[Name: Alan Tang
Age: 20
Relationship: Fourth Brother]
This time, though, the opening text didn’t have that same excited vibe as before.
Just from reading it, Everly could sense the distinct lack of enthusiasm.
[Sigh…
Alan?
You really want to know about him?]
[Well, duh.
Is there anything interesting about him?]
Not only was the text different, but even the suspenseful chime that used to ring in Everly’s ears whenever the texts about secret was about to appear had now turned into…
the sound of crows cawing as they flew away…
like those awkward silent moments in anime?
[Alan Tang…
there’s nothing interesting enough about him to call it a secret.
Even his little rivalry with Jeremy is something almost everyone knows about.
For now, Alan is completely in the clear, with no hidden skeletons in his closet~]
Everly unconsciously let go of her hug around Alan and started shouting inside her head.
ALAN HAS NO SECRETS?!!!
IS HE ONE OF THOSE RARE PEOPLE WHO NEVER DOES ANYTHING SHADY OR HAS A CRUSH ON ANYONE?
MY BROTHER IS SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!!!
SO PRECIOUS!!
MUST PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS!!!
Alan and Jeremy were once again left speechless when they heard Everly’s thoughts.
This time, though, there was a noticeable difference.
Alan’s cheeks were turning a bright shade of red, while Jeremy was looking at Alan with a mixture of disbelief and a strange sort of admiration that Alan didn’t have any secrets to hide.
But…
Jeremy knew one thing for sure…
the secret that Alan was currently keeping was the fact that he could read Everly’s mind.
He was just curious why Alan didn’t tell Everly that everyone could hear her thoughts, especially since Alan seemed so protective of her.
Meanwhile, Alan heaved a sigh of relief.
He had already suspected that if Everly touched him, nothing would show up because he was as open as an old book.
He was the kind of guy who never thought too much, just wanting to live a quiet and peaceful life.
That’s precisely why, for the past two days, he had been avoiding Everly’s touch, not because he was afraid that Everly might uncover some hidden skeletons in his closet, but rather out of respect for Everly’s wish not to delve into his secrets, as well as to prevent Everly’s thoughts from being broadcasted to everyone like they were now.
However, as he started thinking about it, something dawned on him.
If he took a closer look at the current situation and how he was able to hear Everly’s thoughts at this moment, it was a clear indication that Everly had come into contact with someone other than that creepy stalker.
After all, Anna had called him several tens of minutes ago, which meant that he shouldn’t have been able to hear Everly’s thoughts anymore at this time.
And the only person Everly had been with was Jeremy!
That could only mean one thing…
Jeremy had touched Everly!
Had the two of them been secretly dating for a while?
If Everly already knew that she was pregnant…
with nonuplets, no less…
did that mean she was already a few months along?
So, the man who had just convinced himself that he wasn’t an overthinker suddenly firmly grasped both of Everly’s shoulders once again, his eyes filled with genuine concern as he asked,
“Have you and Jeremy met before?
Has he really never…
touched you?”
Everly looked at Alan with a completely dumbfounded expression, trying to process his question.
Finally, the light bulb went off in her head, and she understood what he was getting at.
“We just met for the very first time today, I swear!
Touch?
Do you mean sexually?
Of course not!
I’m still a minor, for crying out loud.
If anyone even thinks about touching me in that way, I’ll break their arm without a second thought!
Don’t worry, I’m still as pure as the driven snow!”
Upon hearing Everly’s words, Alan felt an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness wash over him.
It seemed that there was indeed no romantic connection between the two of them.
But on the other hand, he couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable about this whole conversation.
Jeremy cleared his throat with a theatrical flourish, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he turned to Alan.
“You heard her loud and clear, didn’t you?
I told you, you were barking up the wrong tree.
The real issue here…
is that someone has some rather…
colorful thoughts…”
Alan’s eyes twitched involuntarily, and he mumbled something under his breath, his voice so low that Jeremy had to strain to hear it.
