Chapter 368

So he was worried about that, huh?

Gwendolyn’s lips curved into a grin as she reached up to caress Cedrick’s face. “Are you jealous?”

“Mm. Just a little unhappy.”

A frown made its way onto his lips as he looked away. The expression on his face seemed to convey a sense of sadness, silently pleading for consolation.

Gwendolyn stifled her laughter. Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a peck on his lips before comforting him, “Ceddy, you look so cute when you’re jealous! Be a good boy. I remember what you like, too. I’ll only focus on you in the future and forget about everyone else. Is that okay?”

Cedrick’s frown vanished as he stared at her. “You’d better keep your word.”

Gwendolyn hastily nodded. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as they watched the plane that Charles was on depart Chanaea.

Meanwhile, inside the car parked outside the airport, Nico retrieved a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. As he listened to the sound of an airplane ascending into the sky, he placed a cigarette between his lips and ignited it, taking a deep inhale.

Gray smoke enveloped him, creating a tense aura. With a single glance, Nicole could tell he was in a rather foul mood.

“Nico, do you not want that Mr. Newton to leave?”

Nico took a long drag of his cigarette before saying, “I received a hundred and thirteen lashes from him when I was imprisoned in Erihal.”

I can’t quell the discomfort in my heart if I don’t get revenge for the beating he gave me.

Nicole grinned at the man’s words. “I heard that you assisted Mr. Jenson in punishing Mr. Newton many times. Surely, it’s not just a hundred and thirteen lashes, right?”

The cigarette between his lips moved as he uttered in a magnanimous tone, “You have a point. Now that I think about it, it seems like a win for me. I guess I’ll let him go then.”

Nicole cupped her hand over her lips and chuckled discreetly, thinking, Although ruthless in carrying out his orders, he’s soft at heart. He’s not the bad person that others make him out to be.

The smell of tobacco intensified in the car, causing her nose to feel a tad uncomfortable. Nico did not seem to realize it as he continued smoking.

Nicole pouted her lips, and her mood soured in that instant.

Sure enough, he’s not experienced in taking care of others at all. There’s a girl in his car, yet he doesn’t know to tamp down his smoking?

A mischievous glint flitted across her eyes. She casually scooted toward the man and reached for the lit cigarette in between his fingers, snatching it over.

He stared at her in confusion before asking, “What are you doing?”

“You look handsome when you smoke, so I want to try it out, too.” Nicole’s tone was innocent as she imitated Nico, placing the cigarette between her lips in jest.

“Don’t! I’ve already smoked that one!”

Nico’s expression changed drastically, and he was about to reach over to stop the woman. Alas, the cigarette was already between her lips as she took in a deep puff, not minding the fact that his saliva was on the cigarette at all.

Nicole, who did not know how to smoke, took a puff of the cigarette, only to be overwhelmed by the bitter taste of the smoke. She immediately began coughing uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Nico hurriedly patted her back to help alleviate her discomfort. “You’re still young. You shouldn’t learn to smoke if you don’t know how. This isn’t something fun!”

“If it’s not fun, then why are you smoking? I want to learn and come to like whatever you like!” the young girl retorted, still coughing.

Her face had turned red from the coughing fit, and her bright, wide eyes stared at him intently with a serious expression.

Nico felt his heart skip a beat as he glanced at her. He snatched the cigarette from her and extinguished it without hesitation. He then switched on the car’s heater and activated the external circulation to air out the smoke.

“I don’t like smoking, and I won’t smoke anymore, so don’t you dare start learning how to do it!”

Nicole nodded obediently. Attempting to conceal the happiness that sparkled in her eyes, she then asked, “So when are you going to teach me martial arts?”

“What? You really want me to teach you?”

“Of course!” Nicole looked at him intently. “I’ve told you before. I want to be the sharpest tool in your arsenal. When you go out for missions in the future, I wish to accompany you and help you in taking down the bad guys!”

Nico was rendered speechless.

He had thought Nicole was joking around when she first mentioned it, so he did not expect her to be serious about this.

“It’s not appropriate for a girl to be talking about fighting and taking lives. However, if you’re genuinely interested in learning, I can teach you a couple of self-defense moves. I can even instruct you on how to handle a firearm.”

