chaucer comes back.¡± Old Mr. Chapman smiled and said, ¡°Go on. Your grandfather says you¡¯re a great cook. I¡¯m in for a treat today!¡± Old Mr. Chapman watched his granddaughter-in-law bustle around and couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The next second, Chaucer opened the door and came in. The smile on the grandfather¡¯s face suddenly disappeared. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Chaucer went straight to his grandfather. ¡°Kneel!¡± As the sound of that, Chaucer dropped to his knees. Old Mr. Chapman raised his walking stick and hit Chaucer¡¯s back a few times. ¡°Bastard! Do you know why I hit you?¡± Chaucer lowered his head and said in a low voice, ¡°I got married without telling my family.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Chaucer fell silent. Old Mr. Chapman raised his walking stick and hit him again. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Be careful when you talk to Mila in the future. Don¡¯t act like she owes you money. You¡¯re lucky to find such a good wife. Don¡¯t be ignorant of your blessings! ¡°Alright, get up.¡± Old Mr. Chapman gestured for Chaucer to sit by his side and said earnestly, ¡°Mila is such a good girl. There are some things you shouldn¡¯t hide from her. Don¡¯t break her heart. It¡¯ll be too late to regret when that happens.¡± ¡°Grandpa, we¡¯ve only been married for a month. I don¡¯t want to tell her yet. I¡¯ll tell her when the time is right.¡± Chaucer felt he didn¡¯t know Mila well enough. When he was sure Mila was the person who could live with him for the rest of his life, he would tell her everything. If he found out Mila was a vain woman with ulterior motives, he would give her a sum of money and get a divorce immediately. Presumably, Mila wouldn¡¯t reject him then. Chapter 17 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations To Chaucer, marrying Mila was just to repay the Old Mr. Sullivan for saving his grandfather¡¯s life back then. As for whether the two of them could live happily after, that would depend on fate. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. You¡¯ll regret it in the future!¡± Old Mr. Chapman said in resignation. He had been a leader for decades and had seen countless people. He had watched Mila grow up. She was innocent and kind, but Chaucer always felt that she had ulterior motives. Not long after Chaucer sat on the sofa, Old Mr. Chapman ordered him to help in the kitchen. Just as he reached the kitchen door, Chaucer heard Mila humming. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Are you very happy to hear Grandpa hit me?¡± ¡°How is that possible? My heart aches for you.¡± Although Mila said that, her eyes were filled with smiles, and she had no intention of hiding it. Chaucer snorted. ¡°Grandpa asked me to help you. What can I do?¡± ¡°Wash the vegetables.¡± Mila sized him up and felt he definitely didn¡¯t cook, so she let him do the easiest work. Chaucer nodded and walked to the sink to wash the vegetables. There was water boiling in the electric pot, and Chaucer saw Mila throw a bunch of ingredients into it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chaucer asked curiously. ¡°There¡¯s hawthorn, smoked plums, dried tangerine peel, and rock sugar in it. Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Chaucer shook his head. He didn¡¯t know how to cook. Since he was young, there had been chefs and servants at home. He had hardly ever entered the kitchen. Mila took out the ingredients from the jar and explained patiently, ¡°Dried tangerine peel is the sun-dried skin of oranges. It can help with coughing and calm the lungs. These ingredients are boiled together to make sour plum soup. Before taking the pot off the stove, sprinkle some osmanthus and cool it in the fridge. It¡¯s a necessary summer drink.¡± Chaucer listened attentively without the slightest hint of impatience. So, this was how sour plum soup was made. Soon, Chaucer was done washing the vegetables, but he didn¡¯t go out immediately. Instead, he stood at the side and watched Mila cook. Mila¡¯s fingers were slender and fair, but she wasn¡¯t squeamish at all when she cooked. Such ordinary ingredients could become delicacies in her hands. ¡°Chaucer put the sour plum soup in the fridge. We can drink it after dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them stood in the kitchen and busied themselves in a harmonious atmosphere. This was the first time they had cooked together since they got married. It was an unfamiliar feeling for Chaucer, but he didn¡¯t resist at all. Mila originally wanted to make three dishes tonight, but because Old Mr. Chapman was here, she added two at the last minute. Soon, the dishes were brought to the table. Old Mr. Chapman sat at one side while Mila and Chaucer sat opposite him. ¡°Miria, your culinary skills are really amazing! No wonder Sullivan keeps showing off his granddaughter in front of me!¡± Old Mr. Chapman smiled lovingly and picked up a mouthful of chicken. The chicken was tender and smooth, and the delicious broth burst out in his mouth. The fragrance of spring onion filled his mouth. ¡°Mm! Delicious! It¡¯s better than all the spring onion chicken I¡¯ve eaten!¡± Mila smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s not as exaggerated as you say. I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Chaucer also picked up a piece of chicken and chewed it carefully. Grandpa wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all. It was really the best spring onion oil chicken. ¡°Grandpa, try the steamed fish and sweet and sour pork.¡± Mila picked some food for Old Mr. Chapman, while Chaucer stared straight at Mila¡¯s hand. Speaking of which, he had been married to Mila for so long, but she had never put food in his bowl! After the three of them finished dinner, Mila took out the cool sour plum soup from the fridge. ¡°Grandpa, have some sour plum soup. It¡¯s quite refreshing.¡± There were a few yellow dried osmanthus flowers floating on the sour plum soup, and the fragrance wafted into his nose. After taking a sip, Old Mr. Chapman¡¯s entire body felt smooth, and the heat seemed to dissipate. ¡°Delicious! Mila, you¡¯re amazing. You can cook everything!¡± Old Mr. Chapman beamed with joy. He liked Mila even more than Chaucer. Mila was good-looking, had a gentle voice, and had smiling eyes. She always gave off a peaceful feeling. She was also a great cook, not to mention she was obedient and sensible. Right now, Old Mr. Chapman had already made up his mind. If Chaucer dared to upset Mila, he would beat this brat to death! As if sensing Old Mr. Chapman¡¯s unfriendly gaze, Chaucer took the initiative to take the cup away and help Mila clean up the kitchen after finishing the sour plum soup. After another half an hour, Chaucer got up to see Old Mr. Chapman off. When he returned, he found Mila putting on makeup in the bathroom. Chapter 18 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Chaucer sat on the sofa and casually flipped through some documents, but he couldn¡¯t help but look in the direction of the bathroom. Mila flashed past the door just now, and he saw she was wearing a pink floral dress that was above her knees, revealing her slender legs. Mila turned around, revealing a large area of fair skin. Chaucer¡¯s lips twitched. Not only was this dress short, but it was also a backless dress. She had pretended to be a good woman for so long, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t hide her nature anymore. Was that it? He heard the relationships between men and women in the entertainment industry were very messy. He had thought that Mila was one of the exceptions, but he decided she was simply a good actress. She almost fooled him. After putting on her makeup, Mila looked in the mirror and walked out of the bedroom with her bag. She subconsciously glanced at Chaucer in the living room and saw his dark face. She asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you unhappy? What did Grandpa say?¡± Chaucer shook her head and remained silent with a cold expression. Mila was about to ask something when her phone suddenly rang. She quickly picked it up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go downstairs now.¡± She walked to the door and put on a pair of black high heels with straps. Her skin was fair, to begin with, and her legs were slender. When she wore the high heels, they accentuated her slender legs. ¡°Chaucer, I¡¯m off.¡± As expected, there was no response. Mila felt a little uncomfortable. What was wrong with him again? Everyone said understanding a woman was like looking for a needle at the bottom of the sea. She felt Chaucer¡¯s thoughts were harder to guess even than that. She ignored Chaucer, quickly went downstairs and got into Elaine¡¯s car. The two of them entered a quiet bar and ordered some snacks and a few bottles of beer. After they sat down, Mila raised her glass and took a few sips before opening her mouth. ¡°Elaine, why do you think there¡¯s such a strange person like Chaucer in this world? He was fine one second, but he¡¯s unhappy the next.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he starting a business? Maybe he¡¯s in trouble. You know how difficult it is to start a business nowadays. He has to put on a smile outside, but he can¡¯t pretend when he gets home,¡± Elaine guessed. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him. It¡¯s women¡¯s night tonight. Let¡¯s enjoy ourselves!¡± Mila finished the beer in her glass and laughed happily. ¡°That¡¯s right! You can¡¯t forget me, your good sister, just because you have a husband! You¡¯ve refused to treat me to a feast just to cook for Chaucer!¡± Elaine muttered unhappily. Mila quickly waved her hand and told Elaine about how she had injured Chaucer. Elaine laughed. ¡°You¡¯re really a genius. You almost killed your husband!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! I was confused about sleeping, and he didn¡¯t turn on the lights when he came back. I thought a thief had come in, so I attacked!¡± ¡°Of course, in order to make it up to him, I postponed my job and took care of his life at home.¡± The two of them were chatting happily, but they didn¡¯t notice a man sitting diagonally opposite them. He was wearing a black watch, which looked ordinary, but there was actually a pinhole camera inside, videotaping Mila and Elaine. Right now, Chaucer was sitting at home, watching the video transmitted from the bar. As soon as Mila left, Chaucer arranged for someone to follow her to the bar. Seeing she was meeting a woman, Chaucer felt a little happier. This was a quiet bar, and the environment wasn¡¯t noisy. The singer¡¯s voice was deep and melodious, and the customers sat around in groups of two or three to chat. Mila and Elaine were beauties, to begin with, and they were specially dressed up before going out. Soon, they attracted the attention of other men. At the most luxurious booth in the bar, two well-built men looked at each other and walked over, reeking of alcohol. ¡°Hello, you two look so bored! Why don¡¯t you come to our place and have a drink? Everything¡¯s on us tonight. How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Mila and Elaine spoke in unison, but the man didn¡¯t care at all. He still smiled and said, ¡°Come on! Why don¡¯t you give me your number?¡± The two men¡¯s gazes wandered around them wantonly and finally landed on Mila¡¯s slender legs. ¡°Get lost! Or I won¡¯t be so nice!¡± Mila¡¯s voice was soft. Even when she was angry, she didn¡¯t sound intimidating. As expected, after hearing Mila¡¯s words, the two men weren¡¯t angry. They even laughed out loud. ¡°The little beauty is angry. She looks so cute even when she¡¯s angry. I wish she was my wife!¡± As he spoke, the man reached out to grab Mila¡¯s arm. Mila dodged in disgust. Before she could speak, a handsome and tall man walked over and stood in front of Mila. Chapter 19 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Can¡¯t you see she doesn¡¯t want to talk to you? Please leave!¡± The handsome man¡¯s gaze was cold as he looked at the two men warily. Seeing the young man wasn¡¯t to be trifled with, the two men left in embarrassment, but they still stared at Mila, their gazes landing on her legs and bare back. ¡°Theo, what a coincidence!¡± The person who stood up for Mila was her aunt¡¯s son, Theo. ¡°Do you have to come to a bar when you¡¯re out drinking with Elaine? You can do the same in a private room in a restaurant.¡± Theo looked at Mila dotingly. ¡°Drinking in a restaurant is completely different from drinking in a bar!¡± Mila retorted mildly. Elaine glanced at Theo and asked in surprise, ¡°Have we met before? How do you know my name?¡± Theo laughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your TV series ¡®Crush¡¯. You¡¯re great at it. You vividly portray the bitterness of a girl¡¯s unrequited love.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Elaine had heard many praises, but she was actually a little shy in front of Theo. She filmed ¡°Crush¡± not long after she entered the industry. With that TV series, she successfully entered the public eye. She didn¡¯t expect Theo to know about her so early. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my friends and come back to drink with you. It¡¯s not safe for you two girls to be on your own.¡± Theo was worried they would be harassed again, so he decided to accompany them. Not long after Theo left, Mila¡¯s phone vibrated. She took it out and saw it was Chaucer. It was a little noisy in the bar and not convenient to answer the phone. Mila was worried about leaving Elaine here alone, so she could only hang up first and wait for Theo to come back before calling Chaucer back. After a few minutes, Theo came back, and Mila rose to her feet. ¡°You guys chat first. I need to make a phone call.¡± After leaving the bar, Mila immediately called Chaucer. The moment the call went through, she heard Chaucer¡¯s unhappy voice. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you hang up?¡± ¡°It was too noisy in the bar. I came out to call you. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chaucer took a deep breath and said, ¡°I came out to run some errands. It¡¯s getting late, so why don¡¯t I give you a ride home? Which bar are you at?¡± ¡°Cloud Bar, but I don¡¯t want to go back yet. You go ahead. I¡¯ll take a taxi back after I¡¯m done.¡± When Mila heard Chaucer¡¯s voice, she thought of his gloomy face before she went out and didn¡¯t really want to meet him for the time being. ¡°How much longer do you need?¡± ¡°I¡¯m meeting with a friend, so I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯ll take at least an hour.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up in an hour.¡± With that, Chaucer hung up before Mila could refuse. Mila sighed in resignation and returned to the bar, where she continued to drink and chat with Theo and Elaine. An hour later, the beer bottles were empty. The cell phone on the table flashed. Mila opened it and saw it was a message from Chaucer. ¡°I¡¯m in the parking lot. Come out.¡± ¡°Elaine, Theo, I¡¯m going home,¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s all go home.¡± Theo got up and held Mila¡¯s arm. Mila was worried about Elaine and asked Theo to send her home. After separating from the two of them, she walked to the parking lot to search for Chaucer¡¯s car. Chaucer leaned against the car and saw Mila looking around with flushed cheeks and blurry eyes. Unknown anger surged in his heart and he called her unhappily, ¡°Mila.