“Sorry.”
Everly…
if what you’re saying is true, then where on earth did these nonuplets in your head come from?!!!
Is this the wild imagination of a teenager, dreaming of being knocked up by a handsome guy?!
Alan felt like his brain was about to short-circuit.
He was exhausted and overwhelmed, and he decided that he needed to get out of there before he completely lost his marbles.
Without a second thought, he reached out and grabbed Everly’s wrist, pulling her towards the door.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Eh?”
In a flash, Alan was already dragging Everly out of the room, practically yanking the door open in his haste.
Jeremy just chuckled to himself, following them at a leisurely pace while waving goodbye to Everly.
“See you next week.”
“Don’t forget your promise!”
Everly waved back, resigned to being dragged along like a reluctant puppy.
Bye, father of my children~ We’ll meet again in 4 long years, when our little ones have grown up…
I hope you notice how much they look like you, when our 3-year-old geniuses manage to hack into your company and finally catch your attention…
Jeremy’s smile transformed into an expression that was a strange mix of amusement and resignation.
Even before she’s out the door, she’s already creating a crazy soap opera in my head!
It’s only been a few seconds since I said we’d meet in a week, and she’s already jumped ahead 4 years!
And what kind of 3-year-olds can hack into a major company??!
Thank goodness she didn’t add to the number of our so-called children this time…
Just as he was thinking this, he heard Everly’s thoughts one last time, before she moved out of range and her mental chatter faded away.
And then there’s the part where our 9 kids, who live with me, will eventually meet the 3 kids who live with him.
It’s all because when I gave birth, an evil woman swooped in and snatched those 3.
And get this, she then had the nerve to tell Jeremy that she was the one who gave birth to them!
So poor Jeremy has no clue that I’m the real mom of our kids, and they’re…
uh, what do you call twins but with 12 babies?
Jeremy was practically itching to chase after Everly, who had already stepped into the elevator.
His assistant, who had just come back from chatting with security, stood there with his mouth hanging open, having heard Everly’s voice in his head and the wild story about his young boss impregnating someone with 12 babies.
Jeremy closed his eyes, muttering in sheer frustration.
“Everly…
please, for the love of all things sane, stop adding to the number of our children in your crazy imagination!!”
So, Everly was completely oblivious to the fact that her departure had left Jeremy on the verge of pulling his hair out, thanks to the duodecaplets in her imaginary drama.
Even Alan, who had managed to get Everly into the elevator, almost stumbled when he caught wind of her thoughts.
For the first time, he not only felt a twinge of guilt for Jeremy but also a deep sense of pity.
After all, it had finally dawned on him that his little sister had this rather…
unique hobby of turning her imagination into a never-ending drama with plots that were so crazy, they made a circus look normal.
And poor Jeremy had become the unwitting victim of these misunderstandings, all because of Everly’s overactive imagination.
However…
why on earth had the number of his nieces and nephews suddenly shot up to 12?!
Did Everly think she was some kind of super – fertile rabbit?
Little did anyone know that Everly had cooked up this crazy scenario as a satirical take on the novels she’d been devouring lately.
You know the type – where the female lead not only runs away but also pops out a whole bunch of babies who are somehow geniuses even as toddlers.
And those babies are all geniuses who can hack into computers, become mini doctors, or appraise antiques before they can even tie their own shoelaces.
But Everly was blissfully unaware that, before too long, she would come face-to-face with the very people she was satirizing…
Soon enough, Alan and Everly found themselves back in the bustling mall.
Everly suddenly remembered the jacket she had tied around her waist.
“Alan, your jacket got all dirty because of that crazy stalker who splashed juice on it…
I feel so bad about it…”
“Don’t worry about it.
It’s not your fault.
Besides, it looks like it can be cleaned.
And if not, well, we can always use it as evidence with the police later.
After all, she damaged something valuable on purpose.”
Everly nodded in agreement.
