Chapter 561: The Feeling is Mutual
Kelley Xavier turned her head away in embarrassment, but she couldn’t hide her beet-red ears. Her face was flushed like the evening sky.
Tang Xiaonan glanced at her brother’s swollen, pig-like face and had to press her cheeks to keep from bursting into laughter. She didn’t want to hurt his ’fragile’ heart. But in all honesty, even when his face wasn’t swollen, he was a whole Millstone Peak away from being handsome. At best, he had regular features and a sturdy build.
’Well, his stamina is definitely top-notch. My future sister-in-law is still going to be very happy!’
"Her mom took fifty yuan from me!" Zane Coleman bellowed. Fifty yuan was no small sum, and he wasn’t about to accept getting nothing in return.
"Then go take advantage of her mom. It’s not like you haven’t had a taste of old meat before!" one of the cronies retorted airily, shutting Zane Coleman down completely. He even shot Zane a disdainful look.
Zane Coleman was notorious for not being picky. When he had money, he’d go after young, beautiful women. When he was broke, he wouldn’t even turn his nose up at widows in their forties or fifties. The man had absolutely no scruples.
"Exactly. Go after whoever took your money," Howard Thorne said, lifting his foot and pressing it onto Zane Coleman’s head. "If you dare bully my wife again, I’ll crush your skull!" He applied a bit of pressure, and Zane Coleman felt as if his head was about to explode. His eyes turned venomous.
’A wise man doesn’t fight a losing battle. I’ll remember this debt. Sooner or later, I’ll make them pay!’
Grandpa Huxley had probably figured out what happened. He barked at the cronies, "Scram!"
The five cronies scattered as if they’d been granted amnesty, fleeing with their tails between their legs. Only Zane Coleman was left, still pinned under Howard Thorne’s foot, unable to move an inch.
"Let him go, too," Grandpa Huxley said.
Howard Thorne wasn’t happy about it, but while he could be a brute out on the streets, he was always respectful to his elders. He obediently lifted his foot. Zane Coleman immediately scrambled up and shot Kelley Xavier a venomous, threatening glare.
A chill ran down Kelley Xavier’s spine, and her body trembled involuntarily. Howard Thorne kicked Zane again. "Are you still here? You looking for a taste of my fists?"
Zane Coleman fled as if on wings. ’A wise man knows when to retreat,’ he thought. ’That little bitch won’t escape my grasp.’
Kelley Xavier breathed a sigh of relief, her legs feeling weak. Tears streamed down her face. If Howard Thorne hadn’t shown up today, she didn’t know what would have happened. With her stepmother egging him on, that scoundrel Zane Coleman was capable of anything.
"Let’s go home!"
Grandpa Huxley looked back and forth between the two of them a few times but said nothing more before turning to leave. Carter Huxley, however, was itching with curiosity. He slung an arm around Patrick Thorne and asked in a low voice, "When did Howard get together with the Xavier girl?"
"They’re deskmates," Patrick Thorne replied. "Howard’s grades have improved a lot thanks to her tutoring."
Patrick Thorne’s answer was deliberately vague, but Carter Huxley’s mind immediately conjured a harmonious scene of childhood sweethearts studying and growing together. He grinned from ear to ear. If his eldest nephew could really marry a good girl like Kelley Xavier, his sister’s life would be set!
’If I’d known Kelley Xavier didn’t care about grades or looks when choosing a partner, I would’ve proposed a match for my nephew ages ago. What a perfect couple!’
「Back at home.」
Grandpa Huxley invited Kelley Xavier to sit down and asked politely, "Kelley, is what my Howard said true? Did he bully you?"
Kelley Xavier quickly shook her head. "No, Howard Thorne didn’t bully me. What... what he... said... is true."
After saying this, Kelley Xavier lowered her head, blushing.
Grandpa Huxley glanced over at a smug-looking Howard Thorne, still quite surprised. He truly felt his eldest grandson wasn’t good enough for Kelley Xavier. Then again, he couldn’t understand the way young people thought these days. Perhaps his grandson was exactly the type of man the Xavier girl was looking for!
’In any case, I’m quite pleased with this match,’ he thought. ’With the Xavier girl to keep an eye on him, my eldest grandson might even get into a university.’