CHAPTER 167: CHAPTER 165: TIMID DISCIPLE

p.m.

After getting in the car, Norman Bennett closed his eyes for some rest. The car was filled with a scent of wine mixed with lotus, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

Elliana Lyle rolled down the window, then leaned toward the man, pressing her face against his chest, listening to the strong and steady heartbeat.

"Norman Bennett, are you drunk?"

There was no response; he must be drunk, right? She cautiously raised her eyes. The man’s eyes were tightly shut. From this angle, she could clearly see his jawline, nose, and lips.

He looked like someone straight out of a comic, and there seemed to be a bit of a blush on his cheeks, making him look less cold.

"Norman Bennett~?" She softly called again, the man leaned against the back of the seat without any response.

She was now sure the man had fallen asleep. After all, he returned home last night just when she woke up to get some water.

It was almost 4 a.m. then, and he got up at 6 a.m. today, so he must be very tired now.

She leaned back against the man’s chest, yawned, and then closed her eyes as well.

At this moment, the man opened his eyes, gazing softly at the girl’s head, then closed his eyes again.

...

―――Moonlake Villas.

When Elliana Lyle woke up, it was already dark. She was sitting on the empty large bed, the dim light from the bedside lamp seemed faint. She was the only one in the vast room.

She recalled that she was in the car just a moment ago. She ruffled her messy hair, trying to wake herself up a bit more.

It must have been Norman Bennett who carried her back, but there was no trace of the man now.

She reached out to touch the switch, the brightness of the white light was somewhat glaring for someone used to the dimness, and it took her a while to adjust.

She opened her phone, and it was exactly 11:11 p.m., with unread messages on WeChat.

Norman Bennett: "Something came up at the company, I won’t be back tonight. Be good, I’ll spend time with you the day after tomorrow."

"..."

Kitty: "Alright, just don’t overwork yourself, remember to rest."

Though she was a bit displeased, she understood. After all, going back took a lot of time.

After putting down the phone, she touched the emerald bracelet on her hand, took it off, and examined it under the light. The quality was delicate and transparent, with a vivid and pure color.

This was the jade bracelet given to her by the old Mrs. Bennett. Given the color and texture, its value was beyond question.

The Hundred Longevity Diagram she gifted to the old Mrs. Bennett had already been framed and hung on the wall, and the yellow jade bracelet was also worn. This mutual regard felt truly worthy.

After some thought, she decided to put this precious bracelet into the jewelry box. She wasn’t used to wearing bracelets and was afraid of damaging them.

Thud, thud thud!

Just after she put the bracelet away, there was a knock on the door, it was obvious it would be Lana.

"Come in."

After the door opened, Lana walked in and said to her, "Young Mistress, I saw your light was on, so you must be awake. Here, have some warm water."

Lana was still as considerate as always, always paying attention to her needs.

She took the water, drank it, and said, "It’s late, you should go get some sleep."

"Young Mistress, I’m not sleepy, I can keep you company and chat for a bit."

...

On the balcony.

Two people sat by a small round glass table.

Elliana Lyle was wrapped in a light woolen shawl, her gaze fixed on the crescent moon on the branch, filled with a mix of melancholy and serenity. A gentle breeze caressed her cheeks, blowing over the fine hairs at her forehead.

"Young Mistress, this is all I know. Back then, Second Young Master fell seriously ill because of it." Lana originally didn’t intend to tell Elliana, but she softened and shared what she knew.

From Lana’s words, Elliana learned the cause of Norman Bennett’s mother’s death. She initially was inquiring only about Mia Clarke’s matters.

She always thought Mrs. Bennett passed away from heart disease; that was the Bennett Family’s official statement. Unexpectedly, there was another story behind it.

She remembered missing Mrs. Bennett’s funeral due to exams. When comforting Norman Bennett afterward, he also told her it was due to heart disease.

"My mom said, for such a proud lady, how could she endure a husband’s infidelity, endure betrayal." As Lana spoke of this, tears welled in her eyes.

Lana reminisced, "I was just a child then, and the lady took great care of me, even taught me calligraphy."

Listening to these tear-inducing words, Elliana had no response, only gazing fixedly at the moon in the sky.

She could no longer remember Mrs. Bennett’s face, but thoughts of her brought deeper longing for her own mother.

If only she could have another chance at life.

On the day her mother passed, she thought about starting over, but she was also afraid of losing the chance forever.

She wanted to do her utmost to protect those she loved, whether it was her mother, or Norman Bennett, or Sister Joy, Sister Phoebe, Lana, Luna...

Also, the Nancy she always wanted to find.

All these people around her were very important.

"Lana." She reached out and held Lana’s hand, saying, "Don’t tell Norman Bennett that I know."

"Mm, don’t worry, Young Mistress, I won’t say a word."

...

―――The next day.

The morning sun shone through the lace curtains, scattering bits of fragmented sunlight into the room, shining on Elliana Lyle’s face. Her curled lashes fluttered twice before she finally opened her eyes.

She stared at the window for a good while before propping herself up to sit; she forgot to pull down the light-blocking layer last night.

After breakfast, she petted her little lotus, and at 7 a.m., she received a call from Luna.

As soon as the call connected, Luna’s flattering voice came through, "Buddy, can you do me a favor today? I’m swamped."

"What’s the matter?" Hearing Luna’s tone, an uneasy feeling crept in her heart. What could she possibly need her help with?

"You know I’ve been searching for Nancy, right? I found the regional head for the streaming website, I’m already in Wyen, and Norman Bennett assigned me something. Please, help me out."

Hearing that Luna was on official business, she felt less uneasy and quickly asked, "What’s the matter, tell me."

"It’s nothing major, just help me sneak into White Orchid Company and find something."

Elliana: "..."

"Luna, I think you’re putting me in a tough spot." She was being asked to sneak into another company and find stuff? The best she could do was sneak into Norman Bennett’s company; after all, the people at Melody Harmony wouldn’t stop her.

"What’s so tough about that?" Luna said in mild exasperation, "Didn’t I teach you? Honestly, you considered me your master and yet you’re such a timid apprentice?"

She admitted Luna taught her, but she couldn’t learn any of it, like getting out of ropes, kicking in mid-air...

She said, "How could I possibly learn in such a short time? What exactly do you need to find out?"

"Simple, just take pictures of White Orchid’s upcoming new products, including the packaging, ingredients, and advertising designs."

"Are you sure Norman Bennett wants you to do this?" She was unsure about this, wasn’t it the same as stealing!

Luna said, "Of course, why else would I want that stuff? Raymond Wood said that the new product from his company was stolen, we need to check if White Orchid’s are the same."

"Oh, but I can’t do it, you should ask Andrew Hue. I’m really not good at this kind of thing." Elliana still refused, there was no way she would go.

A boar can’t eat fine grains; she wasn’t skilled enough to steal valuables like a three-legged cat.

She thought Luna would agree, but Luna said, "Andrew Hue can’t go, he’s in the hospital."