CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: THE BIG TREASURE

Simon Hawthorne was stunned for a while before he reacted, "Who do you think can’t do it, do you believe I..."

His face turned green with anger, how could he say such things right off the bat?

But before the dirty words left his mouth, he suddenly realized Julian Hawthorne was still in front of him.

He squinted at Julian and saw his elder brother sitting face-to-face with Paige Sterling, the gaze from Julian was icy.

Simon’s expression changed forcefully, "You... you’re right."

Paige made a sound of acknowledgment and said nothing more.

Julian didn’t speak either.

Simon stood nearby, feeling that although neither of them spoke, there was an eerie sense of harmony and peace between them that no one else could interfere with.

Simon felt like a big, awkward capital letter wandering there.

Why didn’t Julian introduce him anyway?

"Hey, what’s your name?" he asked Paige proactively.

"Paige Sterling."

Paige Sterling? The name sounded familiar.

"What’s your relationship with my brother? Can we add each other on WeChat?"

Paige gave a hum, took out her phone, and opened the WeChat QR code while replying, "Contract relationship."

Julian slightly frowned, his handsome face inexplicable under the flickering lights, unnoticed by anyone.

Simon didn’t notice either, as he took out his phone, intending to scan Paige’s QR code when Julian suddenly reached out for the lighter on the bar, knocking Simon’s phone out of his hand.

Just then, the lights shifted, surrounded by people, everything plunged into darkness. When the lights came back on, he found his phone had been kicked God knows where.

Simon was a bit dumbfounded.

Paige glanced calmly at Julian, Julian just happened to look over, met her gaze, and then looked elsewhere indifferently.

Simon was still persistently trying to get closer to Paige.

Julian put his arm on Simon’s shoulder, his voice chilly, "Aren’t you going to the bathroom? Let’s go."

"I didn’t say I wanted to..."

Yet he was still dragged away by Julian.

Julian lit a cigarette at the sink, coldly looking through the smoke at Simon.

"What did she say to you just now?"

Simon pulled a miserable face, unwilling to share.

Julian’s voice turned colder.

"Speak."

Simon had no choice but to be honest: "She said my hair looks like a pile of crap, but it doesn’t, right?"

Julian showed no expression, replacing his reply with silence, then after completely demoralizing Simon, he finally said, "Go and dye it back, don’t sting everyone’s eyes."

"What everyone, you’re just afraid of her eyes being stung, right? Do you like her?"

"No."

"Really? Then I..."

Julian’s chilly gaze fell on his brother again, with a murderous look, "You can try."

Simon, "...", feeling crushed by life, "Ah!"

Simon suddenly slapped his own forehead, "I remember now, she’s Paige Sterling, isn’t she the actress who quit the industry for her boyfriend? I quite like her. If you have nothing to do with her, can I pursue her?"

Julian sighed, why does his brother always push him?

He gently patted his brother’s head, acting very tender.

However, Simon felt Julian was trying to twist his head off.

"Little second, let big brother tell you a story."

The voice was very deep.

Simon shivered, "Actually, I’m not that keen on hearing a story, big brother."

Julian didn’t care if he listened or not, "Once upon a time, there was a boy who was second in his family."

Julian’s voice sank down, revealing a hint of sinister meaning.

"Because he coveted a woman he shouldn’t have, his brother twisted his neck off."

Simon, "Big brother, how can you threaten me, everyone likes her, competing fairly isn’t good?"

Julian, "Hmm?"

Simon’s goosebumps were raised by Julian’s "hmm."

A survival instinct made him instantly incoherent, "Okay, alright, your opinion matters. What you feel works, my feelings don’t matter, yours do, let’s do it your way, whatever you want..."

After speaking, he fled in panic.

When Julian returned to Paige, Paige had just seen Simon escaping out the door.

"What’s wrong with your brother?"

"Saw something he shouldn’t have in the bathroom and got self-conscious."

Paige looked pointedly under Julian, who went to the bathroom with his brother, who could Simon have seen anyway?

Julian’s brother role was on point, using his brother’s smallness to highlight his own largeness, truly a man with clever tactics.

In the club, people were coming and going all the time, it was common for people to bump into each other.

Julian sat there, trying hard to avoid physical contact with others, Paige felt that it was quite difficult for him too.

"If you have nothing else, you should head back, this place isn’t suited for you."

Julian pursed his lips, not speaking.

Paige also fell silent.

Julian saw Paige’s pose was a bit strange in the glass reflection behind the bar.

He turned his head and saw Paige’s hand go up her skirt, doing who knows what.

The movement was quite improper, Julian blocked it, reminding her.

"What are you doing?"

Paige sat up straight, "Something went awry, I’m just fixing it."

Due to the materials, those pieces took some space after all.

Such a big thing, no other place to put it.

Paige tucked it between her inner thighs, thus avoiding bulkiness and hiding it from others.

Julian didn’t know what she was hiding on her, hearing her words, his poker face twitched several times.

Paige thought Julian is interested, asked, "Want to see it? I’ll take it out for you to see."

Julian’s poker face twisted a bit more, take it out to see? What was Paige going to take out from there?

He felt Paige was teasing him, but she was serious, making him uncomfortable first, his tone somewhat rushed and awkward, "No need, I won’t look."

Paige responded with a hum, "This is my treasure, I usually don’t show it easily."

The implication being, I’ll show it, you not seeing is your loss.

Julian was choked up, "When are you leaving?"

Paige looked at the time, it was already late.

Knowing who is present today, she needn’t wait any longer.

So she said to Julian, "There are some acquaintances over there, I’ll go over and say hi."

Julian glanced in her direction, seeing a group of young folks in a frenzy, he couldn’t help but frown.

Seeing Paige get up, he also stood up.

Paige raised an eyebrow, "You shouldn’t go, they might know you, it’ll make them uncomfortable."

"What do you mean?"