¡± Mila jogged over in her high heels and sat in the front passenger seat before closing her eyes. Chaucer¡¯s gaze landed on her as he helped her buckle her seatbelt. Other than the smell of alcohol, she also had a faint fragrance that made people want to approach her. Mila suddenly opened her eyes and was surprised to see the man who suddenly approached. Chaucer gave her a meaningful look, got up, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot. At this moment, in a deep alley not far from the bar, a group of bodyguards in black were beating up two men, who were the men who had harassed Mila in the bar just now and even said something about becoming her husband. The two of them hadn¡¯t gone far from the bar when they were gagged, stuffed into sacks, and dragged into the deep alley. A group of men came up and hit them without saying a word. They only stopped when the two men fell to the ground and were still. There were no surveillance cameras in this deep alley. The group of people dispersed and didn¡¯t attract any attention. A long time passed before the two of them were discovered by passersby and sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. They couldn¡¯t figure out who they had offended to suffer such a calamity. Chapter 20 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Chaucer suddenly proposed to pick up Mila because of those two men. Although they had been chased away by Theo, they looked at Mila with lust in their eyes, as if they were determined to get her. Men understood men the best. Chaucer had a feeling those two men would definitely find a chance to attack Mila. He was really worried, so he came out to pick up the drunk girl in the middle of the night. The car was filled with the smell of alcohol. Chaucer frowned and opened the window. The summer night breeze wasn¡¯t cold. It brushed past Mila¡¯s face and blew her soft hair. Under the light of the roadside, she looked like a beautiful painting. Chaucer glanced at her, and his heart raced uncontrollably. After getting out of the car, Chaucer walked in front alone. Because Mila was drunk and wearing high heels, her steps were a little unsteady, but she still reached home safely. After entering the room, Chaucer turned on the lights in the living room and sat on the sofa tiredly. ¡°Chaucer¡­¡± Mila¡¯s voice was soft, to begin with, and after drinking, her voice became even softer with a hint of coquettishness. Mila undid the straps on her shoes and staggered to Chaucer¡¯s side. She sat on the carpet and asked sweetly, ¡°Chaucer, don¡¯t you like me? Why are you always throwing a tantrum at me?¡± She crossed her arms in dissatisfaction, like a child who couldn¡¯t eat her candy. Chaucer rubbed his eyebrows and replied in resignation, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t like it. You¡¯re always cold to me!¡± Mila¡¯s bright eyes were teary, and her red lips looked rather moist as she looked at Chaucer pitifully. Everyone was in a different state after drinking too much. Mila liked to wheedle and cry. Under the catalysis of alcohol, a little unhappiness could become an excuse to vent. ¡°That¡¯s because of my work. It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°You should be good to me when we get married, but you always bully me,¡± Mila complained to Chaucer with tears in her eyes, as if she was going to cry in the next second. Chaucer was speechless. When did he bully her? He didn¡¯t expect Mila to be like this when she was drunk. She whined and complained to him. He really didn¡¯t know what to do with her. Chaucer bent down and picked her up. As she suddenly left the ground, Mila subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, looked up at him, then leaned against his chest and bit him unhappily. ¡°Ssss¡­¡± Chaucer gasped and almost threw Mila out. He resisted his urge and carried her into the second bedroom. He then threw her on the bed roughly, covering her with the blanket. He couldn¡¯t figure out why Mila, who was usually so gentle, became such a tormenting little vixen when she was drunk. Not long after lying on the bed, Mila fell asleep, but Chaucer, who was in the other room, couldn¡¯t fall asleep. When he closed her eyes, all he could see was Mila¡¯s face, her fair skin, beautiful lips, and glistening eyes. Her body was very light, like a ball of cotton. Her waist was soft and thin, her legs were long and fair, and her body emitted a faint floral fragrance. Chaucer felt his temperature rising, and he was no longer sleepy. He got up and took two cold showers in the bathroom before calming down. The next morning, Mila woke up from her sleep and sniffed the smell of alcohol on herself in disdain. She went into the bathroom to take a shower, and the scenes from last night suddenly appeared in her mind. She tried to butter Chaucer up and even bit his chest¡­ Mila¡¯s face turned red, and she felt she was too ashamed to see him. After calming down, she decided to pretend she couldn¡¯t remember anything to get away with it. Half an hour later, after Mila made breakfast, Chaucer walked out of his room. Mila saw his dark circles at a glance and immediately asked gently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep well last night? Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee?¡± Chaucer looked at the gentle woman in front of him and felt last night had been a dream. ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± Mila made the coffee and brought it to the dining table. The two of them sat down and started to eat breakfast. Mila suddenly said, ¡°Chaucer, when I went home on the weekend last time, I told Dad and Mom about our marriage. They agreed we could skip the wedding, but the two families met for a meal.¡± Mila should have told Chaucer about this after he came back from his business trip, but he was injured the moment he came back, so Mila never said anything. ¡°Alright. This weekend then. Is that time convenient for your parents?¡± Since they were already married, the two families should meet. Moreover, his grandfather already knew about their marriage. Even if Mila didn¡¯t mention the meeting of the parents, his grandfather would. ¡°I¡¯ll call my parents later and ask them,¡± Mila replied. Chapter 21 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After Chaucer had breakfast, he left for his office. Mila immediately called her parents to ask if they were free. After receiving a reply, she immediately sent Chaucer a message. ¡°They¡¯re free this weekend, so let¡¯s do it then.¡± Mila had met Chaucer¡¯s grandfather a long time ago, but she had never seen his parents before. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. It was said a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law was difficult to get along with. At the thought of this, Mila couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore. She immediately went online to look for information on how to interact with her mother-in-law and what to wear for their first meeting. She opened the closet and looked around. None of the clothes seemed appropriate. The dresses were either too short or not classy enough. Mila immediately called Elaine and asked her to go shopping together. She needed to get some clothes to meet her in-laws. They went straight to Fortune Mall. The clothes sold there had good fabric and workmanship. Of course, the price was several times more expensive than in other places. After they met, Elaine kept probing Mila for information on Theo. Mila quickly realized that. ¡°Elaine, be honest with me. Do you have feelings for Theo?¡± ¡°I have a good impression of him. He¡¯s handsome and kind.¡± Elaine was a carefree person. She spoke her mind boldly without any hesitation. ¡°Last night, did you¡­¡± Mila dragged her voice and looked at Elaine meaningfully. ¡°I wanted to,¡± Elaine sighed. ¡°But he¡¯s not flirtatious at all. I invited him to come upstairs for a while, but he refused.¡± ¡°Theo is a star student. He¡¯s focused on his studies and on the conservative side. He hasn¡¯t interacted much with girls,¡± Mila said with a smile. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Theo didn¡¯t like Elaine, but he felt it was the first time they had met, and it was better to keep a distance. Besides, Elaine was a female celebrity. If she was photographed returning to her place with a man late at night, it would definitely cause her trouble. ¡°Mila, I really didn¡¯t believe in love at first sight, but after meeting Theo, I believe it. No reason is needed when you fall in love with someone.¡± ¡°Then go after him! Theo is a great guy.¡± Mila was very supportive of them being together. When they were drinking together last night, the two of them got along very well, and Theo even took the initiative to say Elaine¡¯s name. ¡°With your support, I¡¯ll be even more motivated. I must become Theo¡¯s girlfriend!¡± Elaine said seriously. ¡°Elaine, I really didn¡¯t expect this! You¡¯ve only met once, and you already want him so badly?¡± Mila was only joking, but unexpectedly, Elaine nodded without hesitation. ¡°I must take him down, marry him, and give birth to his child! My surname is Lewis, and his surname is Shaw. What do you think our child¡¯s name should be?¡± Mila couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Work hard and let me attend your wedding as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m in a good mood today. Buy whatever you want. I¡¯ll pay!¡± After saying that, Elaine pulled Mila into a luxuriously decorated shop. ¡°Don¡¯t regret it!¡± ¡°I can afford that. Spend as much as you want, as long as you give me more information on Theo in the future.¡± The two of them chatted and shopped. They visited a few shops in a row, but Mila couldn¡¯t find anything she liked. ¡°Mila, that man looks like your husband!¡± Elaine had never seen Chaucer before. She had only seen that wedding photo, but Chaucer was too handsome to be missed. Standing in the crowd, he looked like a crane among chickens. ¡°Where?¡± Mila looked around but didn¡¯t see Chaucer. Elaine pointed in a direction. ¡°He was there just now, but when I looked again, he was gone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. He must be at the office at this hour.¡± Although Mila didn¡¯t know much about Chaucer¡¯s work, she knew he was very busy. He still had to work when he got home. How would he have time to shop at the mall? ¡°I must have made a mistake. There was a group of people behind that man. They were all nodding and bowing to him. He was probably Fortune Mall¡¯s manager.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mila held Lu Yishan¡¯s arm and visited more shops. Meanwhile, in the corridor of the mall, Chaucer was leading a group of people up the stairs. No one dared to ask why Chaucer insisted on taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator. They guessed Mr. Chapman just wanted to exercise. Jason lowered his head and followed behind Chaucer. He tried his best not to laugh. Who would have thought the president of Fortune Corporation would be so frightened to meet his wife in his own territory that he fled in panic and almost jumped out of the building? Chapter 22 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Mila didn¡¯t know Fortune Mall was Chaucer¡¯s business. She was focused on shopping and buying clothes. After busying herself all morning, she finally bought a few clothes she liked. In the end, Mila paid her own bill and didn¡¯t spend Elaine¡¯s money. At five in the afternoon, Chaucer came home from work. When the two of them sat down to have dinner, Mila casually mentioned what happened at the mall today. ¡°Chaucer, Elaine, and I went shopping today. She said she saw someone who looked a lot like you, but that man disappeared in the blink of an eye. I didn¡¯t even see him.¡± ¡°Many people look alike. That¡¯s very normal.¡± Chaucer¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he replied calmly. He lowered his head and focused on his food. Mila was too innocent to think about anything else. She just chatted. ¡°Elaine said that man seemed to be the manager of the mall. He had a group of people behind him.¡± ¡°Most celebrities in the entertainment industry marry into rich families. What do you think? Do you want to marry into rich families too?¡± Chaucer suddenly looked up and asked. Mila replied without hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t. I heard there are many rules, and I won¡¯t be happy there. I like my life now. I don¡¯t have to worry about making a living, and my career is also taking off.¡± Mila¡¯s family wasn¡¯t rich, but they had enough money. Her parents doted on her very much and grew up to become a content person. Chaucer smiled, feeling very happy. ¡­ Two days later. In the Imperial Hotel in the capital city. This was the first time the two families had met. Chaucer had specially chosen a higher-class hotel. The designated time was five in the afternoon. Chaucer and Mila arrived half an hour early and stood at the door to welcome the elders. ¡°Grandpa, Dad, Mom, the elders of the Chapman family are already here. Let¡¯s go in quickly.¡± Mila held her grandfather¡¯s arm and led her family to the room called Spring Rain. ¡°Mila, why didn¡¯t you tell us about your marriage? It¡¯s such a big deal. Fortunately, Chaucer is from a family we know well. What will you do if you meet a bad person?¡± Old Mr. Sullivan muttered a few words in dissatisfaction. Marriage was a big decision in life. Choosing the wrong person would affect one¡¯s life. Fortunately, Chaucer was the Chapman family¡¯s grandson, and his character was trustworthy. Mila said, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. Chaucer treats me very well.¡± They reached the private room at that moment, and old Mr. Sullivan stopped talking. As soon as the Sullivan family entered, Old Mr. Chapman immediately walked over and led him to the master seat. ¡°Sullivan, it¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°Chapman, how have you been?¡± When the parents of the young couple met for the first time, they all seemed a little reserved. The two grandfathers introduced their families. Although there was no wedding, they still had to go through the motions. Chaucer and Mila stood up and served tea to Mila¡¯s elders first. The two of them walked up to Old Mr. Sullivan with teacups in their hands. They bent down slightly and handed the tea to him. ¡°Grandpa, have some tea.¡± Old Mr. Sullivan took the teacup and sipped the tea. He smiled at the young couple. ¡°Chaucer, we only have one child in our family. We¡¯ve doted on Mila since she was young. If she¡¯s willful or makes a mistake, please bear with her. I hope the two of you can get along well.¡± With that, Old Mr. Sullivan gave Chaucer a red packet. Then, the two of them served tea to Yvonne and Gordon and brought the tea to the Chapmans. ¡°Dad, Mom!¡± Mila addressed her in-laws sweetly. Jen and Simon Chapman nodded. Jen opened a velvet box on the table, took out a jade bracelet, and put it on Mila¡¯s wrist. ¡°Mila, this is my gift to you. Do you like it?¡± ¡°I like it. Thank you, Mom.