CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 101: SLEPT ON THE SAME BED

Caleb Lockwood’s voice was neither cold nor warm, always making it hard for Serena Jennings to discern his emotions.

"Of course not."

She answered.

She and Caleb Lockwood would be getting divorced in just a few days, she wasn’t going to delude herself.

The emperor blue Bentley pulled into the service area, and Serena realized Caleb intended for them to spend the night here.

"You don’t really need to inconvenience yourself like this."

Upon hearing Serena’s words, Caleb turned his head, his cold eyes showing a hint of puzzlement.

Serena quickly explained, "I mean... you probably won’t be comfortable staying here... so you don’t have to force yourself to accompany me to a place like this."

"Then where should I stay?" Caleb asked indifferently.

From what Serena knew of Caleb, staying at a simple motel in the service area was beneath him.

"A five-star hotel?"

After Serena spoke, she heard Caleb let out a light chuckle.

The sky was dark, clouds thick, but there were signs that the rain was diminishing.

Before entering the motel, Serena opened the umbrella first, and then the car trunk.

Caleb had appeared behind her at some point and took the umbrella from her hand.

Serena turned her head.

Behind her, Caleb said nothing, quietly holding the umbrella for her despite his own shoulder getting wet.

Serena felt a strange pang in her chest, took a deep breath, and smelled the cool, damp scent of rain.

"Thank you..."

"You’re welcome."

The conversation was very formal and polite, yet Caleb’s tone was gentle, much like the way they had been respectful towards each other before the discovery of the form.

Serena sighed silently, bending down to carefully check the jade stone in the trunk.

"I want to move it into the room..."

As she spoke, she looked at Caleb, instinctively seeking his opinion.

"Why?" Caleb asked.

"This stone is very important and expensive, I’m afraid it’ll get lost..."

After Serena spoke, she saw Caleb lower his eyes and smile wryly.

"Do you think this little motel is safer than my car?"

Serena opened her mouth, realizing she was being overly worried.

"Besides, the cultural department’s leaders have already decided to use Claire’s design."

As soon as Caleb finished speaking, Serena’s eyes widened.

"Disappointed?"

"A little..."

Serena lowered her head slightly, her face unable to hide her disappointment.

When closing the trunk, Caleb saw Serena still looking uneasy.

"Still not giving up?"

Serena was stunned and forced a bitter smile.

"I’ve given up... since they’ve decided to use Claire Shaw’s design..."

"So you shouldn’t have bothered from the start."

Caleb’s calm voice didn’t sound like he was mocking her, and Serena replied softly with "Hmm."

The two entered the motel to check-in, when asked if they needed a single room, Serena answered "No," while Caleb answered "Yes."

Caleb glanced at Serena and told the receptionist, "One room."

"Would you prefer a king bed or twin beds?"

Serena originally wanted to say "twin beds," but Caleb spoke first again:

"King bed."

Serena looked at Caleb, but Caleb didn’t look at her.

As a result, the two people who were about to divorce ended up sleeping on the same bed in a small motel at a highway service area.

Although Serena had been wary, she didn’t think Caleb would want to do anything to her in such a place.

Indeed, she was right. Caleb lay on the bed motionless after taking a shower.

Serena lay on the other side.

The small king bed room was silent.

Serena seemed to hear her heartbeat.

She turned over and forced herself to sleep.

Just as she thought Caleb had fallen asleep, she heard a light "Good night" from behind.

Unbeknownst to her, Serena fell asleep; perhaps she was too exhausted from traveling these past few days, she overslept until late morning.

When she woke up, Caleb was already dressed and had brought breakfast.

"There’s only the KFC meal here, make do with it!"

"It’s really fine."

Serena wouldn’t look down on a KFC meal, even if it was a premade meal.

She was more concerned that Caleb wouldn’t be comfortable with it.

The two ate burgers face to face in the narrow guest room. Several times, Serena wanted to ask Caleb if his stomach problems had resurfaced lately.

But when the words got to her mouth, she thought she was being too concerned; Caleb had Claire Shaw taking care of him, she needn’t bother.

She and Caleb...

Could only be described as a fateful encounter.

After the meal, the two continued on their journey.

The rain had stopped, and Caleb was speeding up the car quite a bit, though Serena’s heart no longer felt anxious.

Because the project no longer required her stone.

One round trip, after more than a week had passed, when Serena again saw Claire Shaw at the Lockwood Group, Claire’s eyes gleamed with triumph.

"The leaders have already decided to use my design; it’s a shame you made a pointless trip."

"There’s nothing to regret."

After Serena spoke and was about to leave, Claire blocked her way.

"I know it was Caleb who brought you back."

"Oh..."

Serena reacted indifferently, making Claire grit her teeth.

"Caleb just happened to be on a business trip out of town, you really got lucky to bump into him."

Serena didn’t intend to engage with Claire, but seeing how much Claire cared about this, a plan formed in her mind.

"Do you really believe Caleb just accidentally bumped into me?"

"What do you mean?"

Seeing Claire taking the bait, Serena smiled brightly, her whole demeanor exuding a composed and confident aura.

"Caleb deliberately came to pick me up; he was worried for my safety."

"Impossible! You two are about to divorce!"

Claire indeed became anxious, and Serena calmly countered:

"What if we don’t get divorced?"

Watching Claire’s expression twist into an ugly grimace as if she’d eaten a bug, Serena felt great.

She and Caleb were definitely going to divorce.

But before that, letting Claire suffer was quite enjoyable.

Serena’s words indeed stirred significant turmoil in Claire’s heart.

If Caleb did start caring for Serena and didn’t divorce her...

Biting her thumb, Claire paced back and forth in the meeting room, troubled.

She hadn’t slept all night, and just past eight the next morning, she came alone to City A’s First High School—

Her alma mater.

Also Caleb Lockwood’s alma mater.

In the golden autumn, City A’s First High School celebrated its centennial anniversary, inviting Caleb Lockwood, one of their most outstanding graduates, to give a speech, receiving a warm welcome from teachers and students.

After the speech, Caleb left the auditorium.

The two rows of lush ginkgo trees in front of the auditorium had turned yellow, their leaves rustling down, like a thin golden velvet carpet laid on the stone steps.

Unintentionally, Caleb noticed a figure.

A woman.

The woman was cycling down the ginkgo tree-shaded path.

She wore a ponytail and was dressed in a beige sports outfit, her smile bright, radiating an incongruous youthful aura.