Due to midterms, Leo and Stella decided to set the dinner date for today.
After class, Stella and her three friends walked out while chatting.
"Finally, we get to have a feast!" Jane was very excited. "Stella, I heard the homemade fruit wine at Nine Creeks is delicious. Can I order some later?"
Stella: "Sure!"
Jane: "Can we try all the flavors?"
Stella: "Of course!"
"Yay!" Jane cheered. "I definitely need to take pictures and post them on my social media!"
"I'm going to post too!" Wanda said. "My cousin bragged about getting a seat in the main hall for a long time. This time, we're going to the top-floor private room! I need to show off twice as much!"
Stella: "Oh right, my husband sent a message saying one of his friends also wants to come. Do we mind?"
"We don't mind at all," Anna waved her hand, "as long as we get to eat!"
As they approached the south gate, they saw Ken waiting for them.
"Stella!" Ken called out.
Stella ignored him.
Though Ken was not the main culprit for the rumors that hurt her, she still didn't want to see him.
Ken quickly walked a few steps to block her path. "I need to talk to you."
"I have something to do." Stella tried to bypass him.
Ken didn't let her, insisting on blocking her way. She took a step forward, and he moved a step, using his arms to prevent her from passing.
"Hey," Stella got annoyed, "are you playing tag with me?"
"…"
Wanda and Anna burst out laughing.
"I want to apologize," Ken looked at her, "I misunderstood you when I said you were 'not self-respecting'. I'm sorry."
Stella paused for a few seconds, then nodded: "I know."
Ken still didn't let her pass, and asked: "Did you get married willingly?"
Stella frowned: "What do you mean?"
"I carefully looked at the marriage certificate photo you posted on the forum. The registration date was four days after I went public with Bella," Ken's eyes were filled with hope, "did you marry someone else just to spite me?"
Stella was dumbfounded.
"Who gave you…"
The nerve.
"I've already broken up with Bella," Ken continued, "if you're willing to divorce, I can help you find a lawyer and make sure your husband doesn't dare to say a word…"
"…"
You want me to divorce?
And go against my husband?
You're quite brave, young man.
"You're mistaken, the marriage was my own decision, it has nothing to do with you."
Ken smiled, clearly not believing her: "You hadn't even had a boyfriend before you got married, and you never post anything on social media. How could it be voluntary?"
"Don't use your own logic to judge others. My private matters, whether I share them or not, are my own choice." Stella didn't want to waste more time with him and said directly: "Do you think I liked you and was jealous of you?"
Ken: "Isn't that so?"
"It's not," Stella said straightforwardly. "I never liked you, not even once. I never played hard to get, never acted ambiguously, and never got jealous of you. You are imagining things."
Ken's face turned red with anger. Seeing her about to leave, he rushed forward and grabbed her: "Say that again!"
Leo drove himself today, with Ian following in his car.
The small south gate of the university led to a pedestrian path. They parked their cars by the roadside and walked towards the gate side by side.
"How many friends does your wife have coming today?" Ian asked.
Leo: "Three, all her roommates."
"Oh," Ian raised his head to look around, then suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, who's that guy holding your wife's hand?"
Leo immediately looked up.
"Let go of me!"
Stella's wrist was tightly gripped by Ken Knight, and she couldn't break free.
Wanda, Jane, and Anna rushed to help, but the difference in strength between men and women was too great. They were afraid of hurting Stella, and after a while, they still couldn't pull her away.
"Ken, are you crazy?"
"Let go of her now!"
"If you don't let go, I'll call the police!"
Ken was now beyond reason.
For the first time, he was so humiliated that he just wanted to regain his face, throwing away any semblance of dignity. "Everyone says you married into a wealthy family, but I've asked around, and none of the rich kids in EP City know you. At best, you married some old, nouveau riche guy! You don't like me? You think I like you?"
Stella's wrist hurt, and she was dizzy with anger. She didn't even know what she was saying: "What's wrong with an old man? I like him, I'll marry him, I can't live without him! I'm warning you, if you don't let go, I'll have my husband beat you up!"
"What husband…"
Ken was about to say more when he let out a cry of pain.
A clean, slender hand reached from behind, pinching the wrist that Ken was holding Stella with.
First, it squeezed, making him let go, then it twisted hard.
"Ahhhh…!" Ken howled in pain.
Leo Starr's lips were tightly pressed together, his brows furrowed with anger. He looked at Ken as if he were looking at a pile of organic waste.
Stella had never seen him like this before and was momentarily stunned.
Leo walked over, gently holding Stella's wrist, his face growing darker as he saw the red marks.