As they passed by a luxury watch store, she was taken aback to see Alan’s handsome face plastered on the display.
“Alan, are you a model?”
Alan, still holding onto Everly’s hand as they walked, replied nonchalantly, “Hmm…
just a small-time model, really.”
But Everly could hear the excited chatter of the girls around them.
“Isn’t that Alan Tang?
He’s even more gorgeous in person than in the pictures!
I heard he just became the brand ambassador for XXV!”
“He’s been getting so much attention since he walked the runway at Daniel Bonheur’s fashion show in France last month!
No wonder he’s one of the most famous supermodels in the country now!”
“Did you hear that Alex Chu, that top designer, said Alan is his inspiration for his latest collection?
It’s very likely that Alan will be the main model in his show.”
Even though Alan heard every single word, he didn’t seem to care at all.
He just kept his focus on walking quickly with Everly, who was more and more in awe with each compliment she heard about Alan.
“Alan!
You’re even cooler than I thought!!!”
Everly exclaimed, her eyes shining with admiration.
Not only was Alan the most good-looking and tallest member of the family, but he was also smart and kind.
And he was a popular supermodel too!
I definitely had to protect him from all those crazy people, especially those sneaky green tea bitches like Sylvia.
Even if he ended up dating someone, whether it was a guy or a girl, I would have to vet them thoroughly.
If they turned out to be bad news, I would kidnap them and bury them in the mountains!
That stalker earlier…
I had exposed her mainly because of Alan.
If it had been only my other brothers…
Alan couldn’t help but chuckle at Everly’s thoughts.
He could always sense the genuine sincerity in her words whenever she said she would protect him.
No one had ever said that to him before.
He was truly grateful that his family had found this long-lost sister, who was so precious despite her…
quirks.
After a moment of contemplation, Alan decided to scrap their plans to head straight home and instead led Everly to one of the restaurants in the mall.
“Before we go home, how about we grab some food here?
I’m sure you’re starving by now.”
“Brother, I love you~♡”
Everly’s eyes lit up like fireworks at Alan’s invitation.
The two siblings sat down to eat, chatting about the stalker incident from earlier.
Of course, this conversation was accompanied by a staggering 18 plates of food disappearing into Everly’s bottomless pit of a stomach.
*
*
By the time they made it back to the Tang mansion, the sky had long since turned dark.
As they stepped inside, they found the entire family gathered in the living room, looking like they had been waiting for ages.
“Alan!
Everly!
What took you so long to get home?”
Anna exclaimed, relief washing over her face at the sight of her two children finally returning.
Charles, on the other hand, gave Everly a curious look.
After all, his new daughter might have some connection to the son of the powerful and prestigious Shen family.
“Why did Jeremy Shen take you away?
Sigh…
why is everyone so obsessed with my relationship with the father of my 12 babies today?
A look of sheer horror spread across everyone’s faces as they heard Everly’s thought.
Nathan, who had been taking a sip of water, nearly choked and ended up spraying it all over Sylas’ face.
Before anyone could jump to conclusions and misunderstand, Alan quickly stepped in to answer Charles.
“Jeremy…
he…”
“The two of us are actually friends.”
Everly blurted out, cutting Alan off.
Although they were all a bit skeptical, they decided to accept Everly’s explanation.
After all, being friends was a lot more believable than her being pregnant with 12 babies fathered by Jeremy Shen!
Sylas, still fuming over the fact that Everly’s mental rambling had caused him to get drenched, shouted while furiously wiping his face.
“There’s no way you could be friends or have any sort of relationship with Jeremy!!!”
“Cut it out, Sylas.
We have more pressing matters to discuss at the moment.”
Magnus spoke in his usual calm and icy tone, his eyes fixed on Everly.
As he listened to her thoughts, a hint of excitement coursed through him.
Finally, he could hear them again.
The fact that everyone could hear Everly’s mind made him eager to uncover the reason behind it.
“Indeed.
We heard you accuse that staff member of stalking us, and even knew that she was wearing items she had stolen from us.