Nicole’s face lit up with joy when she heard that the man would be teaching her how to shoot. “You’re so kind to me, Nico! I’m going to follow you for the rest of my life.”

Upon uttering those words, she leaned across the armrest separating their seats, wrapped her arms around Nico’s neck, then planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

Nico’s heart skipped a beat, for this was the first time he had been hugged and kissed by a girl.

Even after Nicole pulled away, the sensation of her soft touch against his skin remained. His ears turned bright red as he blinked rapidly in a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.

He calmed himself down before saying, “You… It’s not a good idea for you to keep following me. You’ll have to tell me your real name sooner or later, and when you start to be independent, I’ll send you home.”

Nicole’s arms, that were around his neck, froze at that moment.

Slowly releasing her embrace, Nicole lowered her gaze to conceal her disappointment. Tears welled in her eyes as she said, “Do you… think I’m annoying? Do you not want to take care of me anymore?”

“That’s not it. After all, I’m not your guardian. No matter what happens, I must return you to your parents,” the man uttered, his tone serious.

“But I’ll be twenty soon. I’m an adult and can choose the life I want to live! I want to be with you!”

Nico’s heart ached at the sight of her tears. Alas, the girl did not belong to him.

“However, I also have the right to choose whether I want you to be with me. Besides, you won’t even tell me your real name. Who knows how many more secrets you’re hiding from me?”

Nicole panicked when she sensed a hint of suspicion in his tone. “I’m not purposefully hiding it from you at all. My real name is Summer Rongsler! I didn’t tell you this before because I hate my father, and I do not wish to bear the same last name as him!”

As though seeking some comfort, she held onto the hem of his clothes, her confession pouring out in a rush. “Indeed, I still have some things I’m hiding from you. The truth is… I’m not as innocent as you think I am. Do you believe in love at first sight? From the moment you stepped into my prison cell, from the moment I laid eyes on you, I’ve fallen in love with you. Hence, this is why I’ve been pretending to be dumb and clumsy. I thought that, by doing so, I could say by your side forever. Won’t you prefer to have a cute girl by your side and make me yours when the time is right?”

Nico was at a loss for words.

His face flushed with embarrassment, a rosy hue spreading from his cheeks to his neck as his heart thumped wildly against his chest. “Do… you even know what you’re talking about?”

“Of course, I do! I’m almost twenty! I’m not that naive. I know everything about being in a relationship.”

Once again, Nico was bereft of words.

What the heck? All this time, the innocent one was me? I was the one who was tricked, and I’m actually the naive one between the two of us?

The thought of that made his expression dim.

“Nico, what do you think?” Summer’s voice was barely above a whisper. Her bright eyes fixed on him with a mixture of hope and anticipation as if saying, “I would be deeply hurt if you reject me.”

Nico arched an eyebrow and smiled. He remained composed as he teasingly replied, “Summer, you sure took your own sweet time to confess to me. What do you think I’ll do?”

As he called her by her real name, tears began streaming down Summer’s face. She bit her lip, and with a tinge of disappointment, released her grip on his shirt, sadness welling up inside her.

A frown crossed Nico’s countenance when he noticed she had gotten upset for real.

However, just as he was about to console her, Summer opened the car door, leaped out of the vehicle, and seemingly ran off without looking back.

Nico quickly got out and chased after her.

The truth was, Summer did not run at all, for he spotted Gwendolyn and Cedrick exiting the airport.

Tears streaming down her face, she ran up to the former and began complaining to her.

Taken aback by the young girl’s sudden embrace, Gwendolyn exchanged confused glances with Cedrick before asking, “What’s wrong? Did Nico bully you?”

Summer shook her head relentlessly, though she did not disclose the reason behind her tears. She merely held onto Gwendolyn tightly as tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.

Just as Gwendolyn was about to comfort the young girl by patting her on the back, Cedrick intervened.

With a grim expression on his countenance, the man lifted Summer by the back of her neck and distanced her from Gwendolyn.

“She’s mine! I haven’t had enough of hugging her, yet!”