CHAPTER 121: CHAPTER 121: THREADS OF AFFECTION, SEEMINGLY THERE AND NOT (1)_1

Accustomed to the beautiful surroundings, Hansen Ruiz didn’t show any disdain. He was very clear that not every street in a city could look the same. On the contrary, these somewhat worn but not yet old streets were a testament to the rapid development of a city, holding a certain nostalgic value.

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A while later, Rachel Bailey finally returned to the Emerald Garden Building. Seeing her back, Hansen Ruiz opened the car door and got out.

He was still wearing his usual white suit, his tall figure emanating a mature and steady aura. His gentle and enduringly handsome face wore a soft smile, making him seem approachable. The moment he stepped out of the car, his movements elegant and grand, Rachel couldn’t help but be dazzled for a second. At first glance, all you notice is his pristine white suit, she thought. But upon closer inspection, his merits become apparent—he really is a decent man.

Damn, what did it matter to her if he was a good man?

Rachel immediately dismissed the thought from her mind.

She wasn’t Cinderella and didn’t dream of being one. She wouldn’t develop feelings for a high-status man like Hansen Ruiz. She was, however, somewhat interested in that ’coffin face’ because she liked heroes.

As for Hansen Ruiz, she simply regarded him as a friend—a potentially useful ally.

"What are you going to do with these things?" Hansen Ruiz stood in front of Rachel Bailey, his 175 cm height towering over her 154 cm frame. As he approached, his robust figure enveloped her.

"What things? They’re clothes," Rachel corrected him, feeling a hint of scorn in the way he referred to her clothes as mere things. She began lifting the large bags of clothes from the electric tricycle and said, "The clothes need to be brought upstairs and locked in my room. The vehicle can be parked in the garage; just lock it up." Seeing Ruiz looking at her with a smile, she glared at him and asked tartly, "Mr. Ruiz, as a grown man, you’re not just going to stand there and watch me, a small woman, move these items, are you?"

Her implication was clear—she wanted Hansen Ruiz to lend a hand.

Hansen Ruiz’s eyes crinkled as his smile widened. Without a word, he went over and lifted four large bags from the tricycle. After Rachel unlocked the main entrance door, he headed upstairs with the bags. Rachel’s tricycle had six large bags in total, each filled with different clothing. With Ruiz taking four bags at once, he saved her the trouble of making two trips.

"Men are certainly different; they’re strong. I thought high-level white-collar types like you were soft as cotton, with no real strength," Rachel said, following behind Ruiz towards the elevator.

Hansen Ruiz turned to give her a playful look. When the elevator doors opened, he stepped inside. After she entered, he pressed the button for the eighth floor and then said, "Your personality reminds me of our CEO’s wife, but you are even more formidable." He was referring to Rachel’s sharp tongue.

"How did you know I live on the eighth floor?" Rachel ignored his teasing, finding it odd that he pressed the eighth-floor button without asking her.

"Did you forget I was the one who had the Photo Studio send over your gown?" Hansen Ruiz said with a smile. She didn’t actually believe Glades Horne had picked it out for her, did she?

Rachel suddenly remembered and curiously sized him up. Her eyes were bright and large, the most charming aspect of her features. That clear gaze was free of any impurities, making Ruiz feel it was a rare sight. At least, it was rare for him; the women he had encountered usually had eyes full of admiration for him.

"I hear you’re quite capable, very strong in handling tasks. There’s nothing Young Master Horne assigns you that you can’t accomplish." Rachel, having once been a white-collar worker herself in the Shopping Mall, had heard a fair bit about various figures, especially someone as notable as Hansen Ruiz.

"Are you interested in getting to know me?" Hansen Ruiz suddenly leaned in, bringing his warmly smiling handsome face close to Rachel’s, his gaze intense as he asked.

"Not interested," Rachel retorted bluntly, kicking at his foot to signal for him to keep his distance.

HEH HEH.

Hansen Ruiz chuckled softly again.

Straightening up, he gave Rachel an enigmatic look just before the elevator doors opened.

The two of them exited the elevator and walked toward Rachel’s small rental room.

Once Rachel had opened the door, Hansen Ruiz squeezed past her petite form and walked in first. He casually placed the four large bags of clothes on the clean floor and then, as if he were in his own home, found a stool and sat down. He reached for Rachel’s small fan, moved it toward himself, turned it on, and let it blow in his direction.

In autumn, don’t assume it’s just a synonym for coolness. There’s also the "autumn tiger," and sometimes it can be as hot as summer.

"Is it very hot?" After placing the bags she held on the floor, Rachel poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. Their interactions were natural and familiar, as if they weren’t mere acquaintances who had met only a few times, but old friends who had known each other for a decade.

After taking the glass of water Rachel offered, Hansen Ruiz drank half of it before putting the fan back in its original place. He responded, "Not particularly hot, but seeing it made me want to enjoy the breeze."

Glancing at the suit he was wearing, Rachel teased, "Well, if you’re hot, it’s your own doing."

Following her gaze down to his suit, Hansen Ruiz explained, "I had a meeting at the company today; that’s why I’m dressed like this."

"Then you should head back to the company for your meeting," Rachel said promptly upon hearing about his meeting, clearly eager for him to leave.

Having offended Adele Horne, she couldn’t do business today. To prevent any possible retaliation, she decided to take a half-day off to relax. She planned to go out for a bit and then return to check if Julia Bluen was online.

It had been about ten days since Julia Bluen went abroad for her honeymoon. Rachel hadn’t contacted her dear friend yet and wondered if she was happy. She could tell that Glades Horne had feelings for her friend, but her friend was still lost in the situation, unaware, and likely unable to let go of her sister’s memory.

What she somewhat found puzzling was why Glades Horne didn’t just come clean and express himself.