How did you come to know about that?
Did you actually know the woman?
Or perhaps you sold our belongings to her?”
Nathan glared at Everly, who could only sigh at his sheer idiocy.
“Is it because that stalker stole and is even wearing your boxer shorts that her idiocy and craziness have somehow cursed you, the owner, infecting your brain?
I only moved into this house yesterday.
How on earth would I have had the time to sell anything from here?
You should be directing your suspicions towards those who have been living here for a long time!”
Everly retorted, casting a sidelong glance at Sylvia.
Hehehe, if only they knew that Sylvi…
“Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!”
Sylvia’s piercing scream abruptly cut off Everly’s thoughts.
She noticed that Sylvia’s lower garments were soaked.
When Sylvia had heard her name on the verge of being mentioned, she had already prepared herself to avoid any potential revelation.
She had stealthily unscrewed Nathan’s water bottle, which he had placed beside him, and made it roll onto her, drenching the dress she was wearing.
“Nathan!
It appears you forgot to close your bottle!”
Sylvia rose from the couch, looking every bit the picture of pitiful innocence.
Meanwhile, Nathan looked like a puppy that had just chewed up a favorite shoe.
“I’m really sorry, Sylvia!”
Anna, who was secretly panicking that they might figure out Everly could read everyone deepest secrets, saw this as the perfect chance to change the subject.
She definitely didn’t want the others to discover that what Everly had thought in her mind yesterday about Anna being a thug – and everyone had brushed it off as nonsense – actually be true.
“Sylvia, you’d better scurry off to your room and change.
And Everly, you should head to bed too.
You look like you could use some rest.”
“We’ve only just begun this discussion, dear.”
Charles frowned, but Anna took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Honey, the important thing is that the stalker has been caught, and we have Everly to thank for that.
Apparently, there’s an altar in the stalker’s house filled to the brim with items stolen from our sons, and the walls are plastered with their pictures.
The police said the stalker confessed that someone had been selling our sons’ belongings to her at exorbitant prices for ages.
So, if there was a thief, it certainly wasn’t Everly.
It must have been someone else.”
Sylvia was already breathing a sigh of relief, but she came to an abrupt halt when she heard Anna’s words.
Their mom really had no clue that she was the one selling her brothers’ stuff, did she?
Everly simply nodded in agreement with Anna’s suggestion and practically sprinted towards the stairs, much to the dismay of her father and brothers who wanted her to stay.
“Alright then.
Good night, everyone~”
She had a whole list of things she wanted to do tonight.
The family drama had been more than enough for the morning and afternoon.
She definitely didn’t need any more of it during the night!
So, after taking a refreshing shower in her room, she practically bounced onto her bed, grabbed her brand-new phone that Alan had bought at the mall earlier, and started reading the chats from Olivia.
[Call me in a few days.
I’m swamped with some stuff]
[Btw, there’s a package here.
Why’d you send it to the orphanage instead of your swanky new digs?”]
Everly facepalmed so hard she could’ve knocked herself out.
How could she have forgotten to change the address when she was buying stuff online last night?
With a dramatic sigh that could’ve filled a balloon, she typed out a reply to Olivia.
She could either send it to her new home later or Everly could make a special trip to pick it up.
Just as she hit send, a screen materialized right in front of her face, like a magic trick gone wrong.
[Side Effect: OFF]
Everly’s eyebrows knitted together so tightly they could’ve been a scarf.
She was dying to know what this “side effect” of the gossip system was.
But who could she ask?
The only option seemed to be System 006.
Remembering their last…
interesting interaction, she let out another sigh that seemed to deflate her entire body, and closed her eyes.
“Haaahh…
system 006, why won’t you just spill the beans and tell me what the side effect is?”
[Yahooo~ you finally called me, host?]
A voice that sounded like it came from another dimension filled Everly’s brain, making her jump like a startled cat.
“System 006, where on earth have you been hiding??!!!”