¡± This was the first time Jen saw Mila. The girl was gentle and sweet. She wore a white dress with embroidery. The dress was tight around the waist, and the hem of the dress was layered with light gauze. She had porcelain skin and lovely pink lips. She was like Snow White from a fairy tale, and she was really likable. After Mila and Chaucer finished serving tea, they returned to their seats. Right after that, exquisite dishes were brought to the table. Yvonne was an art teacher, and Jen had also studied painting since she was young. The two of them had a lot in common and chatted happily. Gordon also chatted with Simon, Chaucer¡¯s father. The two grandfathers had known each other for many years and started drinking right away. Everybody else was chatting happily. Mila and Chaucer were the only quiet ones who focused on eating as if they had nothing to say. Mila looked up and met Yvonne¡¯s gaze. Only then did she awkwardly pick up a piece of meat and put it on Chaucer¡¯s plate. ¡°Chaucer, have some chicken.¡± Chaucer looked at the ¡°meat¡± in his bowl and was stunned for a moment. ¡°Mila, you¡¯ve given me a chunk of ginger.¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Mila glanced at the ginger in his bowl and smiled slyly. ¡°Eating ginger to ward off the cold energy. It¡¯s good for your health.¡± Chaucer smirked. He then put some coriander and stir-fried shredded meat in her bowl. ¡°Enjoy.¡± Mila never ate coriander. Chaucer probably noticed she had deliberately avoided coriander, so he put some in her bowl on purpose. This man was really vengeful! He was too detestable! Mila glared at him and turned around to ignore him. The meal lasted for nearly three hours before the elders of the two families left in their respective cars. Simon and Jen actually didn¡¯t want Chaucer to lie about how rich his family really was, but Chaucer had insisted, so they complied. They only drove a less-expensive car and wore ordinary clothes. After all, today was the first time the parents met. If they exposed themselves on such an occasion, it might upset Mila¡¯s parents. Since it was Chaucer¡¯s own choice, he could only resolve it himself. If they acted rashly, it would probably backfire. On the way home, Chaucer suddenly said, ¡°Mila, be careful with that bracelet. Don¡¯t break it.¡± ¡°This bracelet looks very expensive. I can¡¯t walk around with it. I¡¯ll put it away when I get home.¡± Although Mila didn¡¯t know much about jade, she knew from the emerald color that this bracelet was expensive. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s expensive, but this bracelet was passed down from one generation to the next. The jewelry worn by the mistresses of the Chapman family has a meaning of inheritance.¡± ¡°Then I have to keep it well!¡± Mila immediately protected the jade bracelet as if she was facing a great enemy. Chaucer nodded and didn¡¯t speak again. It was very quiet in the car. Mila looked out of the window and was lost in the colorful night and the lively crowd. ¡°Chaucer, wait a minute. Can you stop the car? I want to buy something.¡± When Mila suddenly spoke, Chaucer didn¡¯t ask further. He slowed down and found a parking spot nearby. As soon as the car stopped, Mila pushed open the door and went straight across the road. After a while, she ran back with a few bags. As soon as Mila got into the car, she rolled down the window, but Chaucer still smelled an indescribable smell. ¡°Mira, what the hell did you buy? It smells so bad!¡± Chaucer complained. He felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. He even wanted to abandon the car. ¡°Stinky tofu and spicy crayfish! Stinky tofu is delicious. As long as you eat it once, you¡¯ll definitely fall in love with it.¡± ¡°I definitely won¡¯t like it!¡± Chaucer couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would like to eat such things. Seeing his frown and look of disdain, Mila said in resignation, ¡°If you really can¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll take a taxi back myself.¡± ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be chased out of the car by the taxi driver!¡± Chaucer drove with a dark expression and opened the car window to the maximum. The wind blew at Mila¡¯s hair, but she lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. After the car stopped, Mila quickly got out of the car and shouted, ¡°Chaucer, I¡¯m going up!¡± When Chaucer pushed open the door, a strong smell assaulted his nose, making his eyes water. ¡°Mila, isn¡¯t the food at the Imperial Hotel delicious? Why can you eat such stinky food?¡± At dinner, the two of them sat together. Chaucer watched as she ate from beginning to end. It had only been half an hour, but she could still eat. She was so thin. Where had all the food gone? ¡°I¡¯m full, but I can eat some crayfish and stinky tofu. These things don¡¯t take up my stomach!¡± Mila sat at the dining table and ate crayfish and stinky tofu happily. ¡°Open the window to let out the smell after you¡¯re done.¡± Chaucer went back to the bedroom in resignation. ¡­ After their parents met, Mila felt she had solved a big problem. For the next few days, she just cooked at home and exercised. Occasionally, she would ask Elaine out to shop. Meanwhile, Laila had been helping her look for a suitable role. Nothing was confirmed yet because Mila wasn¡¯t famous. Laila¡¯s resources were all for popular celebrities. Laila racked her brains and finally found a suitable role for Mila. She had already done what she could. Whether Mila could join the crew, in the end, would depend on herself. Mila was watering the flowers on the balcony when she heard her phone ring. She immediately picked it up. ¡°Hello, Laila.¡± ¡°Mila, I¡¯ll send you a script later. Take a closer look and think about how to act. I¡¯ve read the script. It¡¯s really good. Although it¡¯s only a supporting role, it¡¯s a great character. If you do it right, your popularity will definitely increase. It¡¯ll be much easier for you to take on roles in the future.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, Laila,¡± Mila replied happily. A supporting role was already great news for her. Previously, the agent had only let her play villains who would die in one or two episodes. Chapter 24 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Mila, you must seize this opportunity and perform well during the audition the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± Mila said affirmatively. As soon as Mila hung up, she received the script from Laila. This was the first audition Laila had arranged for her, so she had to do her best. She couldn¡¯t disappoint Laila. Mila turned on her laptop, sat on the rocking chair, and carefully analyzed the script, creating a character in her mind. The male lead in the script was the son of a rich family, and the female lead was a girl from a poor family. The second female lead was the daughter of a rich family who grew up with the male lead. She was also the male lead¡¯s fianc??e. At the beginning of the plot, the male protagonist accidentally met the female protagonist who was feeding stray cats on campus. He fell in love with this kind and beautiful girl at first sight. From that day onwards, he always deliberately met the girl by chance and found an excuse to approach her. In order to be with the girl, the rich young man hid his family situation and interacted with her as an ordinary person. When the girl was in trouble, the rich young man would always appear in time to protect and look after her. This was the first time the girl, who had gone through hardships since she was young, felt the warmth of someone¡¯s concern. She couldn¡¯t extricate herself from the love of the rich young man, so the two of them secretly fell in love. However, not long after, the daughter of another rich family, aka the second female lead, discovered the two young people were in a relationship. She declared her sovereignty in front of the girl and said she was the fianc??e of the rich young man. After the two of them graduated from university, their parents would hold a grand wedding for them, hoping that the girl would back off. The girl¡¯s family was poor, so she was sensitive and inferior. When she heard this, she was heartbroken. She knew the difference between the two of them was too great, so she decided to break up with the rich young man. After the rich young man found out about this, he immediately went to settle scores with the rich young lady and insisted on breaking off the engagement with her. The rich daughter was also a carefree person. Although she liked the male lead, she knew love couldn¡¯t be forced. Hence, she agreed to break off the engagement and found the poor girl to explain this matter. She even sincerely wished the two of them happiness. Just as the rich young man thought he and the girl could announce their relationship, the girl suddenly disappeared one day. When he saw her again, it was already five years later. The poor girl back then suddenly became his competitor¡¯s girlfriend. He began to get drunk every night, pretending to be with the rich girl to numb his heart and torture the girl who made his heartache. The rich daughter knew the male lead didn¡¯t love her and only agreed to be with her to upset the girl. However, she didn¡¯t refuse and continued to cooperate with the male lead. One day, the rich young master got drunk and had sex with the girl, who then got pregnant. That was why she told the truth about five years ago. It turned out the rich young man¡¯s mother knew about their relationship and used the girl¡¯s parents to blackmail her, forcing her family to leave the city. The girl got together with the rich young man¡¯s competitor to take revenge on his family. She even stole the company¡¯s secrets from the competitor when the male lead wasn¡¯t looking, but the rich young man still forgave her. The two of them reconciled. When the competitor found out the male and female leads were together, he flew into a rage and found the rich young lady, hoping to join forces with her to deal with the male and female leads, but the rich young lady refused. At the end of the plot, the rich young man¡¯s swift and decisive actions caused the competitor¡¯s company to go bankrupt. The competitor was at the end of his rope and was prepared to kill the girl to take revenge on the rich young man. The rich young lady learned it in advance and tried her best to stop it, but in the end, she died under that man¡¯s knife. Then, the male and female leads lived happily together. Mila finished reading the script and came to a conclusion. Overall, the second female lead sacrificed her life in exchange for the happiness of the male and female leads. Was she a hopeless romantic? One had to admit the female lead of this show was easy to attract criticism. Fortunately, she was going to play the second female lead this time. If she was asked to act as the female lead, she might even reject it. The second female lead didn¡¯t have many scenes, but she could show her carefree, kind, and selfless side. She died under the villain¡¯s knife, so she would definitely earn the tears of a large number of audience members. The role that Laila had found for her was great. As long as she could present the beautiful characteristics of the second female lead, her popularity would definitely increase. Mila immediately went out and found a print shop to print out the script. She carefully pondered over every word and expression of the second female lead and made many annotations to the script. In just two days, she had already analyzed this character very thoroughly and even memorized all the lines. Chapter 25 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations On the day of the audition, Mila woke up early, put on light makeup, and took a taxi to the film company. After Mila entered, she walked to the front desk and explained she was there to audition. The staff brought her upstairs. As the second female lead role was more likable, many actors came to audition. The casting director only gave everyone ten minutes to act. ¡°Miss Sullivan, you can go in now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Mila nodded at the staff, pushed open the door, and walked in. It was similar to the usual auditions. There were six judges sitting opposite. The director and producer were in the middle, and the rest were the production team¡¯s staff or investors. ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Mila Sullivan. I¡¯m 27 years old, and I¡¯m from Big Dipper Entertainment.¡± Mila gracefully introduced herself and bowed to the six of them. ¡°Mila Sullivan? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s quite pretty and has a good figure. I¡¯ll talk to her about the show alone later.¡± The judges sized up Mila and chatted as if she weren¡¯t there. Mila stood on the spot and watched this scene quietly. Hearing frivolous remarks about her appearance was already a run-of-the-mill thing. She had seen worse. Some even tried to take advantage of her right away. ¡°Laila is her agent. Be careful what you say.¡± The director cleared his throat and reminded the others. When everyone heard Mila was Laila¡¯s actor, they immediately shut up. The director sized up Mila and said solemnly, ¡°Mila, play the scene where the male lead, Matthew, gets drunk after getting dumped and pretending to be with the second female lead, Lydia. I¡¯ll give you a minute to prepare.¡± Mila quickly recalled the plot and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± The lights in the room suddenly dimmed, and the spotlights shone on Mila, giving off the atmosphere of a stage play. Mila wore a black dress and took a few steps forward in her high heels, her gaze landing on the man opposite her. In order to be fair during the audition, the director arranged for the same actor to stand at the side and act with the actress. The actor read the lines. ¡°Lydia, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see if you¡¯re dead. If you love Brittany so much, why don¡¯t you get her back? Why torture yourself here?¡± Mila quickly got into character, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment. After a few seconds of silence, the man suddenly said, ¡°Lydia, do you still love me? If you do, be my girlfriend.¡± Mila was stunned for a moment. There was a flash of pain and a trace of joy in her eyes. In the end, she smiled bitterly. She knew very well he didn¡¯t love her. He only wanted to be with her because he was angry with Brittany. Although she knew what Matthew wanted, she couldn¡¯t reject him. ¡°Alright!¡± Her voice was dry and muffled. The moment she agreed, she felt ridiculous. The dignified eldest daughter of the Lane family was actually willing to be another woman¡¯s substitute. ¡°Brittany! Did you see that? I don¡¯t need you!¡± Matthew said drunkenly, not caring about Lydia¡¯s feelings at all. Matthew fell onto the sofa and gradually fell asleep. Lydia looked at his sleeping face and said calmly, ¡°Matthew, actually, I don¡¯t need you either. I¡¯m just giving myself a reason to give up completely.¡± Then, a tear rolled down Lydia¡¯s fair and beautiful face. She smiled, feeling relieved. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± The person who said the stop wasn¡¯t the director but the investor¡¯s representative. They had already decided on the role of the second female lead, but Mila¡¯s performance was perfect. Her image and temperament were very compatible with Lydia, the daughter of a rich family who was always true to her feelings. The investor was afraid the director would choose her, so he stopped Mila. Mila wiped her tears and bowed to everyone. ¡°Thank you all for watching.¡± The director nodded. ¡°Alright. Please wait for further notice.¡± After Mila left, the director immediately looked at the person beside him unhappily. ¡°Mr. Wang, why didn¡¯t you let her finish?¡± ¡°Her acting is only average. Our time is precious, so let¡¯s not waste it on her,¡± Mr. Wang casually said. ¡°You call that average? I think she¡¯s Lydia herself!