Avril had completely relaxed at James's home, lying on the couch playing with her phone, her legs propped up on the backrest without a care in the world. James glanced up and saw her improper posture and sighed helplessly. This girl really doesn't treat herself like a guest at all.
"Avril, can you at least maintain some decorum? You're a young lady. What kind of behavior is this?"
Without lifting her head from her phone, Avril retorted,
"I do this at home too. If you don't like it, just close your eyes."
Having spent the entire afternoon together, she had become more uninhibited, her words lacking any filter.
James raised his large hand and said coldly, "Non-violence, non-cooperation, is it?"
Avril immediately straightened up and sat properly, smiling innocently, "Hehe, sorry, sorry. Come on, I haven't even taken my clothes off yet."
James: "..."
"Uncle, I'm hungry. I want a burger and fried chicken."
With the celebrity veneer gone, she was just a little rascal.
James felt helpless; who could resist a pretty girl? Even if she cried, he'd still have to pamper her.
"I'll call your assistant to check if you can eat that."
Avril panicked, knowing her assistant would never agree.
She dropped her phone, grabbing James's hand and shaking it, pouting,
"Please don't, just one drumstick? One chicken nugget?"
Unable to withstand her pleading, James relented,
"How about we go downstairs for a proper Chinese meal? I'll order you some braised chicken."
"Fine, let's go!" she eagerly pulled James up.
"Bring your assistant along," James reminded.
"She's on a diet, no need to drag her down," the hint of retaliation in her tone made James shake his head, as he called the assistant himself.
The assistant, right next door, came over immediately.
Seeing Avril intimately holding James's hand, she assumed her star had fallen for the rich man.
He Xiaojing sighed inwardly.
Behind every glamorous star, there was a man silently supporting them. It seemed even the stubborn Avril was no exception. The young assistant's dreams of stardom shattered.
The three of them went downstairs and exited the building.
Dusk had fallen, and the streetlights cast a faint glow.
James led them to a private restaurant they had been to before.
Passing by a black-tinted SUV, he felt as if someone was watching them.
Frowning slightly, James looked at the vehicle. With his enhanced vision, he could only make out vague silhouettes inside. He couldn't tell what they were doing.
"What's wrong?" Avril curiously asked, seeing him stare.
"Nothing. Just felt like someone was watching us," James replied.
"Oh crap."
Realizing what he meant, Avril quickly let go of James's hand. Her assistant He Xiaojing also nervously rummaged through her bag for a mask for Avril.
Seeing them conceal themselves, James quickly caught on.
Avril was a celebrity, and even if she was no longer in the limelight, she still had her share of the spotlight. If a scandal broke out, it could impact her career. And James didn't want his photo with another woman to end up in front of his girlfriends.
With that realization, James asked He Xiaojing for a mask and copied their low profile.
The three walked away with their heads down.
"Never thought Avril would still be so pretty," one sleazy voice in the SUV said. "That little nose and mouth, she's up there with Mi Mi."
"She looks even younger in person," said another voice.
"Who's the guy with her? Could he be some rich sugar daddy?" one of the men in the SUV speculated.
"Who cares who he is? Let's just take some pictures of the two of them. That'll be enough to report back," said the other.
"Just holding hands? That's not juicy enough. Look how close they areâmaybe they're heading to a hotel. Let's follow them and see what happens."
"Good idea. If he's married, we might even be able to squeeze some money out of him."
With that, the two men stepped out of the SUV, cameras in hand, and started tailing the group from a distance.
James noticed them immediately.
As they walked, he leaned over to Avril and said,
"Avril, let's head into that alley over there."
"Why?" Avril asked, puzzled.
James wrapped an arm around her and steered her toward the right, speaking softly,
"There are no cameras in that alley. Makes things easier."
Avril's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Uncle, I didn't know you liked doing things outdoors."
James smacked her lightly on the forehead and said irritably,
"Can't you think normal thoughts for once? We're being followed. I'll deal with it in the alley."
Avril pouted, rubbing her forehead.
"Stop hitting my head! You're going to make me stupid."
James retorted, "Haven't seen much evidence of intelligence to begin with."
Hearing that they were being followed, He Xiaojing grew nervous. She resisted the urge to turn around and look, her anxiety growing as she wondered who was following them and how James intended to "deal with it."
What if things escalated into a fight?
Worrying silently, she followed James and Avril into the alley.
The two men behind them noticed the turn into the alley and exchanged uncertain glances.
"Think this alley leads anywhere? Should we follow them in or wait for them to come out?"
After a brief discussion, they decided to follow.
Two grown men shouldn't have any reason to be afraid of one guy.
Besides, they weren't technically doing anything wrongâjust taking photos.
Even if they got caught and beaten up, it would still be worth it.
The more powerful the person, the bigger the compensation, and they had plenty of experience in this sort of thing.
The two men hurried after them.
When they entered the alley, they only saw the two women walking ahead. The rich guy was nowhere to be seen.
They exchanged puzzled looks and quickened their pace to get closer to Avril and her assistant.
Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind them.
"Stick 'em up. This road belongs to me."
Startled, they spun around and found James standing there, blocking the exit.
The two men laughed nervously, not taking his words seriously. Feeling a bit embarrassed for being caught, the older one stepped forward and said,
"Boss, sorry about this. We're just trying to make a living here. How about you cut us some slack?"
James found their audacity amusing.
"You've been following us and expect me to cut you some slack?"
He strode forward, placing one hand on each of their shoulders. His grip was firm, his tone deceptively friendly.
"So, what, should I strike a pose to make it easier for you to take photos?"
The older man suddenly felt an immense pressure on his shoulder, as if he'd been pinned by steel bars. He tried to shake James off but found himself completely immobilized.
His face changed drastically. He turned to his stockier partner, only to see him struggling just as hard, his face flushed as if he were enduring unbearable pain.
The older man's heart sank.
How could someone have such terrifying strength?
He quickly gave in.
"Boss, take it easy! Let's talk this out! We're sorry, okay? We know we messed up."
James smiled.
"What exactly did you mess up?"
Hearing the commotion, Avril, who had been walking ahead, came running back, her face lighting up with excitement.
"Uncle, did you catch paparazzi?"
Behind her, He Xiaojing panicked and yelled,
"Avril, don't go over there! It's dangerous!"