Chapter 289: Always ten steps ahead, remember?

Knowing that Zoren Pierson, the man Penny was married to, was the same boy she had special ties with in the past, was a shock. But the surprise quickly faded compared to the heaviness in her heart.

The information she had read about him now stirred emotions far deeper than mere sympathy.

It felt... personal.

Dragging her feet back home, Penny swallowed for the umpteenth time, but the lump in her throat remained. The thought that someone had approached Zoren, seemingly pretending to be her, caused a tight knot of tension in her heart.

God knows how much self-control she exercised just to stop herself from jumping out of that car and removing that woman from Zoren’s personal space. But Penny was always mindful of the consequences, big or small, of her actions if she acted rashly.

’I can only hope that Renren isn’t foolish enough to believe her,’ she sighed for the umpteenth time. ’That fool. If he goes there every Thursday, then he shouldn’t dare get fooled.’

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line as another bubble of sorrow rose in her heart.

"Chunchun, would he be sad... if he finds out that Mouse and Tiana are..." she trailed off, her eyes brimming with sadness as she gazed at the cat in her arms. "He will be sad, won’t he?"

Meow.

A shallow breath slipped past her nostrils as she shook her head. "Should I put you down, Chunchun? I feel so down that even though you don’t weigh much, I feel like I might crumble."

"Chunchun, you should walk, you know? You haven’t walked much, and now you want to be carried. Is being physically old that much of a burden now?"

Penny paused as she noticed a car ahead. Glancing up, deep lines appeared between her brows.

’What is this guy doing here?’ she wondered, putting a halt to the emotional rollercoaster she was riding on inwardly.

"What are you doing here? Dean, I’m getting annoyed with you now."

Her voice caught Dean’s attention, making him leave his vantage point and approach her.

"Why are you getting annoyed with me? It’s not like I’m following you," he quipped, stopping in front of her. "I know where you live, and I’m just dropping by."

"Wow... so because of that, you think you can come here anytime?"

"Penny, I felt like our last conversation... it weighed on my heart. I reflected on my actions, and you were right. I should trust you. After all, we’ve known each other for a long time, and no matter what, we’ve shared many memories over the past twelve years."

While Dean explained his reasoning, Penny couldn’t help but study him.

’The place where I first met him...’ she thought, recalling all the memories she had with this guy. ’... and the time he appeared was... right after Renren left.’

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to maintain a calm front despite her heart rate increasing. When his eyes shone with curiosity for an answer, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"What did you eat today? You’re saying so many strange things."

He laughed charmingly. "Whatever you need from my uncle, I’m staying out of it."

"Good."

"Anyway, Penny, there’s another reason I came here. Here."

Slowly, Penny gazed down at the present he was handing her. "And what is that?"

"A fish toy. Happy Birthday, Chunchun."

For a moment, Penny just stared at him, her lips parting slightly. Myriads of thoughts crossed her mind in a split second.

It was no secret Penny disliked Dean for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t as if he was entirely unlikable or irredeemable. In fact, many people liked Dean because he was sweet, kind, smart, and funny.

He might not have been an important person in her life, but Dean was someone she owed. And Penny was someone who liked returning favors because she hated being indebted to anyone but herself.

But if Dean had something to do with her problems—whatever they were—he couldn’t blame Penny for cutting all the webs of lies he might have woven around her. She could only hope she was mistaken because, at the end of the day, she was hopeful the problem between them was her and not him.

’Annoying as he may be, he’s actually a smart person. A very smart person,’ she reminded herself. ’I have to be careful.’

The corner of her lips curled up. "Nope! Haha! It’s for your own safety."

"Ahh... your brothers, huh? How will you date if you’re always thinking of them?"

"Well, don’t bother. Dating is not part of my plans for now."

"Do you always plan everything?"

Slowly, she lifted her eyes and held his gaze before she said meaningfully, "Of course. Otherwise, I’d be in trouble. Always ten steps ahead. That’s my motto, remember?"

That was her warning.

"So?" He raised his brows and stared at her with anticipation. "Should I walk you home?"

If he was playing a game, then she would beat him at his own game. "You brought Chunchun a present, so just this once."

"Really?"

"What? Did you not expect that?"

"No... I didn’t."

Penny playfully chuckled while secretly sizing him up. He did seem genuinely surprised. Well, she could understand since she never told him yes before.

After their brief banter, the two walked home quietly. Penny glanced down, weighing her options. Another moment passed before a genuine question slipped from her lips.

"How did you know me?"

Penny continued walking even when he stopped. She held her breath for a moment before facing him, listening to everything he was saying, and detecting some truths mixed with lies.

"But I stuck around because I thought... you were fun."

"Huh?"

"You’re a good person," he said, smiling. "And I ended up liking you."

That was her cue to stop. "Alright! Time to go!" She quickly turned around, but as she did, a sharp glint flickered across her eyes.