¡± The director immediately retorted, and the others echoed, ¡°I also think she acted quite well. I¡¯m fascinated by her.¡± Mr. Wang looked a little awkward. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom. Excuse me.¡± Chapter 26 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After Mila returned home, she immediately called Laila back and told her about the audition today. Generally speaking, if one was called off before the performance was over it meant the judges were dissatisfied, and there was a high chance one wouldn¡¯t have a chance. When she thought about how Laila had painstakingly chosen the script for her, Mila felt she had disappointed Laila and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little upset. ¡°Mila, I was about to call you. Director said you performed very well. It was quite inspiring.¡± ¡°Then have they decided to pick me?¡± Mila asked in surprise. ¡°Very likely. It¡¯s just that the investors of this movie want their own actress to play this role, but Director Zager doesn¡¯t agree. He¡¯s discussing it with them.¡± Director Zager had a high reputation and status in the entertainment industry. He had directed several popular dramas in a row. Even if this investor withdrew his investment, other investors would come. ¡°I understand. Thank you, Laila.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. You did a good job. Otherwise, Director Zager wouldn¡¯t have used you no matter how hard I tried. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be great if you can join the crew, but it¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t. I¡¯ll help you find other roles.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± For this audition, Mila had already done her best. Other than eating and sleeping, she had been reading the script for the past two days. It was up to fate now. ¡­ A week later, Mila finally received the notice that she had passed the audition and could enter the production team soon. At dinner, Mila told Chaucer she had taken a role and would be gone for about a month. Chaucer nodded and didn¡¯t have much of a reaction. He was the boss of Big Dipper Entertainment and knew she had passed the audition earlier than herself. ¡°You have to rest more at home. If you don¡¯t know how to cook, just order takeout and make do. I¡¯ll cook something delicious for you when I come back.¡± Mila¡¯s voice was gentle. Chaucer nodded. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve hired someone to come to the house and take care of my flowers once every three days.¡± Chaucer frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them for you. You don¡¯t need anyone else.¡± ¡°Are you sure you know how to take care of flowers?¡± Mila looked at him in surprise. ¡°Those roses and tulips are very delicate. When watering them, you have to water them along the edge of the flower pot. Generally speaking, you have to water them once every three days. If the weather is too hot, make it every two days. As for those succulents, they can withstand drought. You only need to water them once a week and not more often than that. ¡°And the gardenia at the door¡­¡± Mila talked for a long time about taking care of flowers, but she realized Chaucer wasn¡¯t listening at all. ¡°Chaucer, are you listening to me?¡± ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t remember.¡± Mila was speechless. She said angrily, ¡°Then what should we do? You can¡¯t remember. Why don¡¯t you let me hire someone to water the flowers!¡± Chaucer pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we start a video call? You can then guide me to water the flowers.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled then.¡± Mila nodded and felt that was a good idea, but this way, she would have to see Chaucer¡¯s cold face every day. The next day, Mila received a notice to join the production team. Rosy had already booked a plane ticket for her, and the two of them agreed to meet at the airport. Laila was only working with Mila and another female actor right now. The latter was pregnant and had turned down all her work, so Laila put all her effort into Mila and decided to join the production team with her. Mila had flown many times, but this was the first time she flew first class. The seats were bigger and more comfortable, and she could taste all kinds of delicacies. No wonder the bosses liked to fly this way. Not only was it a symbol of status, but it was indeed more enjoyable. At this moment, Mila felt she was no longer invisible in the entertainment industry. Three hours later, the plane landed smoothly. They pulled their suitcases out of the airport and got into the production team¡¯s car. Mila leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. After a while, the car slowly stopped outside a large hotel. All the crew members and actors were staying there. The three of them went upstairs together. Laila said, ¡°Go back to your room and take a nap. When you wake up, I¡¯ll take you out for dinner.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mila dragged her suitcase into the door, feeling tired. The hotel room wasn¡¯t luxurious, but it was clean enough with all the necessary facilities. There was a poster of the production team on the table. Mila opened the suitcase, put her own bed sheet on the bed, and hung her clothes in the closet. After that, she was so tired that she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Chapter 27 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Two hours later, Mila was woken up by a phone call. Laila asked her to go out for dinner and said there was a famous restaurant nearby. The three of them walked out of the hotel and went straight to the restaurant. Oceania was a coastal city, and the seafood was very fresh and tasted very special. Rosy took a bite of the spicy crab and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°This is too delicious! Try it.¡± Mila also nodded. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious. We can come often.¡± ¡°Mila, the show will start shooting soon, so you need to keep an eye on your figure. You won¡¯t look good on camera if you gain too much weight.¡± Mila immediately lost her appetite. She remembered she ate until her stomach was plump on the day the two families met. She had eaten crayfish and stinky tofu when she got home, so she had definitely gained a few pounds. She didn¡¯t even dare to eat any rice. She only ate the spicy crab and two oysters before putting down her chopsticks. As a professional actor, she behaved like one. Controlling her weight and ensuring her image on camera was the most basic thing she could do. ¡­ In the capital city. When Chaucer returned home from work, he felt that the rooms were rather empty. Usually, as soon as he returned home, he would see Mila busy in the kitchen or waiting for him in the living room. When she saw him coming back, she would gently say, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± At this moment, the house was very quiet, making Chaucer feel a little lonely. Chaucer turned on the light and sat on the sofa. On the coffee table were Mila¡¯s pink cell phone stand and her yellow duck headband. Mila¡¯s sweet face appeared in his mind. Suddenly, the ringtone of the video chat rang, and he quickly picked it up. Mila¡¯s exquisite and beautiful face appeared on the screen. She was wearing a light green gauze dress, making her skin look fair. ¡°Chaucer, have you eaten?¡± Mila asked gently. ¡°Not yet. I just got home.¡± Chaucer got up and went to the balcony. ¡°Tell me, how do I water the flowers and how much water do I need?¡± Mila patiently guided him. Even if he didn¡¯t understand it the first time, she wasn¡¯t frustrated at all. After Chaucer finished watering the flowers, Mila asked him to hold his cell phone up and open the fridge to take a look. Chaucer did as he was told and opened the freezer. ¡°I made your shrimp and crab wontons before I left. Boil the water first, then throw the wontons in and cook them for five to six minutes.¡± After Mila finished speaking, Chaucer was a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect Mila to prepare meals for him before she left. The wontons in the fridge were enough for him to eat for a week. ¡°Thank you, Mila.¡± Chaucer was grateful from the bottom of his heart. He had servants and chefs at home since he was born and had never worried about food. In his understanding, girls of Mila¡¯s age only wanted to go shopping and enjoy facial treatments. They almost never entered the kitchen. Only Mila enjoyed cooking and used it to warm the people around her. ¡°What are you thanking me for? We¡¯re husband and wife!¡± Mila said with a smile, and Chaucer¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re husband and wife.¡± ¡°You must be hungry. Have something to eat. You have to take care of yourself when I¡¯m not at home.¡± Mila¡¯s voice was sweet, making his heart warm. ¡°Yes, you too.¡± After hanging up, Chaucer couldn¡¯t help but smile. Mila was better than he had expected. Although it was a marriage only in name, they had to get along well. ¡­ The next day was the opening ceremony of the production team. All the actors and staff were present, and the reporters also rushed to the film studio to film the latest cast members. Laila and Director Zager had worked together several times and were already very familiar with each other, so Director Zager cared about Mila a little bit more. Mila was the second female lead in the main drama. Normally, she should sit in the first row, and the two seats in the middle were reserved for the male and female leads. ¡°Mila, these are the two main leads of our show.¡± Director Zager greeted them and introduced them to her. ¡°This is the male lead, George, and the female lead, Natalie.¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the second female lead, Mila.¡± Mila stood up and introduced herself with a smile. The male and female leads were both popular actors. Mila had seen their acting, but in the past, she wasn¡¯t famous enough and wasn¡¯t worthy of working with them. ¡°Hello, Mila.¡± George smiled back and shook her hand. But Natalie put on an aloof expression and didn¡¯t respond to Mila¡¯s self-introduction. Mila pretended not to see it. This was how the entertainment industry was, fawning over the famous actors and trampling on the little known ones. Many people didn¡¯t have a good attitude towards those who weren¡¯t famous. She had received a lot of cold stares, and Natalie¡¯s reaction couldn¡¯t hurt her. George and Natalie sat in the middle. Then the emcee went on stage and said in a loud voice, ¡°Welcome to the opening ceremony of the TV series ¡®Painful Love¡¯¡­¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The emcee briefly introduced the plot of the television drama, then introduced the actors and staff of the production team. Finally, he handed the microphone to Director Zager. Director Zager stood on stage and said loudly, ¡°I hereby announce the television drama ¡®Painful Love¡¯ will officially begin filming!¡± Right on the heels of that, Mila went on stage with a group of actors to take the stills. The photographer aimed the camera at the male and female leads and quickly took some photos. After the opening ceremony, Mila followed Laila into the dressing room and started to do her makeup and styling. This was the first time Mila had a separate dressing room. She was instantly stunned when she walked in. Not only was the dressing room spacious, but there were also clothes hanging on the hangers. There were evening gowns and casual clothes. Without exception, they all looked very expensive. ¡°I have to wear so many clothes for this show?¡± Mila asked in surprise. In the past, she only had small supporting roles who appeared for one or two episodes. She would have five or six sets of costumes at most. Laila smiled. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re playing the daughter of a rich family. The clothes and accessories have to be different every day. Director Zheng always values fashion and styling. Only when the actors look good can the audience continue to watch the show.¡± ¡°Mila, let¡¯s start your styling.¡± Mila nodded and let the makeup artist do it. The makeup artist did French curls for Mila first. The fluffy and smooth hair matched Mila¡¯s exquisite and sweet face, and she instantly looked like a rich girl. ¡°Mila, you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± Laila sighed. She had to admit that Mila was one of the most good-looking women she knew, and she had a feeling that Mila would definitely become famous in the future. The makeup artist and Rosy also stared straight at Mila. Her skin was as smooth as milk, and she had a gentle temperament. She was stunningly beautiful. Mila smiled awkwardly, her cheeks slightly red. This was her first time doing curly hair, and she didn¡¯t expect it to be more beautiful than she had imagined. Actually, she could consider having this hairstyle in her daily life. The makeup artist was quick, and it didn¡¯t take long for her to finish putting on makeup on Mila, who then began to choose her clothes. There were gowns, suits, various dresses, and short skirts on the clothes rack, as well as hats and scarves to go with the outfits. In order to accurately portray a rich family¡¯s daughter, they couldn¡¯t be careless with her clothes. The first thing Mila tried on was a red velvet dress with thin straps, revealing her slender neck and exquisite collarbone. The hem of the dress had a split, and her slender legs were faintly visible as she walked. When Mila walked out of the changing room, everyone was stunned. As Mila walked toward them in that red dress, the bright color made her skin look fair as if she was a beauty who had walked out of a painting. Seeing that no one was speaking, Mila immediately walked to the mirror and looked at herself. ¡°Is there a problem? Does this dress not look good on me?¡± The others quickly shook their heads. ¡°The dress is beautiful, but you¡¯re even more beautiful!¡± ¡°Mila, you¡¯re so beautiful! You¡¯re blinding me!¡± Rosy exclaimed. ¡°She¡¯s really beautiful.¡± The makeup artist had been in the entertainment industry for so many years and had seen many beauties. She had to admit Mila was the most stunning. Mila blushed and walked to the background board. She stood elegantly and waited for the cameraman to take a photo. Mila changed countless times throughout the day and basically tried on all the clothes on the rack. Then, the cameraman took photos and showed them to the production team to decide which photo to use as a makeup photo. At six o¡¯clock, Mila finally finished trying on the clothes. She leaned on the sofa tiredly and called Chaucer to instruct him on watering the plants like the day before. ¡°Still working?¡± Chaucer looked at Mila¡¯s curly hair and makeup and asked softly. ¡°Yes, I tried on a lot of clothes today. The production team will be live-streaming and interacting with the fans later. I have to be there, too.¡± Mila said weakly. ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out. Have some rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mila smiled sweetly and teased, ¡°Chaucer, you care about me now. That¡¯s so rare!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Chaucer asked. ¡°Of course, you can! You used to ignore me. I thought you hated me!¡± Hearing Mila¡¯s words, the scene of her getting drunk that day immediately appeared in Chaucer¡¯s mind. Her lips were charming as she pulled his arm and questioned him coquettishly. ¡°I¡¯ve never hated you, and I admire you more and more.