"Professor Alvarez, you misunderstood. I just didn’t control my volume," Joseph said awkwardly, trying to explain himself."Then why do you always seem so dismissive of me? Why are you constantly arguing with me? Do you have some sort of bias against me?" Mason Alvarez pressed on, clearly aggrieved."You’ve really got it wrong. Honestly, I think you’re a great person—easygoing and down-to-earth. Being around you, I don’t feel the need to put on airs." Joseph replied earnestly."Is that really how you feel?" Mason’s voice softened, her gaze growing gentler."Of course it is. Why would I lie about something like that? I wouldn’t have agreed to help you dodge that blind date otherwise, would I? And besides, you’re close with Alice. Any friend of hers is a friend of mine." Joseph spoke without hesitation."Then, Professor Wilson... why don’t we date?" Mason’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she made the unexpected suggestion.Joseph froze, completely taken aback."Hey, what’s with th

"Don’t worry, Charles. You know how close I am with your mother. If you truly like my daughter, I’ll help you. But I need you to cooperate too. You understand what I mean, don’t you?" Maria’s voice lowered meaningfully."I understand, I completely understand." A glint of satisfaction flickered in Charles Martin’s eyes as he listened to Maria Long’s words.As long as Fiona and Heidi moved into his villa, even if he couldn’t win their hearts, he was determined to possess their bodies."As long as you understand our intentions, that’s all that matters." "Alright then, we won’t keep you any longer. Let’s leave it at that for now." With the matter settled, Maria Long ended the call, her tone filled with smug contentment.After hanging up, Charles Martin’s expression darkened with a sinister edge. "Joseph, you’ve been married for three years and haven’t even touched Fiona’s hand. When I finally have her, I'll make sure to flaunt it in your face.""And Heidi—that wretched woman who’s ne

"You're so annoying. You clearly know what I mean, yet you're pretending not to."Alice gave Joseph a playful punch on the chest, her voice tinged with flirtatious reproach.Joseph took a moment to process her words. It was only then that the meaning registered."Ahem... so, do you want to?" He asked softly, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.Upon hearing this, Alice buried her face shyly into Joseph's chest."I don't know. I've never tried it... so I want to. I just don't know what it feels like." Her voice was barely audible, muffled against his chest. Though her dorm mates often joked lewdly, this was the first time she had ever talked about such things with a man.She wasn’t even sure where her courage had come from—to say these things to Joseph."So that means you do want to." Seeing her bashful expression, Joseph suddenly found himself less embarrassed."Sometimes I think about it..." Alice murmured, then added with uncharacteristic boldness, "That old hag Mason Alvarez said

"What gap between people are you talking about?" "People aren’t all that different—it’s just a matter of methodology. Once you grasp the right approach, your efficiency naturally improves." Joseph smiled as he spoke."Then you have to teach me!" Alice pouted. "I thought I was already ahead of my classmates, but with your help, I feel like I can finish the entire theoretical part of this project tonight if I work another two hours.""Tomorrow, I’ll head to the lab, and that should wrap things up. The core of this project is theoretical anyway—the experimental part is minimal.""That’s great. Come on, let’s eat first." Joseph suggested.Alice agreed and took her seat at the table."Joseph, try this!" She beamed, placing a bite of food into his bowl."Delicious. You've improved a lot. At this rate, you could be a head chef at a hotel!" Joseph took a bite and praised her sincerely."Really?" Alice’s face lit up like a blooming flower."Of course." Joseph replied with certainty."Hm

"Huh? What did you say?" Molly finally registered Mason Morgan’s words, her face flushing an even deeper shade of red.She had been lost in a swirl of thoughts—fanciful, chaotic musings that made her momentarily forget where she was, or what Mason had said."I asked why your face is so red. Are you feeling unwell?" Mason repeated patiently."Really? I don’t think so. I feel fine—maybe the kitchen was just a bit too warm." Molly touched her cheeks, trying to explain away her embarrassment."Molly, I feel like there’s a surge of energy rushing straight to my head." Mason suddenly pulled her into his arms, their bodies pressed close together."Ah!" Molly let out a soft gasp at the sudden embrace."Alright, stop fooling around. You’re not supposed to overexert yourself—wait until your body fully recovers." She gently straightened his collar, her face still tinged with shyness."How about we go get our marriage certificate in the next couple of days? That way, we’ll finally be offici