James felt like a jerk.
He wanted that girl to be completely devoted to him, yet here he was, flitting between interests.
Imagine if he were a woman, lying in bed next to the man she liked, only to have other women disrupt their time together.
Who could handle that?
It would probably kill any affection left.
But Amanda remained sweet, gesturing playfully to cover her mouth to signal she wouldn't add to the noise.
James glanced at his phone as a call from the little white rabbit came in, unsure whether to answer.
Considering Shirley Taylor's timid nature, she would never call unless there was something urgent.
With a grim determination, he answered, "Hello, what's going on?"
There was a long pause on the other end. Just as James was beginning to feel impatient, Shirley's voice trembled through the phone. "Brother, I'm scared."
James's heart raced. "What's happening? Who bullied you? Where are you?"
"I... I'm in the dorm," Shirley replied weakly.
"Why are you scared in the dorm? Did Bella bully you?" James asked, puzzled.
"No, they aren't here. It's just me in the dorm," she rushed to clarify.
"Well, then what are you afraid of?" James said, casting a glance at Amanda, who was wearing a sly smile.
He had thought Shirley simply didn't want to sleep alone and needed to be coaxed.
But with Amanda present, he couldn't chat freely with her.
"You haven't replied to my messages all day, and I was worried something happened to you," Shirley's voice quavered, revealing a hint of panic.
James felt a twinge of guilt. "Don't worry; I've been busy today and didn't have time to check my phone."
As he spoke, Shirley seemed to calm down, whispering, "Did I interrupt your work?"
James forced a grin, "No, I'm busy, but it's fine."
"I'm sorry; you focus on your work, brother."
After saying that, Shirley hung up, feeling guilty for having disturbed James.
Holding his phone awkwardly, James shot an embarrassed smile at Amanda.
"Hey, sis, do you believe me if I say she's just my sister?"
Amanda blinked, smirking, "I believe whatever you say."
James stumbled for words, unable to find a proper reply, so he decided to use his actions to convince her instead.
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory, Shirley Taylor sat alone, staring at her phone screen with a conflicted expression.
She wanted to send a message to James, urging him not to overwork himself.
But she also felt that suggesting so might be futile.
She thought she should help him out so he could rest sooner.
Yet, doubts about her own abilities lingered.
After much contemplation, she eventually typed out a message:
"Brother, is there anything I can help you with?"
However, her message seemingly vanished into the voidâthe same fate as the three messages she sent earlier.
Feeling disheartened, she sank back into her blanket, wrestling with feelings of helplessness.
An hour later, just as she forced her eyes shut, her phone chimed with a notification.
Startled awake, she pulled the blanket taut around herself and grabbed her phone.
"Go to sleep, silly girl."
The text from the person she liked had a magical effect, clearing the shadows of her day and lifting her spirits.
Unable to help it, she smiled and typed back, "But I can't sleep."
"What can I do to help you sleep?"
"I don't know."
James felt that the right moment had come for him to show up and delight her, picturing her excitement.
Unfortunately, he was tied down, as Amanda was sleeping right next to him, making it impossible to get away.
Instead, he settled for comforting her through text.
"Be good; get some rest. I'll come see you next week."
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
"Goodnight; see you in our dreams."
"Brother, I really like you."
"Me too."
Perhaps the phone's screen was too bright, as Amanda stirred slightly beside him.
James quickly turned off the screen.
The night passed in relative silence.
The first rays of morning sunlight slowly filtered in through the window, casting a golden hue across the room.
Outside, birds chirped in the trees, the dew on the leaves still holding fast.
James woke gradually, casting a glance at the lovely woman beside him.
Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Then, he dressed for a morning run, planning to grab breakfast for the two of them.
After stretching out his limbs and warming up, he set off into the refreshing morning air.
With his strong physique, he ran swiftly to the breakfast shop in just ten minutes.
Not wanting to rush back too quickly, he decided to jog a bit further.
As fate would have it, he happened upon Sofie Barnes, who was clad in a sporty white outfit.
Her white skirt bounced playfully as she moved, bringing back the pleasant memory of their last encounter.
She was jogging while taking selfies with her phone.
Catching sight of the man behind her in the reflection, she turned with excitement upon realizing it was her boss.
Her smile brightened even more. "King! What a coincidence! You're out for a run too?"
"Yes, I am. Hello!" James nodded with a charming smile.
"Have you stopped your morning runs, King? I haven't seen you around lately."
"I was out of town for a bit."
James exchanged a few pleasantries with her; as the boss, he felt it necessary to show some interest in his employees.
"I heard you enrolled in an acting training program. How's that going?"
Sofie jogged alongside him, slightly panting as she replied, "The teacher thinks I have talent! I've been spending time at home practicing lines and expressions. They say I'm basically ready for a role!"
"Nice! You've really progressed in just a few days," James praised her.
"Yeah, but I struggle with getting into character."
"Well, keep pushing yourself."
"Definitely!"
Sofie, feeling a bit brave around James, asked, "About that fantasy dramaâcould I possibly reserve the second female lead role?"
James pondered for a moment. He had planned to give her a separate project down the road.
But seeing her eagerness, he thought it might be good for her to get into practice with a role earlier.
"Sure! If you want to audition, go for it. They're still casting today, and the director said it's fine."
"Yay! Thank you, King!"
Sofie jumped for joy, excitement radiating from her.
With the boss's approval, she was confident the director would have nothing against her joining.
[System Notification: Sofie Barnes favorability +10]
James felt favorable toward her already, and without any significant effort, her favorability jumped to 40.
It seemed gold-diggers were appealing; a little generosity could easily self-navigate toward a positive outcome.
He continued encouraging Sofie, telling her to keep working hard before increasing his pace to leave.
After picking up breakfast from a shop where the owner stared in disbelief, James devoured eight trays of xiaolongbao and packed a second round of treats to bring back to Amanda and Timmy.
When he returned home, he found Amanda already awake, styling Timmy's hair.
"Daddy, you're back!"
Timmy exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she rushed toward James, insisting he help with her braids.
James melted at her cuteness, utterly unable to say no.
With Amanda's guidance, he managed to get Timmy's braids done just as she finished her breakfast.
"Tailsa has a little puppy; should we take Timmy to see it?"
Amanda's suggestion caught James off guard.
Shouldn't the two women be competitors? Why did it seem like Amanda was trying to connect him with Tailsa?
As soon as Timmy heard about the puppy, she immediately whined to go play.
James relented and called Tailsa.
"Hey, babe, are you up yet?"
"Not yet, just lounging..."
Tailsa's voice was soft and laced with the typical sweet morning charm.
"I'm bringing my daughter over to see your puppy; get up quickly!"
James's words made Tailsa wake up with alarm.
"Aren't you the one who said you weren't married? Where did this daughter come from?"
"My daughter is Timmy; we just recognized each other yesterday."
Tailsa relaxed a little, muttering, "She can't play with it."