Chapter 228 - 227
The osmanthus tree was lush and leafy. When the wind blew, tiny, golden blossoms drifted down, blanketing the ground in a layer of gold.
Beneath the moonlight, a little snow-white kitten shook its head vigorously, trying to dislodge the osmanthus blossoms, but to little effect.
lowered its head, a bit discouraged. Someone approached, their shadow looming over it. A gentle hand suddenly touched the little cat’s head. Slender fingers brushed away the osmanthus blossoms. The kitten looked up into a pair of innocent, smiling eyes.
In the study, the battle had ended with Joanna Kennedy’s defeat. Annoyed, she threw her head back into the large chair. "Sigh..."
"Men... are all the same..." Her eyes glazed over as she heaved a heavy sigh. "They stop caring once they have you. He won’t even let me play on my phone. I’m truly heartbroken..."
She sighed dramatically, launching a full-blown verbal assault. When Simon Lockwood didn’t even raise an eyelid, she gritted her teeth, ready to unleash her ultimate weapon. In a forlorn tone, she declared, "From this day on, I’m sealing my heart and locking away my love. I will never love again."
Her tone was as solemn as if she were taking a sacred oath, her face a mask of indignation.
Simon Lockwood: "..."
Simon Lockwood’s fingers froze on the keyboard. He pressed his throbbing temples. "Ten minutes."
"I can love again!" Joanna Kennedy’s eyes instantly lit up.
She immediately sat up straight, impatiently grabbing her phone. After putting on her headphones, she prepared to dive back into her game when a message notification popped up. She tapped it open. It was a friend request.
[The Sexiest Person] has requested to be your friend.
?
’This username is... certainly straightforward,’ Joanna Kennedy thought, the corner of her lip twitching. She didn’t dwell on it. She was a celebrity now and had to be careful about her privacy. It was best to ignore friend requests from strangers.
She closed the screen and, racing against the clock, launched the game. She refused to believe she couldn’t beat this level!
Just as she reached a critical point in the game, another message popped up, causing her to lag for a crucial second. The two large, gray words "GAME OVER" flashed on the screen, accompanied by a mocking sound effect.
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy was seething. She was going to see just who was messaging her at a time like this. It had better be something important!
To her surprise, it was from the pending friend request.
[The Sexiest Person]: Joanna Kennedy, why haven’t you accepted my request!
That overwhelming, high-and-mighty tone felt strangely familiar to Joanna Kennedy. She replied, "Who is this?"
[The Sexiest Person]: I’m Heidi Kim!!!
’Heidi Kim? What the heck is that? Some new variety of gold, like a gold nugget?’
Joanna Kennedy was about to reply that she didn’t know her when something clicked in her mind—Dresland, Simon Lockwood’s business partner, and that partner’s sister, Heidi Kim!
’The name "The Sexiest Person" suddenly aligned with the image of the stunning blonde in her memory. Alright, alright, she certainly knows how to pick a username. It’s fitting.’
She tapped "Accept," and a message came through instantly: [Why did it take you so long to accept!]
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy had only typed a single word before another message popped up: [I’m in Aethelburg now, and I’m so bored being alone. You’re coming out to hang with me tomorrow.]
Joanna Kennedy’s eyes widened, and she immediately started typing to ask what was going on, but a voice message came through instead. In slightly stiff, accented Celestran, the voice said, "The men in Celestria are so much fun. I’m going drinking now. See you tomorrow. It’s a date."
Amid the noisy music, Heidi Kim’s voice was still clear and distinctive, but her words were aggressive, leaving no room for refusal.
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy was still reeling from the surprise of Heidi Kim being in Celestria, and now this left her completely speechless. ’This heiress doesn’t give a person a single chance to get a word in, does she?’
Considering the heiress’s brother was a friend of Simon Lockwood’s, Joanna Kennedy didn’t refuse. Instead, she told Simon about the situation.
"Should I go hang out with her?" Joanna Kennedy asked. "It’s not exactly safe for a foreign girl to be alone in Aethelburg."
’Heidi Kim is gorgeous. It wouldn’t be good if she attracted the wrong kind of attention.’
Simon Lockwood’s gaze shifted from the chat screen. Hearing her question, he frowned. "Ignore her."
He met Joanna Kennedy’s questioning gaze and explained, "I’ll arrange for someone to keep her company. Don’t worry."
"Besides, she was in a Dresland special forces unit. No one can touch her."
"Special forces?!" Joanna Kennedy was stunned. It was hard to imagine, but she was also a little envious. "That’s so cool. I want to go, too..."
’A girl who can fight and protect herself is just the coolest,’ Joanna Kennedy thought. The idea that one day, even Simon Lockwood might need her protection was thrilling.
Simon Lockwood had no idea what she was thinking. He just saw her expression shift from envy to smug satisfaction, a goofy grin spreading across her face.
The sight was getting on his nerves. He closed his laptop. "You really want to go?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Joanna Kennedy nodded emphatically.
Simon Lockwood said, "The training unit is deep in the mountains. Supplies are often scarce. Gnawing on tree bark and eating bugs is a regular occurrence. With nowhere to sleep, you just have to curl up in the tall grass, and by morning, you’re covered in bites."
"Also," Simon Lockwood paused, lifting his gaze to meet her horrified eyes. His tone remained calm. "There are a lot of snakes. And spiders bigger than your hand."
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy: "!!!"
’Lots of snakes?? Spiders bigger than your hand?? Those have to be mutants!’
Just the thought of it made Joanna Kennedy’s skin crawl. It was the kind of fear that made her feel like her soul was about to leave her body.
Simon Lockwood asked, "Still want to go?"
Seeing her eyes wide with terror, Simon Lockwood’s lips twitched into a small smile, though he maintained a serious expression. "I can pull some strings and get you in to experience it for yourself."
"...That’s probably not necessary," Joanna Kennedy said, jolting at his words. She forced a strained smile. "Let’s not go to all that trouble. It’s easy to owe people favors that way..."
"It’s fine. It’s no trouble," Simon Lockwood said, his face full of affection. "We’ve got the money."
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy racked her brain for a way to refuse gracefully without losing face. Then she met his smiling eyes and finally realized. Humiliation turned to anger. "You were deliberately trying to scare me!"
"I was not."
"Then why are you smiling!" Joanna Kennedy refused to believe him. ’Simon Lockwood did it on purpose. He just loves to pick on me.’
She stomped out of the study, tossing a threat over her shoulder, "I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you tonight!"
Simon Lockwood watched as she snuck away with her phone and tablet. Taking it all in stride, he rose and followed at a leisurely pace. "Joanie, just you try pulling an all-nighter gaming tonight..."
............
*
"The candidates we selected for the endorsement were all shot down by upper management," a staffer from the marketing department reported with a sigh.
Mimniu, a high-end luxury fashion brand beloved by young women, was having trouble finding a new ambassador.