CHAPTER 129: CHAPTER 129: LET ME BORROW YOUR WIFE FOR A WHILE

Serena’s heart involuntarily felt a slight touch.

Before, she had made dumplings for Caleb Lockwood many times, with all sorts of fillings: pork and cabbage, pork and celery, pork and mushrooms, beef and onions, lamb and zucchini, and more.

Caleb had never said they tasted bad.

But he had also never said they tasted good.

Even after being married for three years, Serena still didn’t know what type of dumpling Caleb liked best.

Yet now, at the brink of divorce, Caleb said he was craving her dumplings. Serena didn’t know why, but she found it a bit ironic.

"You can eat Claire’s dumplings in the future; I’m sure they taste better than mine."

Serena said coldly.

She heard Caleb sigh beside her.

She didn’t understand why Caleb sighed.

It seemed like he was disappointed.

Disappointed in her.

Serena shrugged her shoulders.

Whether Caleb was disappointed or not had nothing to do with her.

"Wyatt Coleman has resigned."

Caleb said this out of nowhere.

Serena took a moment to react, realizing that Caleb’s "Wyatt Coleman" was probably the chief lawyer at the Lockwood Group, Lawyer Coleman.

She turned to look at Caleb, who was gazing ahead.

"So, I’ve hired a new lawyer. The divorce papers... will be given to you after you return from LD Jewelry Fashion Week."

Caleb said it very calmly, with an imperturbable expression that Serena couldn’t discern what he was thinking.

Although the process was taking longer than she expected, at least she got a concrete date.

LD Jewelry Fashion Week...

She still hadn’t figured out her new theme.

Caleb glanced at Serena out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you worrying about?"

"Nothing."

Serena shook her head.

Caleb didn’t press further.

As they walked out of the rest building, Serena’s phone suddenly rang.

The caller display showed an unknown number, but there was no spam call warning.

"Hello?" Serena answered the call.

"I’m at the entrance of the nursing home, they’re not letting me in."

The opening statement left Serena bewildered.

"Who is this?"

"Can’t you guess from my voice?"

The other person’s tone was flippant, making Serena a bit annoyed.

"If you don’t say, I’ll hang up."

Just as Serena was about to hang up, she heard the person laugh twice and say:

"You just threw me over your shoulder recently, and now you don’t remember? Truly abandoning me!"

Serena understood then; the person was Ian Blackwood.

As she and Caleb approached the gate, Ian’s tall figure became increasingly clear.

"Hi."

Across the European-style wrought iron gate, Ian put down his phone and greeted Serena with a smile.

Ignoring Caleb.

Caleb asked Serena:

"Did you arrange to meet him?"

The voice didn’t fluctuate, yet it felt like a sudden chill, dropping several degrees.

"No."

Serena shook her head.

She was also puzzled about how Ian found this place.

But considering Ian was also a scion of a wealthy family, it wasn’t surprising he had his ways.

Serena just couldn’t figure out why Ian came here looking for her.

Was it to take revenge for her flipping him over last time, leaving him on his back?

The door opened, and Serena and Caleb walked out to face Ian.

Ian pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and finally looked at Caleb.

"Mind if I borrow your wife?"

Ian looked scholarly and refined, but his words easily led to misunderstanding.

"Ian, please speak properly."

Seeing Serena’s eyebrows lift in anger, Ian instead squinted at Serena’s face, as if her angry expression suited him.

"Suit yourself."

Caleb tossed out these three words and turned away.

This indifferent reaction didn’t surprise Serena.

"By the way..."

As he brushed past Serena, he softly reminded her:

"If he bullies you, remember to call me."

Serena watched Caleb’s distant back, unable to describe her feeling.

Ian silently watched Serena, his eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses cold and stern.

"He loves Claire, not you, so don’t be so pathetic."

Serena snapped back to reality, frowning at Ian.

"What do you want from me?"

"Wait a moment."

Ian took out a large bouquet from his car trunk, beautifully packaged red roses.

"For you."

It felt natural how Ian presented the flowers.

"Thorny red roses suit you; I specifically had the florist leave the thorns."

Serena felt puzzled.

Ian gifting her flowers was already strange, but not having the thorns removed was even stranger.

"Sorry, I’m allergic to pollen."

Serena spoke honestly.

"Really?" Ian tilted his head, "You’re not just making an excuse not to accept them?"

"No, I really am allergic to pollen."

Being watched by Ian made Serena feel uncomfortable.

After a moment, Ian said, "Alright."

Serena thought Ian would take the flowers back, but instead, she watched as he plucked the blooming rose centers one by one.

Serena was stunned.

She opened her mouth, inhaling sharply.

The reason she didn’t stop Ian was that she felt it wouldn’t matter what she said; Ian wouldn’t listen.

Ian was pulling out the rose centers with his bare hands, the thorns cutting his hand in many places.

Only after removing the centers from all ninety-nine red roses did Ian stop.

"Now there’s no pollen."

Ian handed the rose bouquet to Serena again.

Serena was in disbelief.

The roses with their centers plucked had lost all shape, the petals scattered on the ground.

"The thorny green stems suit you... isn’t this another type of rose blooming among thorns?"

Ian smiled knowingly.

Serena thought Ian had a way with words at times.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head.

"Sorry, Ian, I have to go."

Ian: ???

He’d gone through the trouble of plucking ninety-nine rose centers to please Serena, hoping she’d grace him with her company for a meal.

But after Serena said this, she turned and ran, sprinting away.

However, even after running far, she didn’t forget to wave at him and call out loudly:

"Thank you!"

Ian watched Serena hurriedly leave, pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses once more.

"... Thank me for what?"

He couldn’t make sense of it, but his lips curled into an increasingly broad smile.

Not far away.

In the imperial blue Bentley, Caleb sat in the driver’s seat, silently gazing outside through the clear windshield for a long time.

He saw Ian hand Serena a large bouquet of red roses.

He saw Ian tear apart the roses with his bare hands.

He also saw Serena laugh.

Caleb felt he hadn’t seen Serena laugh for a while.

At least, she hadn’t laughed in front of him.

Finally, he saw Serena leave Ian alone.

The cold lines on Caleb’s face relaxed a bit, and he finally started the car.

Meanwhile, Serena was driving her white BMW 3 Series toward the studio.

"Hello? Quentin Xavier, help me purchase some fluorite, I have an idea."