¡± Chaucer looked at her through the screen. ¡°Mila, I hope we can always get along.¡± ¡°I hope so too.¡± Actually, Mila was still very satisfied with this marriage. Chaucer didn¡¯t ask them to have sex, and she didn¡¯t need to worry about pleasing his mother. She could go out to work like before and live in a big house. It seemed much more comfortable than before. Chapter 29 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations From the day they got married, Mila had already thought it through. Her marriage with Chaucer was a formality, and they were only roommates. As for how far they would go in the future, she would have to wait and see. She just had to live in the present. After Mila finished trying on her makeup, Rosy bought dinner. She had only taken a few bites when she was informed to immediately enter the live-stream venue and prepare to start the live-stream. The filming of the new show had to be promoted. This time, Director Zager had spent a lot of money to draw attention to the live-stream. Not long after the production team started the live-stream, they immediately occupied the top spot of the platform¡¯s popularity ranking. When the fans heard it was Director Zager¡¯s new production, they entered the live-stream channel one after another. At this moment, Mila and the two protagonists had already entered the live-stream venue and were in position. The emcee was telling them what to take note of. Mila listened attentively and memorized every word. Ten minutes later, the live-stream officially began. The emcee said, ¡°Welcome to the live-stream of ¡®Painful Love¡¯. The three people standing beside me are the male and female leads and the second female lead of the drama.¡± Then, George started to greet the audience. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m George. I¡¯m playing Matthew, the main character in ¡®Painful Love¡¯.¡± ¡°Hello everyone, I am Natalie. I¡¯m playing the female lead, Brittany.¡± After Natalie said that, she winked at the camera and revealed a charming smile. The netizens in the live-stream showered her with virtual gifts, and bullet comments flew past in rows. ¡°Oh my god! Natalie is so beautiful!¡± ¡°My goddess has good acting skills and is beautiful. This drama will definitely become popular!¡± The bullet screen was filled with praises for Natalie. Right on the heels of that, Mila said, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Mila. I¡¯m playing Lydia, the daughter of a wealthy family.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this actor before. Is she new?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very good-looking! She looks very young. She should have just entered the industry.¡± ¡°She¡¯s good-looking, but her style is far inferior to Natalie¡¯s. I think her acting skills will be terrible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that she brought money into the production team. I just searched for her information online. She used to act in small roles. This is her first time acting in such an important role.¡± Mila Sullivan? I¡¯ve seen her acting. It¡¯s terrible. How can someone like her be in Director Zager¡¯s show? And she¡¯s partnered with George and Natalie?¡± The comments were full of doubts, and some people even began to guess Mila was from the investors and got to where she was by sleeping with them. Mila watched quietly as the group of haters spread rumors. The more they spoke, the more outrageous they became. Seeing this, the emcee changed the subject immediately and asked George and Natalie a few questions. The gifting function in the live-stream channel allowed one to choose who to give gifts to. George was the most popular. In just half an hour, he received more than ten thousand dollars. Natalie received ten thousand. On the other hand, Mila only had one gift. Compared to the other two actors, it looked very shabby. Before the live-stream, Laila had already given her a heads-up. In the past, she had accepted all kinds of lousy scripts to earn a living. It was expected that her acting skills would be questioned, and she would be given the cold shoulder. However, this setback couldn¡¯t defeat her. She would work harder and perform well in the drama to let those who doubted her know she really could act. At the same time, in the capital¡¯s Dragon Bay. Chaucer was working in the living room when she suddenly remembered Mila saying that she would be joining the live-stream tonight. He took out his phone and downloaded a live-stream app. He clicked into the channel and frowned. The comments were very unfriendly, and Mila only had a pitiful number of gifts, so Chaucer immediately called Jason. When Jason heard Chaucer¡¯s description, he was a little surprised. ¡°Sir, are you going to send Mrs. Chapman gifts?¡± ¡°Yeah, you tell me how it works.¡± Jason clicked on the production team¡¯s live-stream and instantly understood. ¡°To give her gifts, you have to register an account first. Link your bank card to the account, and open the gift column to choose the gift you want.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Chaucer replied lightly. ¡°Mrs. Chapman will be very happy to know you¡¯re sending her gifts¡­¡± Jason had just sighed when Chaucer mercilessly hung up. Jason chuckled. The president clearly cared about his wife, but he had to pretend to be aloof. At this moment, a newly registered account entered the production team¡¯s live-stream and gave Mila twenty supreme salutes. This was the most expensive gift on the platform. A supreme salute cost 1,500 dollars. In the blink of an eye, Mila surpassed George and had the most gifts in the live-stream. Mila was stunned. The username of the person who sent her the gift was ¡°I Don¡¯t Want Nickname¡¯. When did she have such a rich fan? Chapter 30 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Everyone thought twenty supreme salutes was the end, but it was just the beginning. That person sent another one hundred in a row, and the entire screen was filled with the fireworks effects of the supreme salute. As soon as the special effects of the fireworks dissipated, another account began to send gifts to Mila. Ten super rockets were sent in a row, which was worth 1,500 dollars in total. Meanwhile, Jason was holding his cell phone on the other end of the screen. He felt his wallet was bleeding. As Chaucer¡¯s assistant, it was his duty to curry favor with Mrs. Chapman. Seeing that someone had given Mila more than 100,000 dollars worth of gifts, the viewers in the live-stream instantly erupted. ¡°Holy crap! That was so generous! Mila received so many supreme salutes in one go!¡± ¡°Mila has some background! Those gifts are worth more than her salary!¡± ¡°As expected, she does have a sugar daddy.¡± ¡°To be honest, Mila is really good-looking. It¡¯s normal for men to like her. After all, who would say no to money?¡± The live-stream ended two hours later. Mila was at the top of the list. No matter how hard the other fans tried to send gifts, they couldn¡¯t surpass her. After the live-stream, Mila earned the first huge sum of money in her life. The platform would take a portion, and she would still have over 10,000 dollars left. When Mila returned to the dressing room, she still felt all of this was a little unreal. Laila smiled and patted her shoulder. ¡°Mila, you have such wealthy fans! You scared the viewers in the live-stream.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone to give me so much money.¡± Mila sat down and began to remove her makeup. ¡°At first, he gave me 40,000 dollars, and I thought it was my friend, but then he gave me another 100,000 dollars. My friend wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± Elaine was Mila¡¯s best and richest friend. She could indeed come up with that sum of money, but she wouldn¡¯t send gifts in the live-stream. The platform would take 40% of the income. Elaine wouldn¡¯t want to give away that money for nothing. ¡°Mila, the generous gifts just now are on the trending list.¡± Laila handed the phone to Mila. She glanced at it and realized that it was quite popular. ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s publicity for the new drama.¡± Mila had been in the industry for so many years, and this was the first time she would play the second female lead. This also was the first time she had earned so much money and seen herself in the trending topic. ¡°Some haters like to make something out of nothing. Don¡¯t mind them!¡± Laila looked at the comments online and comforted Mila softly. ¡°Laila, I¡¯ve been an actress for so many years, so I can still withstand this. Wise people can always see through rumors. I¡¯ll prove myself to everyone sooner or later.¡± Mila smiled, her eyes shining. It was already midnight when she returned to the hotel room. Mila dragged her tired body to take a shower and fell asleep as soon as she got into bed. The next day, Mila woke up early and took out the script to read through the scenes that were going to be filmed that day. Then, Rosy came with her breakfast, and the three of them came to the set together. When they reached the door, Mila¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She looked down and saw that the number was Elaine¡¯s. She quickly said, ¡°Laila, Rosy, I¡¯ll take this call. You guys go in first.¡± Elaine knew she was filming and wouldn¡¯t disturb her for no reason. Something must have happened. ¡°Mila, when I took Mango out for a walk today, he ran so fast that I lost my balance and fell.¡± Mango was Elaine¡¯s golden retriever. He was sometimes obedient and sometimes mischievous, but he was always smiling when he saw Mila. Hearing that Elaine was injured, Mila was concerned. ¡°How are you now? Did you break any bones? Can you still stand up?¡± ¡°Yes, I can, but¡­¡± Elaine said weakly, ¡°You¡¯re not here, and I don¡¯t have many friends around. Well¡­ Which hospital does Theo work at?¡± Mila was stunned for a moment. ¡°Theo is in the hospital in the city center, but he¡¯s a cardiac surgeon. He can¡¯t treat your injury from the fall. Going to him won¡¯t help. Why don¡¯t I get my mother to take you to the hospital for a checkup?¡± ¡°How can I trouble your mother? Actually, it¡¯s not that serious. I just don¡¯t want to go to the hospital alone. I want to have a friend there. Theo happens to be working in the hospital, so I thought I could go to him.¡± Elaine smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the hospital first? I¡¯ll send a message to Theo to ask if he¡¯s free.¡± After Mila said that, Elaine immediately agreed excitedly. ¡°Okay! Hurry up and ask him. I¡¯ll go to the hospital now. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± After hanging up, Mila immediately sent Theo a message, telling him about Elaine¡¯s injury, hoping that he could take care of her. Chapter 31 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Mila entered the set and was putting on makeup when Theo sent her a message. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor from the Cardiovascular Surgery Department. I don¡¯t treat external injuries from a fall.¡± Mila pursed her lips. Theo said the same thing as she did, but he was too straightforward. If he hadn¡¯t been so handsome, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find a girlfriend in this lifetime. From the moment Elaine mentioned Theo, Mila already knew what she was thinking. She wanted to use the injury to get closer to Theo. As her best friend, Mila felt that she had to help Elaine out. She sent Theo a message. ¡°She¡¯s already gone to your hospital. If you have time, keep an eye on her. She¡¯s injured and it¡¯s not convenient for her to walk around.¡± Theo wrote, ¡°Okay.¡± Mila was relieved to see that reply. She closed her eyes and acted out the plot in her mind. Today¡¯s scene was the first meeting of the male and female leads, and Mila only had a small part. It was the scene of them going to the male lead¡¯s house for dinner, and the parents of both sides got them engaged. After putting on her makeup, Mila sat on the set and waited, watching George and Natalie film. George had started his acting career very early and was a natural. He also handled his emotions very carefully. Every look could express his emotions. Natalie, on the other hand, was less unsatisfactory and even a little awkward. As expected, Director Zager shouted ¡°cut¡± after a while, looking displeased. He summoned Natalie and helped her analyze the plot. Meanwhile, Mila was still reading her script. In fact, she had memorized every word of the script. She just wanted to dig out more emotions and create a vivid daughter of a rich family. ¡°Mila.¡± George sat next to her and opened a bottle of water. He took a sip and said, ¡°You¡¯re so hardworking!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my first time playing the second female lead. I have to perform well.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve seen your acting. You¡¯re very good, but those roles don¡¯t suit you very well.¡± Mila smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Thank you for complimenting my acting skills. I¡¯m really honored.¡± George started acting when he was ten. He was thirty now and had made dozens of movies and TV shows. He had a lot of fans and was popular in the industry. It would be good for Mila to build a good relationship with him. Hearing Mila¡¯s words, George smiled brightly. He suddenly moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, ¡°If you have any difficulties on set, feel free to come to me. You¡¯re welcome.¡± Mila returned a smile and went back to her script. She was a married woman now. Even if George didn¡¯t have any ideas, she would still keep her distance from him. ¡­ Capital Central Hospital. Elaine got out of the taxi wearing a mask and sunglasses. She had already registered in advance and went straight to the floor where the cardiovascular department was. Not long after she arrived outside the consultation room, it was her turn. She pushed the door open and limped in. Theo looked a little unhappy when he saw her. ¡°Elaine, didn¡¯t Mila tell you that I¡¯m a cardiothoracic surgeon? It¡¯s useless for you to come here. You¡¯re wasting the real patients¡¯ time.¡± This was the first time Elaine had been scolded. She looked aggrieved. ¡°I just want to look for you. I don¡¯t trust anyone else.¡± Theo rubbed his eyebrow. He couldn¡¯t bear to reprimand her, so he said in a gentler tone, ¡°The doctors in the central hospital are all top graduates from medical schools. Their medical skills are guaranteed. Don¡¯t worry.¡± When Elaine heard this, she immediately wailed, ¡°I can¡¯t. My leg hurts. I can¡¯t walk!¡± Theo was speechless. ¡°How did you get up here? Did you fly up?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you carry me to the doctor?¡± Theo glanced at her and said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Dr. Theo , I¡¯m also a patient. You can¡¯t be so heartless to me.¡± Elaine had made an appointment to see Theo. Since she refused to leave, he couldn¡¯t throw her out. He could only bend down in resignation to check her injuries. Lu Yishan had sprained her ankle, and it was already red and swollen. Theo gently pressed on the wound. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts!¡± Elaine¡¯s eyes were red as she stared at him. ¡°Get an X-ray. When the results are out, come and find me here.¡± ¡°Theo, thank you so much!