Sienna Everett held her phone screen up to his face, her expression one of utter disbelief. "What is this?"
Julian Forrester glanced at it unhurriedly and said in a calm, leisurely tone, "You got drunk and dragged me into a selfie, and then you insisted on making it your wallpaper."
Sienna Everett: "???"
Sienna Everett wasn’t falling for it. "That’s impossible!"
Julian Forrester turned his head, showing her the red handprint on his cheek. "At first, I also didn’t believe you would slap me."
Sienna Everett’s confidence immediately faltered.
’He definitely wouldn’t slap himself.’
’So the slap mark on his face... I must have done that.’
’Then this wallpaper... did I change it myself, too?’
Sienna Everett licked her rosy lips, her voice turning soft. "I’m sorry about the slap, and this wallpaper... I must have done it all while I was drunk. My mind wasn’t clear at all. I’ll change it back right now!"
As soon as the words left her mouth,
Julian Forrester: "..."
Sienna Everett quickly changed the wallpaper back to what it was before.
Julian Forrester narrowed his eyes, giving her an inscrutable look, his gaze holding a deep, hidden meaning.
「After breakfast.」
Julian Forrester went to the study to handle some work.
Sienna Everett remembered slapping him last night. Her eyes darted around for a moment, then she went to the kitchen, cut up a plate of fruit, and carried it up to the study on the second floor. She raised her hand and knocked on the door.
As it turned out, the study door wasn’t closed, so her knock pushed it open.
Sienna Everett blinked, poking her head in to greet him. "Started working already?"
Julian Forrester was sitting behind the desk. He looked up at her and closed the contract he was reviewing on his laptop. "Not busy. What’s up?"
Sienna Everett smiled, walked over, and placed the plate of fruit on his desk. "Brought you some fruit. I just cut it. It’s super sweet."
Julian Forrester glanced at the fruit, then raised his eyes to look at her. "Alright, spit it out. What guilty deed did you do this time?"
Sienna Everett’s eyes widened. "What’s that supposed to mean!"
He tilted his head, his voice low, husky, and casual. His eyes crinkled with a lazy, teasing smile. "Ever since we were kids, you’ve only been this nice to me when you’ve done something you feel bad about."
Sienna Everett: "???"
’Really?’
Thinking back, she had to admit he had a point.
Sienna Everett cleared her throat, feigning confidence she didn’t feel. "You’re overthinking it, okay? I’m just here to apologize for accidentally slapping you when I was drunk yesterday."
The man let out a lazy "Oh," and looked down at the fruit on the table. "In that case, I don’t accept your apology."
Sienna Everett froze for a second, then asked warily, "Then what do you want?"
Julian Forrester’s lips curved into a slight smile, his tone nonchalant. "I never minded you slapping me in the first place, so there’s no need for you to apologize."
Sienna Everett was stunned again.
’I thought this jerk was going to take the opportunity to extort something from me, but I guess he didn’t even care.’
’It made me feel so petty for assuming the worst.’
’He’s being such a gentleman about it. I guess that selfie from last night really was my idea, and I must have been the one who insisted on making it my wallpaper.’
But since the fruit was already cut, it couldn’t go to waste. Sienna Everett left the plate there anyway.
As she was turning to leave, she saw a calligraphy brush and Xuan paper on a nearby bookshelf. An idea struck her, and her clear eyes sparkled. "Julian Forrester, I know what to give you for a wedding gift now!"
Julian Forrester raised an eyebrow in question.
Sienna Everett took down the brush and paper. "Let me try giving you this first. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else."
Seeing that she was about to do calligraphy, Julian Forrester cleared a space for her on the desk, took the inkstone, and began to grind the ink for her.
He rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his well-defined forearms. Faint blue veins were visible beneath his fair skin, exuding an indescribable allure.
Sienna Everett had practiced calligraphy since she was a child and was very skilled.
He had often ground ink for her, so his movements were very practiced.
It was no exaggeration to say that Sienna’s calligraphy was good enough to be sold.
’What is she going to write for me now?’
Once the ink was ground, Sienna Everett dipped the brush, poised it over the paper, and began to write. Her strokes were fluid and powerful, the characters full of strength and structure.
Julian Forrester lowered his gaze and saw that she had written eight large words—
FORTUNE AS THE EASTERN SEA
LONGEVITY AS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN
Julian Forrester: "..."
Julian Forrester: "..."
’Am I that old?’
