After biting him for a while, Bella finally let go when she tasted a hint of blood.
James looked at his arm and gasped.
Damn, this woman must be part dog.
There were visible teeth marks and blood.
"Are you okay, Brother?"
Shirley Taylor used a tissue to wipe the saliva from his arm, looking at the wound with a pained expression. "Don't provoke Sister Li anymore. She has a bad temper."
"She started it, she threw the first punch, and she still tells me not to provoke her? What happened to gender equality?"
James pointed at his wound, feeling wronged.
Bella also saw his wound and felt a bit guilty. "You deserved it. Who told you to say my chest is small?"
"What the hell? I can't even speak the truth now? Is this how the children of politicians bully people?" James exclaimed.
"I'm warning you, watch your mouth. Don't slander me," Bella said urgently.
James wanted to retort, but he thought that after all, she was a girl, and using foul language wouldn't reflect well on him.
He snorted, "I'm not going to stoop to your level."
He didn't want to waste time on girls under 90 points,
so he turned to Shirley Taylor and said,
"Sweetheart, you've always sung for me. How about I perform my famous song for you today?"
Shirley Taylor blinked curiously and nodded obediently.
James asked Asa, who was watching the drama unfold, to pick a song, then he grabbed the microphone and started posing.
He used to love this song and sang along to it every day, so he knew it well.
"When I'm drunk, I love freedom. I often make mistakes and lie, but I always feel guilty..."
His voice was magnetic, with a hint of huskiness.
Combined with his world-weary aura, this song was perfect for him.
As soon as he started singing, the other three girls stopped what they were doing and listened quietly.
"Why be with me? I'm such a scoundrel. I've lived half my life and I'm still a failure."
"But you never change your mind, smiling through it all with me. Even though I'm bad, I can't bear to secretly misbehave."
After the chorus, the girls' gazes toward him changed.
The dim lights illuminated his deep-set features,
his captivating voice, tender gaze, and mischievous smile.
The girls were unconsciously mesmerized.
Especially when he sang this song, it gave off a vibe of a prodigal son returning home.
Bella, who was still angry, suddenly felt that this man wasn't so detestable after all.
She felt an inexplicable urge to forgive him.
After finishing the song "Scoundrel",.
James felt a bit awkward seeing the three girls staring at him.
To ease the situation, he held the microphone and said seriously to Bella,
"Bella, while I was singing, there was a question I've been wanting to ask you."
His words startled Bella out of her daze. Seeing his serious expression, she felt inexplicably flustered.
Teenage girls are prone to fantasies, and her mind was filled with images of James suddenly confessing his feelings.
Singing a love song and then asking her a question, what did he want to say?
Bella's heart was racing, her ears burning. Like Shirley Taylor, she stammered,
"W-What do you want to ask?"
But James pointed to the teeth marks on his arm and asked seriously,
"Have you had your rabies shot?"
Bella was stunned, then, realizing what he meant, she flew into a rage, grabbed a cushion from the sofa, and chased after James.
James ran away, laughing.
The room was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Shirley Taylor watched them play, a wistful look in her eyes.
People with confidence seemed to be able to do as they pleased.
She didn't know where her confidence lay and could only sit there, lost in thought.
Seeing that the little girl seemed unhappy, James immediately stopped fooling around.
He couldn't be as carefree and playful with Shirley Taylor as he was with Bella.
Because Shirley Taylor had something he wanted, which prevented him from being completely relaxed.
"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" James sat beside her, putting his arm around her waist.
"Nothing," Shirley Taylor forced a smile.
"You saw it. She's the one who started it. I didn't provoke her," James quickly explained.
"Yes, I know," Shirley Taylor lowered her eyes.
Seeing that she was still down, James brought over two drinks and said,
"Don't overthink it. Come, have a drink with me."
Shirley Taylor obediently took the glass, clinked it with his, and took small sips.
"Let's play dice again, but this time, don't let me win, okay?"
"Okay."
Bella, seeing them sitting together, felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
So she squeezed in to join the fun.
"I want to play too."
James didn't want her to join, but he didn't dare refuse a politician's daughter.
Besides, she was Shirley Taylor's roommate, and it wouldn't be good to have a falling out.
"There are no more dice. Go to the front desk and get two more. The four of us can play together."
Bella pouted. She usually didn't do such chores.
But to teach James a lesson, she stormed off.
Seeing the annoying one gone, James started coaxing the little bunny to drink.
But whether it was luck or skill,
he kept losing.
Luckily, the little bunny's alcohol tolerance wasn't great either. After a few drinks, she was clearly tipsy, often staring at him blankly.
James stopped playing dice for a while, held her, and whispered sweet nothings.
He wasn't the most eloquent, but his words were effective on such an inexperienced girl.
In no time, Shirley Taylor was completely smitten.
Leaning on James, she found the courage
to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind all day.
"Brother, will you one day suddenly abandon me like you did with your ex-girlfriend?"
James looked into the little bunny's anxious eyes and felt a pang of sympathy.
"Silly, how could I possibly abandon you?"
He gently pinched Shirley Taylor's cheek and explained softly,
"Do you want to know why I broke up with her?"
"Why?" Shirley Taylor's eyes were full of confusion.
"It's a bit embarrassing to talk about, but because I'm sincere about being with you, I don't want to deceive you."
James pulled up the investigation report Winnie Morgan had given him and showed his phone to Shirley Taylor.
"I used to love her very much, and at one point, I gave her all the money I had. I was naive enough to believe that she loved me too, but I never expected..."
Shirley Taylor was slightly surprised to hear that James had given all his money to that woman. She couldn't imagine how much money that was.
Then she saw the shocking investigation report. This woman named Anna Rivera was still not satisfied and went to other men for money.
And she was sleeping around with multiple men.
How could such a shameless woman exist?
She was stunned.
"If you become like her in the future, then..."
Shirley Taylor immediately interrupted James, her voice firmer than ever before,
"Brother, I will only ever be with you."
"Yes, I believe you."
James smiled and hugged her, giving her a peck on the lips in front of Asa, and said softly,
"But no one knows what the future holds. If you ever want to leave me, please tell me first. I will agree."
"I won't. As long as Brother still loves me, Shirley will die in Brother's house, even if it means death."