¡± Elaine said with a smile, her eyes shining. It didn¡¯t take long for the results to come out. Fortunately, her bones weren¡¯t injured, so Theo prescribed some ointment for her injuries. By the time Elaine fetched the medicine, it was already noon. She knocked on the door again and walked into Theo¡¯s consultation room. She sat opposite him and looked at him with her hand on her cheek. ¡°Theo, let¡¯s go for lunch.¡± Chapter 32 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Theo wanted to reject Elaine¡¯s invitation, but he remembered Mila¡¯s words, so he nodded and followed her out for dinner. At the filming site. When it was time for lunch, the production team began to give out lunch boxes. Mila casually took a bento box and sat down with Laila and Rosy to eat. The food here couldn¡¯t compare to the food at home, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. ¡°Lili, where¡¯s my lunch?¡± Natalie asked her assistant loudly. ¡°It¡¯s in the car! I was afraid the food would turn cold, so I kept it in your thermal lunch box!¡± The assistant replied with a smile, afraid that Natalie would be unhappy. Natalie nodded and walked towards her MPV. When she passed by Mila, she glanced at the latter with disdain. ¡°How can you stand the food here? No wonder you can only play small roles after being in the entertainment industry for so long.¡± Mila ate without looking up, completely ignoring Natalie. She didn¡¯t have many scenes with Natalie, so she just had to bear with it. There was no need to argue with that woman. Natalie appeared to be carefree and straightforward, but she was actually very narrow-minded. If anyone offended her, she would definitely find ways to make things difficult for them. However, with her personality, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the entertainment industry for long. Sooner or later, she would ruin herself. After lunch, Mila returned to the dressing room to change her clothes and was given a new style. She sat on the set and waited for her scenes. Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated. It was a message from Elaine. ¡°Mila, Theo took me out for lunch.¡± There was also a very happy emoji at the end. Mila wrote, ¡°It¡¯s just a meal. Are you that happy?¡± Elaine wrote, ¡°Of course! It was the first time we ate alone. He even drove me home. Do you think he¡¯s interested in me too?¡± Through the screen, Mila could feel Elaine was so happy that she was about to jump up. Mila wrote, ¡°You¡¯re already injured. Can he let you take a taxi home? No man would leave you behind. Let me remind you: his mind is filled with work, and he¡¯s relatively indifferent when it comes to relationships. Don¡¯t give him too much pressure.¡± Her cousin had been outstanding since he was young. When he was in school, many girls were in love with him, but he didn¡¯t like any of them. He even felt troubled. She was afraid if Elaine was too passionate, her cousin would be disgusted. When that happened, they would feel awkward meeting each other, let alone becoming a couple. Of course, Mila hoped they could be together, but if her cousin didn¡¯t like Elaine, she couldn¡¯t force him. If they were forced, they would only be a pair of resentful couples. Elaine¡¯s passion made Mila a little worried. In the afternoon, Director Zager decided to shoot Mila and George¡¯s scene first. The two of them met for the first time at a banquet at the male lead¡¯s house. The filming location was a big villa with a retro feel. The lights at the banquet were bright, and men and women were drinking and chatting. Mila, who was wearing a peach-pink evening gown, pushed open the door and walked in, looking like a fairy who had fallen into the mortal world. She had a slender figure and exquisite curves. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her soft black curly hair draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were bright, and her lips were charming. She immediately attracted the attention of everyone present. ¡°Miss Lydia is here.¡± The character played by Mila was called Lydia. She was the daughter of a rich family who had lived an indulgent life. Many men were infatuated with her, but the male lead, Matthew, didn¡¯t even look at her. She was instantly interested in Matthew and took the initiative to ask him to dance. Matthew, who was played by George, was wearing a custom-made suit. He looked elegant and handsome. He held Mila¡¯s hand and entered the dance floor. The spotlight shone on the two of them. The peach-colored skirt swayed slowly with the dance steps. Everyone stopped breathing, afraid that they would disturb the dancing princess and prince. ¡°Cut! That¡¯s a pass!¡± Director Zager clapped his hands and praised her with a smile. ¡± Mila, good job! You passed in one shot, and that¡¯s not easy to achieve!¡± Hearing Director Zager¡¯s praise, Natalie glared at Mila unhappily. When she was filming in the morning, she was always called off by the director, but this small actress who was acting as the second female lead for the first time actually passed in one go. Natalie felt she had been humiliated. Natalie was unhappy, and a vicious glint flashed across her eyes. If she was unhappy, Mila wouldn¡¯t have had a good time either! Natalie returned to the dressing room with a dark expression and dialed someone¡¯s number. ¡°Honey, you said I would become famous overnight, but the second female lead of the production team is stealing my spotlight. As the female lead, I don¡¯t get any attention at all! ¡°We have to delete Mila¡¯s scenes. She¡¯s just the second female lead anyway. She¡¯s not famous, and no one will care!¡± Chapter 33 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Outside, Rosy was so frightened that she held her breath and quietly returned to Mila¡¯s dressing room. There were several separate dressing rooms nearby. Rosy had just come out from the washroom, and when she passed by Natalie¡¯s dressing room, the door was ajar, and she happened to hear Natalie¡¯s words. On set. Laila was sitting on a chair and watching Mila and George getting filmed. Rosy walked over with a troubled look and said in a low voice, ¡°Laila, I have something important to tell you.¡± After saying that, Rosy pulled Laila back to the private dressing room and closed the door. Then, she lowered her voice and recounted what she had just heard. ¡°I see.¡± Laila¡¯s expression was calm. She had been in the entertainment industry for so many years and had heard of Natalie¡¯s background. She wasn¡¯t a signed artist of any agency and had her own studio. It was rumored that she had a close relationship with Mr. Woo, the president of Stella Entertainment. Coincidentally, it was also the biggest investor in this television drama. Hence, if Mr. Woo asked Director Zager to cut Mila¡¯s scenes, Director Zager might actually agree. Mila returned to her dressing room after filming and she saw Laila and Rosy sitting there with solemn expressions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mila asked in confusion. Laila repeated Natalie¡¯s words and said with a serious expression, ¡°Mila, you must understand even Director Zager can¡¯t offend Stella Entertainment. It¡¯s possible that part of your scenes will have to be deleted.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Mila replied indifferently, her face expressionless, but she was still a little disappointed. This was reality. Without a powerful patron, she could only be bullied by others. Perhaps one day, when she was strong enough, no one would dare to bully her. Actually, Mila was also a little reluctant. Natalie wasn¡¯t as pretty as her, nor could she act well. That was obvious to everyone, but Natalie could easily take the female lead¡¯s position. Mila just wanted to act well in this drama, but she still had to be suppressed. Looking at Mila¡¯s disappointed expression, Laila felt sorry for her. She comforted her softly, ¡°Mila, don¡¯t be sad. Although the scenes will be deleted, as long as your image is established, many people will still like you. ¡°You performed very well. Director Zager likes you very much. I believe he¡¯ll think of you in the future!¡± Actually, the most important thing in a show wasn¡¯t how many scenes one had, but the character one portrayed. Some people only appeared for a minute in a movie or only had a single scene, but they could leave a fresh impression on the audience. That was how good they were. That night, Laila returned to her room and sent the news to the higher-ups of the company. Ever since Laila took over Mila, the company¡¯s higher-ups had asked her to report about Mila every day. Laila didn¡¯t understand why, but it was a good thing that the company valued Mila and might support her. After a week, Mila didn¡¯t receive any notification that the director wanted to cut the scenes. She thought Director Zager had withstood the pressure and forcefully kept those scenes. However, what she didn¡¯t know was someone had suppressed Stella Entertainment. This matter had disappeared before it could reach Director Zager. Mila didn¡¯t think too much about it and continued to film with all her heart. After another half a month, her scenes were all completed. In the end, Lydia, the role she played, died under the knife of the male lead¡¯s competitor. Blood flowed all over the ground, and it was also the most tearful scene in the drama. The once elegant and dazzling daughter of a rich family and the goddess of countless men passed away at her most beautiful age. The production team still had to stay at the film base for more than ten days before they could hold the wrap party, but the remaining scenes belonged to the male and female leads. There was no point in Mila staying here, so she decided to go home early. On the day of their departure, Director Zager treated Mila and Laila to a meal as a farewell ceremony. Laila and Director Zager had known each other for ten years. The two of them chatted and laughed, and Mila felt more relaxed. Amidst the toasts, Director Zager said with admiration, ¡°Mila, you¡¯re very talented in acting. I¡¯ll come to you if there¡¯s a suitable role in the future.¡± Director Zager had seen countless people in the entertainment industry for many years. He could tell Mila had a lot of potential. It was already rare for her to be beautiful and talented, but she was still especially hardworking. Her script was read so many times to the point that the paper was wrinkled. She had almost never missed a single line, and she could quickly immersed in her emotions. Such an outstanding actor had been in the entertainment industry for so long, but no one had discovered her. She had wasted so many years. ¡°Of course! But we can¡¯t let Mila play a supporting role in the future!¡± Laila said half-jokingly. Director Zager chuckled. ¡°Mila is so outstanding. She¡¯ll definitely become the female lead in the future. I¡¯m just afraid she won¡¯t have time for me when I invite her!¡± Chapter 34 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°If Director Zager invites me, I¡¯ll definitely come!¡± Mila echoed and raised her glass to toast. Although she didn¡¯t like socializing, she still had to have normal etiquette. After everyone finished eating and drinking, it was already nine o¡¯clock when they returned to the hotel. Mila couldn¡¯t handle the alcohol and felt dizzy after drinking a few glasses. She leaned against the sofa and closed her eyes to rest like a lazy cat. She suddenly remembered that she hadn¡¯t video-called Chaucer. Knowing Chaucer was still awake at this hour, Mila made a video call. At first, Chaucer didn¡¯t pick up. After a while, Chaucer called her back. Mila could tell at a glance that Chaucer wasn¡¯t at home. It was an unfamiliar place. ¡°Are you not home yet?¡± Mila asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°I went back to my parents¡¯ place. I wanted to video call you when I returned to Dragon Bay, but you called first.¡± Chaucer didn¡¯t pick up the first call because he wanted to find a suitable place to answer it. If she saw his family¡¯s villa that was worth hundreds of millions, his secret would be exposed. He didn¡¯t want Mila to know his identity for the time being, so he could only be careful to avoid being discovered. Mila rubbed her eyes and said tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s not safe to drive at this time of night. Just stay at home. You haven¡¯t been home to see Mom and Dad for a long time.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s time to water the plants today.¡± Chaucer¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°It¡¯s okay to water it a day later.¡± Mila smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m done with work and can go back tomorrow. I¡¯ll take care of the plants when I get home.¡± ¡°What time is your flight? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Mila was a little surprised that Chaucer would say this, but after thinking about it carefully, she decided he was her husband after all. Although it was only a marriage in name, in order to maintain a harmonious relationship, it was necessary to get along. Mila immediately agreed with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll arrive at the capital airport at ten tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Chaucer replied. He was just being polite when he made the offer, but Mila actually asked him to pick her up. However he was the one who said it first, and he couldn¡¯t go back on his word after Mila agreed. Mila seemed to have seen through his thoughts. She smiled and walked to the bathroom. She placed her phone on the sink and prepared to take off her clothes to take a shower. ¡°Mila, you didn¡¯t turn off your cell phone!¡± Chaucer reminded her loudly, and his breathing quickened. Was this woman deliberately taking off her clothes to seduce him? Was she really going to show her true colors? ¡°Shame on you!¡± Unexpectedly, Mila exclaimed in the next second and quickly hung up the video call. She even threw her phone on the bed in disdain before entering the bathroom to take a shower. At the thought of almost being naked in front of Chaucer just now, Mila couldn¡¯t help but blush and rub her face in frustration. She was a little drunk and felt dizzy. That was why she forgot to turn off her cell phone. However, when Chaucer saw her take off her clothes, he could have hung up on her! Bastard! He must have deliberately peeked. He clearly wanted to look, but he pretended to be so innocent! Mila shook her head and decided to drink less in the future. At this moment, Chaucer was leaning against the balcony and enjoying the cold wind. He stared blankly at the screen. She was the one who took the initiative to take off her clothes for him to see. Why did she scold him instead? Was she being unreasonable? He had let down his guard recently. This woman could not be underestimated. He had to be careful in the future. Chaucer took a deep breath, picked up his phone, and sent Jason a message. He told Jason he had something to do tomorrow morning and couldn¡¯t go to the office. Jason could send the schedule to his phone, and he would go to the office in the afternoon to settle them. When Chaucer walked out of the balcony, Jen was still reading in the living room. When she saw him coming out, she immediately asked, ¡°Chaucer, was it Mila? How has she been recently?¡± When Chaucer returned home today, everyone asked why Mila wasn¡¯t there. He explained she was filming a show somewhere. ¡°She¡¯s doing well. Her scenes are over. She¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± Jen nodded and said, ¡°Then you can pick her up tomorrow. Don¡¯t always be busy with work. You have to care more about Mila.