Sienna Everett put down the brush, very pleased with her work. "I’m in top form today. Look at these characters—the center is tight, the structure is solid, the effect is really good. And it’s a very sincere blessing."
Julian Forrester could see that the calligraphy was excellent and the blessing was sincere, but.
He shot her a sidelong glance, a half-smile playing on his lips. "This is your wedding gift to me?"
Sienna Everett blinked her shimmering eyes. "You don’t like it? I can write something else for you then. You can pick whatever you want."
Hearing this, Julian Forrester’s thin lips curled into a playful smile. "Whatever I want?"
Sienna Everett puffed out her chest. "Of course."
His long, elegant fingers tapped twice on the desktop. He gazed at her, his tone slow and deliberate. "Since it’s a wedding gift, then why don’t you write ’A lifetime of happiness, and a child soon after’ for me, Sienna."
Sienna Everett heard this and thought it was simple. "Isn’t it just ’A lifetime of happiness, and a child soon af—’"
Wait a minute. Sienna Everett looked up at him, her eyes widening in astonishment. "Have a child soon after with whom?"
He chuckled. "With you, of course."
Sienna Everett’s eyes grew even wider. "What are you talking about!"
Julian Forrester raised his eyebrows, his low, magnetic voice rumbling from his throat. "You’re my wife. If I don’t have a child with you, who would I have one with? Hmm?"
Wi... Wife???
Have a child???
Sienna Everett’s earlobes turned red—redder than a rose that had been in the sun all morning. She shot him an angry, embarrassed glare. "Don’t talk nonsense!"
She put down the brush, turned with a huff, and stomped out, not wanting to deal with him anymore.
Watching her retreating figure, Julian Forrester slid his hands into his trouser pockets. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and a sexy, low chuckle escaped him. "Why are you leaving? Sienna hasn’t written what I asked for yet."
Sienna Everett’s steps faltered. She turned back to shoot him a fierce glare and then SLAMMED the door shut.
’That damn man! He’s just as annoying as he was when we were kids!’
Back in her room, Sienna Everett’s ears were still hot and red. It took a long while for the heart-pounding heat to finally fade.
DING. Her phone chimed. It was a message from the "Dancing National Style" production team announcing the theme for the finals: Red.
’Red?’
Sienna Everett focused her thoughts and began to brainstorm ideas for her final performance based on the theme.
「The finals were a week later.」
Once Sienna Everett had conceptualized her performance, she began the arduous process of rehearsal.
That afternoon, Sienna Everett went to the studio for a dress rehearsal. After changing and coming out of the dressing room, she saw a familiar figure in the hallway: Wyatt Everett.
’He’s not even a contestant. What’s he doing at the studio at this time?’
Sienna Everett glanced around. Next to them was the judges’ lounge.
’Is he here to see the judges?’
Sienna Everett didn’t want to get involved with the Everett Family’s business anymore. She was about to turn and leave when she overheard voices from inside the judges’ lounge.
It was the four judges from the show, so excited they hadn’t even closed the door properly.
"Heh heh, 800,000 each. We’ve made another fortune!"
"Master Everett is so generous. To make sure Shannon Everett wins first place, he just tossed 3.2 million our way!"
"Who gets first place is all up to how we score them, isn’t it? We’ll just give Shannon Everett high scores and Sienna Everett low scores!"
Hearing this, Sienna Everett’s eyes turned cold, a scornful look filling them.
’So he came to bribe the judges.’
’To help Shannon win, he’s resorting to such a cliché, underhanded tactic. Wyatt Everett really is protective of his little sister Shannon.’
Inside the lounge, the judges were still chatting excitedly.
Sienna Everett pulled her phone from her pocket and hit the record button.
She decided to send the audio clip to the production team’s email.
The director of this show was famous for his fairness and integrity. She believed that once the director heard the recording, he would ensure a just outcome.
「...」
After her rehearsal, Sienna Everett returned to Veridian Gardens.
Just as she walked into the living room, she saw a man in a pink shirt sitting on the sofa.
The man had his back to her, so Sienna Everett couldn’t see his face, but she could tell he had a good figure and could pull off a pink shirt with a roguish, dashing flair.
Julian Forrester was sitting across from the man in pink, facing Sienna’s direction.
When he saw Sienna Everett return, the cool look in his eyes instantly melted into a lingering tenderness. "You’re back?"
The next second, the man in the pink shirt shot to his feet, turned to face Sienna Everett, and grinned, his smile dashing and handsome. "Hello, Sis-in-law!"
Sienna Everett: "?"
’Sis-in-law?’