Chapter 413: Holding the Whole World
The crowd surged, and as the cold winter evening breeze swept through, Cecilia Vaughn quietly pulled her coat tighter.
She didn’t really know why; maybe it was because she was the elder sister, or perhaps due to her complicated family background, she had never liked to trouble others since she was young.
Even if that person was Mona Summers.
Even though she knew Mona Summers wouldn’t mind driving across half the city to take her home.
But Cecilia Vaughn just didn’t want to trouble her.
——Perhaps deep down, Cecilia Vaughn was more accustomed to strategizing for others than being a burden to them, even if the other person didn’t think that way.
This personality trait made Cecilia Vaughn suddenly remember a comment Tyson Law once made about her.
——Cecilia Vaughn, you’re not fit to be anyone’s girlfriend; you’re too cold and hard, like a stone. As a girl, why don’t you show a little weakness like others?
Girls who evoke a protective instinct are truly the ones everyone likes, right? Just like Fiona Vaughn; wherever she goes, she’s always well-received.
In reality, being a woman who doesn’t like to trouble others often leads to being marginalized.
...
A trace of melancholy flitted across Cecilia Vaughn’s brow and eyes. She smiled silently and took out her phone, intending to try calling a cab again.
However, before she could hail a cab, suddenly, a tall figure approached her from behind, blocking the streetlight’s glow.
Who is it?!
Though this area is considered downtown, recently there have been numerous reports of young female college students being abducted when traveling alone at night, making Cecilia Vaughn suddenly feel a surge of alertness.
Thanks to those three years of nightmare in prison, she had picked up some martial arts skills and hadn’t forgotten them since her release.
Cecilia Vaughn instinctively raised her wrist, striking a protective posture, ready to defend or retreat.
However, a familiar scent of cold bamboo washed over her, and a man’s distinctly jointed hand gently tapped her forehead.
"Silly Cecilia, did you mistake me for a bad guy?"
The tender and indulgent voice instantly melted Cecilia Vaughn’s loneliness as she stood shivering in the cold wind.
In the misty night, Cecilia Vaughn saw Adrian Law’s long, deep, dark eyes.
"Adrian, why are you here? At this hour, shouldn’t you be at Law Headquarters?"
Immense surprise glimmered in the girl’s eyes. She instinctively lowered her hand, and her former defensive, small-beast-like self-protective stance vanished in an instant.
Adrian Law noticed the girl’s change. His handsome brows furrowed slightly, and his heart suddenly felt a little bitter.
——For a young girl to instinctively react like that when out alone, how many things must she have experienced to be so wary of the world?
Sometimes, Adrian Law felt that Cecilia Vaughn was like a hedgehog; even when she smiled, she would instinctively show her thorns.
But at least, in the moment she recognized him, the resistance in Cecilia Vaughn’s eyes instantly turned into surprise.
...
Adrian Law reached out and gently and protectively pulled the girl into his arms.
"Cecilia, someone said they saw you here arguing with Chloe Alden and the others, so I hurried over. I’m still late, but they didn’t bully you, did they?"
"Of course not! Who could bully the wise and mighty Mrs. Law?"
Cecilia Vaughn playfully sold herself, and perhaps because the night wind was too chilly, she instinctively nestled deeper into Adrian Law’s embrace.
"Cold?"
Adrian Law’s brows furrowed slightly, and he quickly took off his suit jacket, refusing to take no for an answer, and draped it over the girl.
"Oh, you gave me your jacket; what about you?"
Cecilia Vaughn’s stature was considered tall among southern girls, but compared to the nearly six-foot-three Adrian Law, she seemed somewhat petite, so Adrian Law’s suit jacket was almost like a dress on her.
The jacket exuded a man’s warmth—a reassuring and sweet peace that soaked into Cecilia Vaughn’s heart.
Seeing the girl look up at him, so adorably obedient, the man’s lips curved into a smile, and he reached out to pinch Cecilia Vaughn’s nose.
"No problem. You forgot I used to train with the military; both in scorching summers and freezing winters, we had to conduct outdoor training. This bit of cold is nothing to me."
On this point, Adrian Law wasn’t lying to Cecilia Vaughn.
He, Zion Prescott, and Felix Lockwood had once worn short sleeves and ran with weights along mountain roads in snowy winter—times so tough they seemed like a dream when recalled, yet they were indeed beneficial for training heart and physique.
...
Cecilia Vaughn stuck out her tongue, her beautiful, clear eyes staring at Adrian Law, as if trying to see the details of his facial features.
"What’s wrong? Is there something dirty on my face?"
Adrian Law was surprised, and suddenly, Cecilia Vaughn caught a deep breath of the sweet aroma in the air excitedly.
"Adrian! There’s the scent of roasted sweet potatoes! I want a roasted sweet potato..."
"..."
Adrian Law was rendered speechless with laughter. Initially, he thought Cecilia Vaughn’s bright eyes were fixed on him, but it turned out she was looking through him at the street vendor’s sweet potato stall on the opposite side.
In Stellerton, street vending had essentially been banned for years, yet somehow this old man had managed to appear here despite the pressure from city management.
Adrian Law’s deep eyes lingered at the sight of that possibly uncertified roasted sweet potato stall across the street, where dirt and scraps were flying around, revealing a touch of hesitation.
"Cecilia, if you like roasted sweet potatoes, why don’t I make some at home for you?"
He was concerned about hygiene.
The Law Family’s children never ate street food.
This was an unwritten family rule.
Previously, Cecilia Vaughn had taken him to eat at a side street fly restaurant specializing in spicy hot pot—a place Adrian Law, who had OCD and cleanliness compulsion, was somewhat resistant to, yet he still yielded to Cecilia Vaughn.
...
Cecilia Vaughn licked her lips, not knowing why she couldn’t maintain her normal composure in front of Adrian Law; she was like a pitiful puppy, wagging her tail constantly at its owner.
"No way, I just want to eat now... Don’t you think that sweet potato smells so fragrant, so fragrant? I feel like I’m about to be intoxicated..."
Is it really that exaggerated?
Faced with Cecilia Vaughn’s description, Adrian Law found it hard to believe.
However, seeing the girl’s clear eyes, reflecting his image, Adrian Law’s forthcoming rejection finally went unsaid.
"Little glutton... There’s no helping you, but you’re only allowed one."
"Alright!"
Cecilia Vaughn seemed like a bird freed from its cage, hurrying toward the opposite side of the road.
Although the pedestrian light was green, electric bikes often sped through recklessly, making Adrian Law’s heart leap. He quickly moved forward to grasp her hand.
"Cecilia, watch the road!"
Holding the girl’s hand felt like holding the whole world.
The man’s heart emptied for a moment, infected by Cecilia Vaughn’s exuberance; his smile deepened.