“And even if it’s just the two of us—what, are you afraid I’ll eat you alive?”Joseph cleared his throat, flustered. “That’s not what I meant. If that’s how it is, then fine. I’ve got work anyway, might as well get it done at home.”“Our work’s the same, remember?” Mason added, raising her brows. “Professor Sanchez already sent everything to our emails. You should’ve received it too.”“It’s Charles Martin’s academic records, his papers, research results, and some experimental data.”Joseph quickly opened his inbox to check—sure enough, the files had arrived.“Working from home is fine,” Joseph muttered. “But I only have a desktop in my bedroom, no laptop. And if we’re working together… in my room… that’s just weird.”Mason shot him a look. “What’s so weird about it? A room is for sleeping, yes, but it’s also for working.”“Mr. Wilson, what exactly are you thinking? Or are you worried you’ll lose control and try something inappropriate while working?”Joseph sat up straight, exasperate

"Only questionable data requires experimental verification. If it's fine, there's no need to re-test it," Joseph replied without looking up."How can you tell just by looking? What, do you think I’m a computer? I don’t have every set of data memorized, nor can I instantly calculate the right results," Mason grumbled."My memory’s not bad. Professor Martin’s data, results, clinical outcomes—I may have worked on or read them before. Once I finish my own work, I’ll take a look for you," Joseph said, glancing at her."Really?" Mason’s eyes lit up."Just a look. If I spot any problems at a glance, I’ll point them out. That way, you won’t have to go through it line by line," Joseph clarified."That’s already a huge help. It’ll save me so much time and boost my efficiency," Mason said, warmth spreading through her chest. Her admiration for Joseph grew.This man might look sluggish most of the time, but when it mattered—he delivered.That’s what a real man was: someone who came through when i

“What precious treasure? I have no idea what you're talking about! Let me go!” Alice struggled against Mason, clearly flustered. “You said it last time!” Mason pressed, unwilling to let the matter drop. “I was talking about the plush toy Joseph won for me at the amusement park! It’s right there—see it for yourself.” Alice glanced toward the corner of the room. Following her gaze, Mason turned and saw the stuffed toy on a shelf. “This? You already told me about this! So this is your so-called ‘precious treasure’? I thought it was something... else.” She released Alice, but her gaze slyly drifted downward—settling on Alice’s ample chest with a look so roguish it made Alice instinctively cross her arms. Something about Mason’s eyes always felt suspiciously

Then her father leaned in, eyes gleaming with curiosity.“Sweetheart, are you still seeing that Professor Wilson?”“Of course. He just left. I walked him to the elevator,” Mason answered nonchalantly.“What?! He’s not your boyfriend? Why didn’t you let him stay the night?” Her father’s tone turned urgent, while her mother’s face twisted into something between agony and disbelief—like her daughter had just turned down a billion-dollar lottery ticket.“Mom, what are you talking about? He’s a grown man—how could he just sleep over at my place? That’d be so inappropriate!” Mason Alvarez sighed, exasperated.“He’s your boyfriend. What’s inappropriate about that?” her father chimed in without missing a beat.“Oh, come on, Dad, Mom—I’m not even sure what’s going on between me and Professor Wilson yet!” “What if we don’t get along in the end? Wouldn’t I be at a huge loss?” Mason tried her best to explain, though her heart was anything but calm. As if she didn’t want Joseph to stay the nig

Just then, a transfer notification popped up. > “Your friend Dorothy has sent you $50,000.” Pfft! Heidi nearly sprayed tea all over her phone. Just like that? She actually paid up? She had expected a bit of haggling—a round of back-and-forth before the money arrived. But this girl sent the full payment without blinking. Heidi quickly typed: “??” Dorothy responded almost immediately: > “What, you think that’s not enough?” "Huh? No, it’s not that it’s not enough. It’s just... this money was way too easy to earn. Are you sure the stuff I submitted is really that useful?" Heidi replied in her usual blunt manner. Despite growing up in luxury, she’d always been frugal. In