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already promised to pick her up tomorrow,¡± Chaucer replied lightly. Jen smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Good. Work harder in the future and have a baby as soon as possible. While I still have energy, I¡¯ll help you guys take care of the child.¡± Chaucer was speechless. A baby? Not in a million years! The following day Mila got up early and packed her luggage. Then, she went to the hotel cafeteria for breakfast before going to the airport. Before checking in, Mila sent a message to Chaucer, telling him that she had boarded the plane. Then, she put on an eye mask and fell asleep. When she woke up, the plane had already landed at the capital airport. Chapter 35 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Mila, do you need me to give you a ride home?¡± Laila asked. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Someone¡¯s here to pick me up.¡± Mila smiled sweetly. If her parents were here to pick her up, Mila would definitely say it was her parents. However, she didn¡¯t mention who the other party was, which meant it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to say it. There was a high chance it was her boyfriend. Laila had worked with more than ten celebrities before and found Mila¡¯s reaction quite obvious. As a manager, she should know if her actors were in a relationship to avoid unnecessary trouble. After coming out of the airport, Laila and Rosy got into the MPV and left. Mila sat on a chair nearby and waited for a while before seeing Chaucer. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late.¡± Chaucer had always been punctual, but he returned to his family residence last night. When he drove his luxury car to the airport in the morning, he realized his cheap car was still parked at Dragon Bay. Hence, he hurriedly drove back there and changed his car before coming to the airport. He sped all the way, but he was still late. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I just got off the plane.¡± Mila got up, and Chaucer immediately took the suitcase from her. After the two of them got into the car, Chaucer put one hand on the steering wheel and drove with a focused expression. His nose bridge was high, and his jawline was well-defined. He looked very charming. Mila glanced at him casually and had to admit he was really handsome. ¡°Mila,¡± Chaucer suddenly called her name. Mila turned her head to look at him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let what happened last night happen again. We¡¯re just a marriage in name. I won¡¯t sleep with you, so don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Mila looked at Chaucer¡¯s righteous expression and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Chaucer, aren¡¯t you thinking too highly of yourself? I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± Chaucer looked displeased and snorted. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll keep your word!¡± He should have been relieved to hear Mila say that she wasn¡¯t interested in him, but at this moment, it was as if a rock was pressing down on his heart. He had been gifted since he was young. He was a handsome man with a prominent family background and had always been the best student at school. Countless daughters of wealthy families wanted to marry him, but Mila actually didn¡¯t like him. Perhaps Mila wasn¡¯t interested because she thought he was just an ordinary person. If she knew that he was the son of a wealthy family, she might change her mind. Chaucer¡¯s expression was cold, and he became very quiet. Mila turned her head away, feeling a little unhappy. What happened last night was just an accident, but Chaucer actually thought she had deliberately taken off her clothes to seduce him. It was so ridiculous. She didn¡¯t like Chaucer at all. Even if she did, she had her dignity and wouldn¡¯t humiliate herself in this way. Mila thought Chaucer had asked to pick her up because he cared about her. After all, they lived under the same roof and had to get along well in the future. The fire in her heart was instantly extinguished by Chaucer¡¯s words. Their relationship was even colder than before. Mila had been busy with work recently and wasn¡¯t used to sleeping in a hotel. Since she was drunk the night before, she fell asleep not long after closing her eyes. Chaucer noticed her breathing grow slower. Realizing she had fallen asleep, he immediately slowed down the car. Ten minutes later, Chaucer¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was Jen. Chaucer was afraid of waking Mila up, so he quickly put on his earphones. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Chaucer, did you get Mila?¡± Jen asked. Chaucer said, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on our way home.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Mila in a long time. Why don¡¯t we have lunch together?¡± Chaucer hesitated. ¡°She¡¯s a little tired. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Just give Mila the phone. I¡¯ll talk to her myself.¡± Chaucer was about to say Mila was asleep when he turned around and saw Mila staring at him. ¡°Mom wants to talk to you.¡± Chaucer passed the phone over, and Mila took it without saying a word to him. Wasn¡¯t he afraid she would seduce him? Then it was best for her to interact less and speak less in the future! ¡°Mom!¡± As soon as Mila picked up the phone, she immediately changed her demeanor and spoke in a sweet voice. Hearing Mila¡¯s voice, Jen felt her heart was about to melt. She said happily, ¡°Hey! Mila, you¡¯re finally back. Aren¡¯t you tired after going out for so long? You must have lost weight, right? Let¡¯s go to a nice restaurant. My treat, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I missed you!¡± Mila was extremely obedient and said coquettishly, ¡°I could only eat boxed lunch and the hotel¡¯s buffet. I¡¯ve wanted to come back for a feast for a long time. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯ve invited me!¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Shall we go to the Brocade Pavilion?¡± Jen suggested. Brocade Pavilion was an inexpensive and delicious restaurant. It was luxuriously decorated and was more suitable for gatherings with the elders. ¡°Great!¡± Mila immediately agreed. Actually, it didn¡¯t matter where they ate. She only wanted to chat with Jen. After hanging up, Mila immediately stopped smiling and threw the phone to Chaucer. Chaucer glanced at her. She was as obedient as a rabbit in front of his mother, but in front of him, she was like a hedgehog. The car slowly stopped at Brocade Pavilion. Chaucer and Mila walked in and asked for the innermost table. Jen had rushed over from the Chapman family¡¯s mansion and would need a while, so there were only the two of them at the dining table. Mila looked down at the menu, while Chaucer looked at the work message from Jason on his phone. There were many documents waiting for him to sign in the morning. Even if he was away for an hour, there might be an emergency waiting for him to deal with. As soon as Jen entered the room, she saw the couple was busy with their own things. Neither of them spoke. ¡°Chaucer, Mila.¡± Jen walked over with a smile. ¡°Mom! Come sit next to me!¡± Mila quickly pulled out a chair and let Jen sit next to her. Jen sensed the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right. After sitting down, she kicked Chaucer, telling him to stop playing with his phone. Chaucer placed his phone on the table, face down, and pursed his lips in resignation ¡°Mom, would you like to order?¡± Mila handed over the menu. ¡°You guys can order first. I can eat anything.¡± Jen said that, but she was very satisfied with her daughter-in-law¡¯s thoughtfulness. Jen didn¡¯t know Mila¡¯s preference, and she had never been to this restaurant before. She was quite troubled as she looked at the dazzling menu. ¡°The chestnut chicken stew, crispy tofu, beef with abalone gravy, honey roasted pork, and lettuce salad are all signature dishes here. You can try them.¡± Mila looked at the menu carefully just now and chose some that looked good. She thought if Jen didn¡¯t know what to order, she would give her some suggestions. ¡°We¡¯ll have what you said just now.¡± Jen smiled warmly and handed the menu to the waiter. ¡°And a pot of black tea.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The waiter took the menu and walked out. ¡°Mom, I bought you a scarf and some pastries in Oceania. Remind me to give them to you later.¡± Mila chose two silk scarves of the same style and different colors for her mother and mother-in-law. Although silk scarves could be bought anywhere, the colors of Oceania¡¯s silk scarves were brighter, and the fabric was thinner and softer. It was an ideal gift for a lady. ¡°Mila, you¡¯re so nice. You even buy me a gift when you go out to work.¡± Jen held Mila¡¯s hand with a smile. The more she looked at her daughter-in-law, the more satisfied she was. Actually, Jen had dozens of silk scarves in her closet, but Mila¡¯s thoughtful gift was the most precious. After all, Chaucer had never brought her a gift when he was on a business trip. Jen and Mila chatted enthusiastically, and not long after, all the dishes were served. ¡°Mila, have some more. You¡¯re too skinny.¡± Jen picked up a few pieces of meat for Mila, and the bowl was instantly filled. ¡°Everyone looks rounder on camera, so I have to control my weight. I didn¡¯t lose that much weight.¡± Actually, Mila didn¡¯t try to lose weight, but she didn¡¯t eat or sleep well in Oceania, so she naturally became thinner. Jen was very curious about the filming. She quickly asked, ¡°When will your show be broadcasted? I really want to watch it!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until we¡¯re done shooting. I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Great! In the future, when you¡¯re filming, can I go to the set to take a look? Actually, I¡¯ve always been very interested in filming. It¡¯s just that my family is full of intellectuals, so no one talks to me about this.¡± Jen was very interested and looked at her expectantly. Mila said without hesitation, ¡°Of course!¡± Chaucer quietly watched the two of them talk and smile. Mila had a face that the elderly people liked, and she was sweet and eloquent. With just a few words, she made his mother smile. After lunch, Chaucer got up and paid the bill. The three of them walked towards the parking lot. Mila opened the trunk, took out the gift she had prepared, and handed it to Jen. ¡°Mom, these are the scarves and pastries I bought for you and some tea for Dad.¡± Jen took the bag and praised Mila with a smile. Chaucer walked over at that moment. Mila said, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you ride with us? I can visit Dad and Grandpa too.¡± Jen was stunned for a moment and avoided her gaze. ¡°You just got off the plane and must be tired. Go home and have some rest. I¡¯ll take a taxi back by myself.¡± Chapter 37 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Mom, we¡¯ll be leaving then.¡± Chaucer got into the car. Jen waved at the two of them. ¡°Alright, go ahead. Mila, you¡¯ve just finished work. Let¡¯s go shopping tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Mila smiled and agreed. Although Chaucer had a strange personality, his family was easy to get along with. As Chaucer drove out of the parking lot, Mila asked in confusion, ¡°Chaucer, why didn¡¯t you send Mom home?¡± Mila felt Chaucer was a very caring son, so she felt it was a little strange that he would let her mother take a taxi home. ¡°She can go back on her own,¡± Chaucer replied calmly. Actually, the Chapman family¡¯s driver was already waiting in the parking lot. After they left, her mother would get into the car and leave, but Chaucer naturally wouldn¡¯t tell Mila the reason. Seeing that he still had that nonchalant attitude, Mila became even more dissatisfied and didn¡¯t speak again. Chaucer drove Mila back to Dragon Bay and returned to the office. Mila pushed open the door. She thought the house would definitely be in chaos after she was away for a month, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be as clean as when she left. She went into her bedroom and peered inside. The tiles and tabletops were all clean. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Chaucer would clean the rooms!¡± Mila sighed, but she had no idea the servants of the Chapman family came here every day to clean. Mila unpacked her luggage and threw all her clothes into the washing machine. Then, she took out her cosmetics and placed them on the dressing table. After that, she leaned against the sofa and wanted to watch the television. She also logged into ¡°Milassima¡±. She had stopped updating for a month. Many followers had left comments, asking her what had happened recently and why she had stopped updating. Mila leaned on the sofa and thought for a moment. She decided to upload a video of making a rose cake. As she had been filming for the past month, she hadn¡¯t had any sweets. She missed cakes after not eating them for so long. However, she didn¡¯t have everything she needed at home and had to go to the supermarket to buy some. Just as she was about to go out, Mila suddenly remembered many people had watched the promotion live-stream ¡°Painful Love¡±. Although she wasn¡¯t famous now, someone should recognize her. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she wore black-framed glasses and a mask. Mila went out with her bag and walked around the supermarket. She bought some ingredients for making cakes and some groceries. After returning home, Mila set up a camera in the kitchen and prepared to start making cakes. She first took out three eggs from the fridge and separated the egg white from the yolk, then placed the egg white in the fridge. Mila stirred an equal proportion of milk and corn oil evenly, sifted in the cake flour, and poured the egg yolks into the mix. The cold egg white was added to the lemon juice and whipped up with the eggbeater. Then, she mixed everything and put it in the oven. Thirty minutes later, the room was filled with the fragrance of the cake. After a while, the oven made a Ding-Dong sound, and the cake was ready to be taken out. Mila cut the cake and began to cream it. In the middle, she squeezed in the strawberry jam she made and laid it out layer by layer. Finally, she washed the red roses and inserted them into the cake. She also sprinkled some petals on the cake to create some layers. Mila looked at the cake and smiled in satisfaction. Then, she started editing the video. By the time she finished editing and uploading it, it was already past four in the afternoon. Mila had wanted to sleep for a while after posting the video, but Chaucer was coming back soon, so she didn¡¯t have the time. She could only take a break on the balcony, drinking black tea and eating the cake she had just made while admiring the beautiful scenery outside the window. A gentle breeze blew past, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers. The light of the setting sun shone on the glass, refracting specks of light. It was getting dark. Mila saw it was almost seven o¡¯clock, but Chaucer still hadn¡¯t returned home. Mila took out her phone and called him. ¡°When are you coming home? Will you be home for dinner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with my friends tonight. Don¡¯t wait for me,¡± Chaucer said. ¡°Okay,¡± Mila replied. Hearing Chaucer mention his friend, Mila remembered they didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s social circles and had never met each other¡¯s friends. Since Chaucer wouldn¡¯t come back for dinner, Mila couldn¡¯t be bothered to cook. She made some noodles and fried an egg. During dinner, Mila couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was the right decision to marry Chaucer. As soon as this question appeared in her mind, Mila quickly shook her head. Since they were already married, why should she think about that? It would only make her even more troubled. Chapter 38 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After dinner, Mila took a shower and went to bed. On the other hand, Chaucer and her good friend Eason hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, and Chaucer ended up drinking too much. Eason had to make sure Chaucer returned home safely. However, Chaucer was barely conscious. He only said he wanted to return to Dragon Bay but didn¡¯t say the exact location. Eason had no choice but to take out Chaucer¡¯s phone and unlock it with Chaucer¡¯s fingerprint. Then, he called the number with the name ¡°Mrs. Chapman¡±. At first, Eason thought the number belonged to Chaucer¡¯s mother, but when the call went through, he heard a slightly irritable woman¡¯s voice. Mila was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly woken up by her phone. She picked it up angrily and bellowed, ¡°Chaucer, what¡¯s wrong with you?! Why are you calling me at this hour?