Chapter 285: Chapter 285

Claire Wilde reached out to grab the ID card and room key, hastily said "thank you" and dragged Julian Yardley towards the elevator door.

"Give me the ID card."

Claire Wilde picked up the three cards in her hand and looked at them, then found his ID card and said, "Your ID photo is pretty nice."

Julian Yardley gave her a sidelong glance, reached out to take his ID card and tucked it back into his wallet. But Claire Wilde handed over her own ID card and room key to her and said, "You keep them, your memory is better."

Julian Yardley took them and put them away while saying to her, "Messy."

In the room, there were two single beds. Claire Wilde chose the one near the window and despite sharing the room with a boy, she felt perfectly comfortable.

On the contrary, Julian Yardley wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Although she often stayed at his place, they always had separate rooms. Sharing a room was quite rare.

"Are you going to shower first or should I go first?" Claire Wilde asked.

Julian Yardley glanced at the bathroom partitioned with frosted glass. While the inside wasn’t entirely visible, the outlines were clear enough.

Being a healthy man, he could probably control his desires from escalating, but he couldn’t stop them from emerging.

Just thinking about her showering in there later made him feel heated.

He stood up and said, "I’m going downstairs to buy a pack of cigarettes. You can shower first."

After speaking, he left the room. Claire Wilde pouted, unaware of his thoughts.

She crouched down at the luggage looking for clothes, humming a song played at the wedding earlier.

Julian Yardley bought cigarettes at the supermarket facing the hotel. While paying, he saw the brand of yogurt Claire Wilde liked, so he picked up a cup for her.

Knowing her shower speed, he sat in the hotel lobby waiting after the purchase, leisurely smoked two cigarettes before heading back upstairs.

Upon opening the door, the bathroom door was open. She wore a white nightgown, blow-drying her hair inside.

The sound of the hairdryer was loud; it seemed like she said something, but it wasn’t clear. Julian Yardley went straight to the small table by the window and placed the yogurt there.

As he set it down, the hairdryer noise ceased. She poked her head out and asked him again, "Why did it take you so long to come back?"

Julian Yardley looked at her and calmly replied, "Saw a convenience store nearby, walked a bit further."

"Oh, I’m done showering, you can go ahead."

"I’ll shower later. Bought you a yogurt."

"Where?!" As soon as she heard about food, her eyes lit up and she immediately emerged from the bathroom.

She grabbed the yogurt box, sat on her bed, and as she removed the lid, she exclaimed, "Ms. Yardley, you’re the best!"

Julian Yardley was delighted inside, yet remained composed outwardly, took out a book from his bag and leaned against the bedhead to read.

Seeing him read, Claire Wilde kept her movement quiet.

Curiously, she peeked at the title of the book he was reading, realized she couldn’t even understand it, assumed it was a tech-related book.

After scraping the yogurt box clean, she lay on the bed and played with her phone for a while.

Julian Yardley kept his focus on reading, occasionally glancing at her.

Noticing it was about time, just as he was about to remind her not to use her phone, he turned and found she was already asleep.

The phone was still playing a drama, with the earphones in her ears.

Julian Yardley reached over to switch off the bedside lamp, gently got up to remove the earphones, turned off her phone, and placed it on her nightstand.

He then took his pajamas to the bathroom. Worried the sound of water might disturb her sleep, he took a quick shower and returned.

Sitting by the bedside, looking at her peaceful sleeping face under the soft light, his heart melted.

She’s been around him for two or three years, having witnessed her growing up.

Seeing her learn makeup, dressing up, develop clear plans for her future, it seemed like she was growing up, yet her childlike self remained.

He hoped to preserve her childlike innocence, but also wished she’d learn some things. She couldn’t always live under his protection; one day she’d face this diverse world on her own, learn to protect and fight for what she deserved without harming others.

Being excessively kind and naive may not always be a good thing.

He’s uncertain how to make her gradually adapt, taking it step by step.

Erin Bishop seemed quite eager to marry after returning from Shannon Quinn’s wedding.

Previously, she wouldn’t admit to being an older single woman, but now she can’t deny it as she’s approaching thirty.

Maintaining her appearance made her look barely past twenty, yet her age was undeniable. Even if she wasn’t anxious, her family was pressing her like ants on a hot pan.

Shannon Quinn and Landon Sutton’s love seemed to rekindle her interest in exploring and embracing love.

So after two days of thinking, she proactively called her mother to arrange for matchmaking.

She met two prospects the first day; the morning one minded her previous divorce, ending it; the afternoon one, as she put it, was philosophically ranting, leaving her without a mood for conversation, not to mention a shared life.

On the second day, Erin Bishop gathered her spirit for more matchmaking.

In the morning, she met a university English professor. Her mother praised him highly because she fancied the teaching profession, having arranged numerous matches for Erin from preschool teachers to university lecturers.

This one garnered the highest praise. Erin wasn’t sure if her mother exaggerated out of eagerness for her marriage or if he truly was exceptional. Read complete version only at N0velFire.ɴet

She went in with high expectations.

They met at a café, and when she arrived, he was already waiting.

Erin Bishop approached without even a chance to greet, greeted abruptly in English which stunned her.

She could manage the simple greeting, replied in English.

Initially, she thought it was just a humor attempt, didn’t think much of it.

But once seated, the English professor unleashed a torrent of English like a machine gun, leaving Erin Bishop only grasping a gist.

He talked about personal interests, of which Erin Bishop retained nothing in her mind.

She awkwardly laughed and asked, "Do you speak Chinese?"

The reply came in English: "Sure!"

Erin Bishop felt a bit embarrassed, picked up her coffee cup for a sip to ease the moment, suddenly noticed someone familiar sitting diagonally opposite...