CHAPTER 330: AN UNEXPECTED ACT OF GRATITUDE

Four days had passed after what happened with Alhai and Coco.

Alhai had never spoken about what happened and stayed quiet about it, but the tension and awareness were there since that fateful night.

The other husbands sensed that something had changed about how Alhai treats Coco, but they were quite clueless on what changed because Coco would leave the house early in the morning and would come back late at night.

The only difference between Coco’s behavior since then is the way she started avoiding the four of them altogether.

What’s more confusing is that she would leave the garden fairy back in the house with the husbands when she usually has the red fairy with her wherever she goes, but now? Lala can be seen hovering near the front door, waiting for Coco like a dog.

They could sense that something was wrong, but how can they ask Coco about it when she seems like she’s barely aware of the present?

Just like now, Coco has descended the staircase with quiet and quick footsteps.

Zaque and Heiren had learned to wake up earlier than Coco so they could catch her before she could leave the house, but when they did catch her on her way out, she could barely pay them any attention.

"Coco, here’s a packed lunch for.." Heiren called out, rushing out of the kitchen with two containers in his hand.

Heiren’s words slowly died down the middle of his sentence as she turned to face him, her eyes devoid of any warmth and her face a mask of emptiness.

Heiren’s face paled, the color draining from his complexion as he took in the sight of Coco’s empty expression.

The change in her demeanor sent a shiver of concern coursing through his spine, making his hands tremble involuntarily as he kept extending the lunch boxes towards her.

He couldn’t help, but wonder what could have caused such a drastic change in her demeanor because he was sure that she left the house five days ago looking happy like usual.

Did something happen while she was out with Sinclair, Zaque, and Quizen? But the three of them assured him that nothing unusual happened except for the fact that Coco was happy about her new skill, or whatever that is.

In fact, the two mediators described how she was jumping and bouncing on her feet for half of the day.

Heiren shifted on his feet, swallowing thickly as Coco stared at the lunch boxes, her gaze briefly darting to them before returning to Heiren.

"Thank you." She murmured, her voice barely registering above a whisper.

There was no warmth, no familiar lilt in her usual tone, no usual cheerfulness she would normally give to him whenever he gets to pack something for her to eat.

Instead, her voice was flat and detached, the words coming out in a single-note monotone, as if stripped of any capability to express emotions— something that made Heiren feeling distress because she was always cheerful, so he couldn’t help, but wince at the lack of warmth in her response.

Coco took the boxes from Heiren, her hands pausing mid-air for a moment then, she moved the bag to her left hand and reached for Heiren, her cold fingers gently enveloping his warm ones.

He flinched at the sudden touch, his surprise evident at the way his eyes widened, and gasped sharply, his breath catching in his throat, as he felt the soft press of her lips against his skin.

Coco slowly raised his knuckles to her lips before deliberately planting a soft, tender kiss on his skin, sending a shiver down his spine— the touch was brief yet intimate, the gesture conveying a depth of gratitude beyond just her words.

Her voice was low, her words carrying a sincerity that genuinely caught him off guard.

"I mean it.. Thank you." She murmured, the sincerity in her voice was undeniable, her gratitude sincere despite the monotonous tone of her voice.

The unexpected gesture left him momentarily stunned, a rush of blood rushing to his face as it turned a warm shade of red, making his previously pale complexion become as red as a strawberry.

He had never imagined such an intimate act coming from Coco so he couldn’t help, but gawk at her.

Coco straightened her back, allowing her grip on Heiren’s hand to slip away from her grasp, and with a nod of her head, she turned on her heels and walked out of the gate, the sound of her footsteps growing faint.

The moment she stepped out of the gate, the space around Heiren suddenly felt colder, leaving him confused with the lingering warmth from her touch still lingering on his skin.

Heiren stood rooted to his spot, his mind reeling from the unexpected moment, as his gaze followed Coco, watching her step into the carriage, her figure silhouetted in the fading light.

The horses let out a few huffs before the carriage jerked forward, its wheels starting to turn as it began to move away from its initial position.

Heiren watched as the carriage disappeared down the road, the dust kicked up by the wheels was the only that it left behind, along with the sound of the carriage’s movement growing fainter until it was completely swallowed by the surrounding silence.

The last thing that was visible was Coco’s figure, her silhouette framed in the window, growing smaller and smaller until she was out of sight.

Heiren stood motionless in front of the house, his lips slightly agape, and his heart pounding in his chest.

The world around him faded away into a blur as his thoughts whirled with questions, the events of the past several minutes replayed in his mind on a loop, each loop adding to the overwhelming sensations that coursed through him.

He swallowed, his eyes shifting to the spot where Coco had planted a kiss and slowly raised his hand in the air.

Then, he leaned down, bringing his fingers to his lips.