"Does it hurt?"
Stella wanted to say it didn't, but her voice softened: "It hurts~"
Darn, she was being so dramatic.
Leo bent down, blowing gently on her wrist as he massaged it: "I'll blow on it, and the pain will fly away."
Stella was dumbfounded.
Wanda, Jane, and Anna looked on with amused expressions.
Ian turned away, his teeth aching.
Ken, holding his injured wrist, watched Leo and Stella's intimate interaction, cold sweat pouring down his face.
Leo Starr was someone even his father dared not provoke. He was finished.
Leo continued to gently massage Stella's hand until the red marks faded. Only then did he turn to face Ken.
"Your name is Ken Knight?"
"Mr. Starr," Ken's legs almost gave way. "I'm sorry, I apologize, I know I was wrong, I'm really sorry!"
Leo said nothing, holding Stella close.
Ken quickly bowed to Stella: "I'm sorry, Mrs. Starr, I shouldn't have offended you. I promise I will never appear before you again. I will publicly apologize to you on the forum. I was wrong!"
Stella rubbed her temples, tugging at Leo's sleeve: "Honey, I don't want to think about this anymore…"
"Okay, then don't think about it. Let's go eat."
Ken was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Leo glanced back at him.
Just one look made him feel a chill down his spine.
The six of them left the campus and walked to the roadside.
Stella wanted her roommates to ride with her in Leo's car, but before she could say anything, Ian said: "Ladies, would you allow me the honor of being your escort?"
Wanda quickly responded: "Sure, that would be great."
Ian gave Leo a look that said, "You owe me," and gentlemanly opened the car door for the three of them: "My pleasure."
The cars hit the road, heading towards Nine Creeks.
After this incident, Wanda, Jane, and Anna were in awe of Leo, now fully accepting him. They quickly warmed up to Ian too.
Jane, who was straightforward, said: "Oh my God, did you see Mr. Starr's look earlier? It was terrifying!"
Anna nodded repeatedly: "Do you think Ken's hand is broken?"
"No," Ian said, "it's probably just dislocated. Leo has good aim."
Wanda remarked: "Mr. Starr is so different from what I've heard about him!"
Ian was curious: "What did you hear before?"
"That he's cold-hearted, deep and cunning, and never shows his emotions," Wanda counted on her fingers, "and that he doesn't like men or women… stuff like that."
"He is like that," Ian laughed, "but with someone he likes, even the coldest man becomes soft."
"What did you say?" Wanda was excited. "Mr. Starr likes Stella too? Really?"
Ian looked at her, surprised: "Why ask that? They're married, of course he likes her."
Jane: "But Mr. Starr told Stella he only married her out of duty, that he didn't like her!"
Ian rolled his eyes, this fool.
"That's nonsense," Ian said. "He practically flaunted the pen she gave him. Is that just duty?" He turned the wheel and asked, "Why did you say 'too'?"
Wanda hesitated: "Uh…"
Ian realized: "So Stella likes Leo too?"
"Yes," Wanda asked him, "Does Mr. Starr know?"
"He doesn't even know he likes her, how could he know she likes him?" Ian was incredulous. "So, they're playing a game of mutual unspoken affection?"
Wanda's eyes lit up: "Wow! That's so romantic!"
Ian: "…"
What kind of logic is that?
"Hey?" Anna pointed out the window, "Why did Stella's car stop?"
Jane: "Huh? Are they arguing because of Ken?"
Ian, with his sharp eyes, spotted the intertwined figures in the car and sped past: "No, they're fine. Let's keep going."
Leo, you're shameless.
Stella leaned on the passenger seat, staring at Leo, not blinking.
Leo smiled: "What's wrong?"
Stella: "You were so cool just now."
"Just now?"
"Yeah," Stella moved closer to him, "When you threw Ken off, you looked like a god, shining all over!"
Leo chuckled softly and asked: "Was it an old god?"
"…"
Oops, he heard her nonsense from earlier.
"Who said that! You're not old at all!" Stella quickly explained, "Honey, I was just confused and talking nonsense. I meant you're mature and stable, you're a young and handsome man!"
"Really?" Leo raised an eyebrow, "Then when you said 'I must marry him, I can't live without him,' was that nonsense too?"
Stella didn't hesitate: "That wasn't nonsense!"
Leo's tone was amused: "Really?"
"I swear!" She sat up straight. "I can't live without you. I want to be with you forever!"
Leo said nothing, he just turned the steering wheel and parked the car by the roadside.
Stella was puzzled: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Leo leaned over and pulled her towards him, "Let's kiss for a while before we go."