¡± Mila was usually a mild person, but once someone disturbed her sleep, she could explode immediately. Eason, who was holding the phone, was stunned. Mila asked impatiently, ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°Um¡­ are you Chaucer¡¯s family?¡± Hearing the stranger¡¯s voice, Mila immediately woke up and sat up abruptly. Her voice also became gentle. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Mila¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, ¡°What happened to Chaucer? Did he get into a car accident?¡± Eason was speechless. Did this woman have a grudge against Chaucer? Couldn¡¯t she say something nice? ¡°No! He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s just drunk,¡± Eason explained immediately. ¡°My name is Eason. I¡¯m Chaucer¡¯s friend. We¡¯re at the entrance of Dragon Bay. Where exactly is his place? I¡¯ll send him back home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. You scared me back there.¡± Mila heaved a sigh of relief and immediately told Eason her home address. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± After hanging up, Mila got up and found a long dress to put on. She turned on the lights in the living room and sat on the sofa to wait for Chaucer to come back. After a while, she heard approaching footsteps. Mila immediately stood up and walked to the door. Looking out through the peephole, she saw a tall and handsome man supporting Chaucer as he walked. Eason was about to knock when Mila pushed the door open. ¡°H-hello.¡± A trace of shock flashed across Eason¡¯s eyes as he looked at the stunning woman. ¡°Thank you for sending Chaucer back.¡± Mila expressed her gratitude first, then said mildly, ¡°Chaucer is drunk, so I won¡¯t invite you in. It¡¯s already so late, you should get back home.¡± ¡°Okay, but can you manage him?¡± Eason glanced at the petite woman. She looked so soft and weak that she couldn¡¯t even lift a bucket of water. Could she help Chaucer walk? ¡°I can.¡± With that, Mila took Chaucer from Eason and put Chaucer¡¯s arm around her shoulder. She held Chaucer¡¯s waist with one hand and helped him into the room. Mila threw him on the bed and returned to the living room. Seeing that Eason hadn¡¯t left, she said goodbye softly and closed the door. Eason walked to the entrance of the district in a daze. When he got into the car, he remembered he still didn¡¯t know who this woman was to Chaucer. However, the name on Chaucer¡¯s phone was ¡°Mrs. Chapman¡±, so she was probably his girlfriend. When Mila passed by Chaucer¡¯s room, she paused and went into the bedroom in resignation. She helped him take off his suit jacket, shoes, and socks, then put a blanket over him before going back to bed. The next day, it was already nine o¡¯clock when Mila opened her eyes. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she changed into her loungewear and walked out of her room. The door of the master bedroom was still closed. It was rare for Chaucer to sleep in. Mila went to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. She made two bowls of seafood porridge and steamed a few buns and shrimp dumplings. After breakfast, she suddenly remembered Chaucer was drunk last night, so she made him a glass of honey water. Chaucer woke up in the bedroom, still wearing the clothes from last night, which emitted a strong smell of alcohol. He immediately got up, took a shower, changed his clothes, and left the room. Mila was tidying up the kitchen. When she saw him come out, she quickly brought out the breakfast that was kept warm in the pot. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chaucer thought Mila was still angry with him and wouldn¡¯t prepare breakfast for him, but when he woke up, there was a delicious breakfast in the kitchen. ¡°Eat it before it gets cold.¡± Mila placed the honey water in front of Chaucer and said softly, ¡°You must have a headache from the hangover. You¡¯ll be fine after having some honey water.¡± Chaucer was indeed a little dizzy. He picked up the glass and took two sips. Not only did she make breakfast, but she also made honey water for him. She seemed to really care about him. Chapter 39 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Chaucer ate his breakfast and couldn¡¯t help but think of what happened last night. Although he was drunk, he knew Mila had helped him to the bed, but she left after covering him with the blanket. She didn¡¯t do anything overboard at all. At this moment, Chaucer also felt what he said in the car the day before had hurt Mila. If she really had the intention, she could have slept in his bed while he was drunk and pretended to have had sex with him, but Mila didn¡¯t do anything. At the thought of this, Chaucer said sincerely, ¡°Mila, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said those things yesterday.¡± Mila turned around and looked at Chaucer in surprise. She didn¡¯t expect Chaucer to apologize so sincerely. Moreover, Chaucer used to call her in a serious tone, but this time, he called her in an intimate way. The simple words instantly closed the distance between them. Mila smiled happily. ¡°Seeing how sincere you are, I¡¯ll forgive you!¡± Mila had been unhappy since yesterday. Now that she heard Chaucer¡¯s apology, the gloominess in her heart was instantly swept away. After Chaucer finished breakfast, Mila cleaned up the dishes. Seeing that he was going to work, Mila said with concern, ¡°You were drunk last night. Don¡¯t drive today.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll leave the keys here. You can take the car in the afternoon when you go shopping.¡± After saying that, Chaucer placed the car keys on the cabinet at the entrance. Mila smiled gently. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make a feast tonight. Come back early!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± When Chaucer went out, the corners of his lips curled up unconsciously. He suddenly felt so blessed to have someone waiting for him to go home for dinner. Mila finished watching a drama at home and was about to eat something before going shopping. Just as she was about to enter the kitchen, Laila suddenly called and said she wanted to have lunch with Mila. Laila was usually very busy and wouldn¡¯t suddenly want to have lunch with Mila. Mila guessed that Laila had something to discuss her work. Mila agreed and immediately got ready. They were going to meet at a restaurant near Dragon Bay. Laila entered the private room first. After a while, Mila arrived. As soon as she entered, she went straight to the point. ¡°Laila, you aren¡¯t here for lunch, right? Did something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I just want to ask you some personal questions. After getting off the plane yesterday, you said someone was picking you up. Was that your boyfriend?¡± Laila asked bluntly. ¡°No.¡± Hearing Mila¡¯s answer, Laila felt relieved. The next second, Mila said lightly, ¡°It was my husband.¡± ¡°What?¡± Laila¡¯s surprised voice turned sharp as she looked at Mila in shock. ¡°Mila, that¡¯s not funny!¡± ¡°Laila, I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Your information shows you¡¯re single! When did you get married?¡± When Laila took over Mila, she carefully read Mila¡¯s information and memorized it all. She clearly remembered Mila was unmarried. Mila smiled in embarrassment. ¡°I got married not long ago. I told Jane back then.¡± As an artist, she couldn¡¯t hide her marriage status from her manager. Hence, after getting married, Mila immediately told her previous manager, Jane, about this. However, Jane never took it to heart and didn¡¯t put it in the system. That was why Laila always thought Mila was still single. ¡°Mila, what does your husband do? Is he also in the entertainment industry?¡± Laila asked seriously. She had to understand the situation first. If that information ever got exposed, she could immediately think of a countermeasure. ¡°He¡¯s not from the industry. He has started his own business and is the head of a small firm. We haven¡¯t had a wedding ceremony yet. Only our families and a few friends know about our relationship,¡± Mila answered sincerely. ¡°Are you going to have a baby?¡± Laila asked another question. Since the they were married, they had to face the possibility of having children. Mila¡¯s career was on the rise. It wasn¡¯t a good choice to have children right now. Mila immediately replied, ¡°Not within a year. If we¡¯re going to have a baby, we¡¯ll tell you in advance.¡± She and Chaucer were only married in name. Until now, they had never slept together. They were more like roommates. Naturally, it was impossible to have children. However, Mila didn¡¯t sound too definite. After all, who could say for sure what would happen in the future? ¡°Just keep that in mind. You should know I¡¯ve already arranged variety shows and advertisements for you. Once you¡¯re pregnant, you have to stop working. Not only will it involve breaching the contract, but it will also affect your reputation,¡± Laila reminded Mila. Chapter 40 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Variety shows?¡± Mila had never thought that she could participate in variety shows. After all, actors who could participate in them were all relatively famous, and she couldn¡¯t even get a role back then. ¡°That¡¯s right! Variety shows have been very popular these past few years. Several actors became A-list ones because they went on variety shows.¡± Mila also agreed with this. She rarely watched variety shows, but many celebrities¡¯ popularity came from them. Laila continued. ¡°That drama may take a year to air. If you participate in variety shows in advance and increase your popularity, you¡¯ll be able to attract a large number of fans when the drama airs.¡± Processing the show would take a month, and the production team would also have to edit, dub, delete, and carry out other operations. Together, they would take at least three months. If the show didn¡¯t pass the review, it would need to be rectified and wait for another two to three months. Hence, Laila wasn¡¯t sure when it would be broadcasted. ¡°Thank you, Laila, for being so considerate.¡± Mila looked at Laila gratefully. It was great to have a responsible manager. She had arranged all Mila¡¯s work for her, and Mila didn¡¯t have to worry at all. ¡°Miria, you have to prepare your husband for the secret marriage. As a female artist, you can be exposed at any time. When the time comes, you¡¯ll have to clarify your marriage to the public.¡± Mila¡¯s expression was a little solemn as she nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± She knew Chaucer definitely didn¡¯t want to make the marriage public. Once that happened¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be seen with your husband, be more careful.¡± It was best for them not to appear in public together. That way, they wouldn¡¯t be discovered. ¡°I understand.¡± Mila agreed obediently. At this moment, the dishes they ordered were served. The two of them stopped talking about the subject and switched to light topics. After lunch, Mila went home to change her clothes before driving Chaucer¡¯s car out. While waiting for the red light, Mila looked around the car. Chaucer¡¯s car was a little too new, and there were no signs of anyone using it. However, Mila didn¡¯t think too much about it. She just felt Chaucer liked the cleanliness and loved his new car, so she maintained it very well. Ten minutes later, Mila arrived at the mall where she had agreed to meet Jen. As soon as she parked the car, she saw Jen walking over. Mila waved her hand happily and quickly went forward to greet Jen. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Hey! Mila, why are you driving Chaucer¡¯s car today?¡± Jen held Mila¡¯s hand and asked casually. ¡°He drank with his friend last night and wasn¡¯t feeling well. I was afraid it wouldn¡¯t be safe for him to drive, so I asked him to take a taxi to the office,¡± Mila explained. ¡°Mila, you¡¯re so considerate!¡± Jen could tell Mila was obedient and sensible, and she was also very attentive. With such a person by Chaucer¡¯s side, she could be at ease. ¡°Mila, how about we go upstairs to buy some clothes first, then go to the supermarket?¡± The Chapman family had servants to purchase their groceries. Jen didn¡¯t have many opportunities to go to the supermarket, but she found it refreshing to shop once in a while. Mila immediately agreed, ¡°Great!¡± The Tycoon Mall was a large shopping mall with a wide audience. The prices varied and could satisfy everyone¡¯s needs. There were restaurants and a movie theater upstairs, and there was a supermarket under the mall. Jen didn¡¯t dare to ask Mila to go to the supermarket of Fortune Corporation. After all, she was the president¡¯s mother. It would be awkward if someone recognized her. Then, Mila followed Jen into a men¡¯s clothing store. The shop assistant immediately walked over enthusiastically and recommended the new stocks in the store. Jen picked out two coats and turned around. ¡°Mila, which one do you think looks better?¡± She was holding two coats of different colors. The style was more conservative and solemn. Mila knew they were for Chaucer¡¯s father, so she chose the gray one. Mila looked around casually and was immediately attracted by a black shirt. This shirt looked especially domineering on a tall model with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, making Mila think of Chaucer. Chaucer was also in great shape. He was especially handsome in a suit, but he had always worn white shirts. She wondered if he would like a black one. Jen couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw Mila staring at the shirt. ¡°Mila, why don¡¯t you pick one for Chaucer too?¡± Mila was surprised and said embarrassedly, ¡°But I¡­ I don¡¯t know which size to buy.¡± The two of them had been married for more than two months. Mila had almost no physical contact with Chaucer, let alone know his size. Moreover, she had never bought men¡¯s clothes and didn¡¯t know much about men¡¯s sizes.