Ch. 111..120
Chapter 111: I’ll Go When The Time Comes
“Well, it’s a promotion of sorts for the kindergartens every year,” Cindy Clarke explained, “In addition to Jetaime Academy, every year, nine prestigious kindergartens in Belfard come together to hold a Sports Meet, allowing parents to see the situation of each kindergarten. ”
“If the parents feel good about it, they could recommend it to their relatives and friends, and that will bring more fame and students. Besides, if a single kindergarten were to hold such an event, there would be too few children to make it work. So several kindergartens team up and organize it together. Maybe they can attract clients of their relatives and friends from other kindergartens?” Cindy Clarke said.
Adrian Zhekova laughed and said, “I’ll go then.”
“Alright.” Cindy Clarke wasn’t as surprised this time.
Adrian Zhekova was just trying to fulfill his responsibilities as a father.
He wanted to attend Morgan Zhekova’s activities despite his busy schedule.
“However, I have a meeting on Saturday. I might be a bit late, but I’ll try to get there as early as possible,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Alright.”
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.
Cindy Clarke had already retrieved her car and didn’t bother Sheldon Rowland for help after all.
Yesterday, which was Friday, she had just gotten the car. Morgan Clarke got home from the nursery and hadn’t had the chance to ride the car in the wind. She just sat in the backseat of the car in the underground parking lot to get a feel for it.
This morning, she took the school bus to the nursery again and still hadn’t had a chance to ride the car.
However, having a car made things more convenient for Cindy Clarke.
She drove herself to the Sports Stadium.
Many cars were already parked in the stadium’s parking lot.
All of them were luxury cars.
Cindy Clarke’s car was barely noticeable among them.
With the entrance information from Teacher Linda, Cindy Clarke found her seat.
The empty seat next to her was reserved for Adrian Zhekova.
Quite a few parents had already arrived, with only a small number of seats left empty, in twos and threes.
Either they couldn’t make it, or, like Adrian Zhekova, they would be coming later.
After waiting for a while, the event officially began.
The little kids entered the venue in groups based on their nurseries.
In the middle of the field, Morgan Zhekova looked for her mom in the stands and finally spotted Cindy Clarke.
Cindy Clarke had a pretty good seat.
She was right behind the Headmaster.
So Morgan Zhekova saw her at a glance.
In fact, the Headmaster had wanted to arrange seats in the VIP row next to him for Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova.
He had asked Cindy Clarke specifically but had been decisively rejected by her.
The Headmaster didn’t dare to ask Adrian Zhekova.
However, he thought that since Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova were in a relationship, asking Cindy Clarke should be the same as asking Adrian Zhekova.
As a result, he compromised and arranged seats for the two of them in the row behind him.
Morgan Zhekova quickly found Cindy Clarke because she was sitting so close to the front.
While in the queue, Morgan Zhekova eagerly waved to Cindy Clarke.
Cindy Clarke immediately spotted her and waved back.
The opening ceremony of the Sports Meet was organized in a formal manner.
After the opening ceremony, the kids returned to their seats opposite the field.
At the nursery kids’ Sports Meet, in addition to conventional events like long jump, running, and relay, there were many more fun activities that parents participated in with their children.
Before the first event started, the participating kids were getting ready, and their parents were accompanying them.
Since it wasn’t Morgan Zhekova’s turn yet, Cindy Clarke waited in the stands.
At this point, a woman came and sat down, taking Adrian Zhekova’s seat.
Cindy Clarke was a little surprised..
Chapter 112: Apparent Facts
“Let’s cut to the chase. We’ve looked into you and Adrian Zhekova. You two have no relationship whatsoever,” Arthur Woods’ mom coldly and disdainfully said.
Cindy Clarke didn’t feel panicked at all.
If Mrs. Woods had come to her earlier, Cindy might have indeed felt guilty.
But now, she was not!
How could she have no relationship with Adrian Zhekova?
Adrian Zhekova is the father of her child!
So, at this moment, Cindy acted extremely confident, making Mrs. Woods seem like she was bluffing.
“Stop pretending!” Mrs. Woods thought Cindy was the one bluffing and said, “Headmaster, you were deceived by her!”
The Headmaster was sitting nearby, making it easy to talk.
Many parents around them had already noticed the argument and were looking over.
“She has no relationship with Adrian Zhekova, and Morgan Clarke’s presence here does not benefit the nursery.” Mrs. Woods said, “If anything happens, Adrian Zhekova would not show up.”
But the Headmaster was no longer as doubtful as before.
Now, the Headmaster was full of confidence.
Teacher Linda had already mentioned that Adrian Zhekova had come with
Cindy Clarke to drop off Morgan Clarke in the small car that morning.
Could they have such a relationship otherwise?
And, Adrian Zhekova personally said that he would come to watch Morgan Clarke’s sports meet today!
Could they have such a relationship otherwise?
So, no matter what Mrs. Woods said, the Headmaster did not believe her.
Whoever believed her is an idiot.
He would not be an idiot anyway.
Last time, due to Arthur Woods’ issue, he almost offended Adrian Zhekova.
The Headmaster learned from the painful experience and was determined not to let such a thing happen again.
So, the Headmaster showed a smile that suggested everything was under control and said, “Mrs. Woods, please calm down. You must have some misunderstanding. ”
Last time, Mrs. Woods tried to smear their nursery online, and the Headmaster remembered that grudge.
Now, Mrs. Woods still wanted to use him to further her own goals?
Did she really think he was a fool?
“What kind of misunderstanding could it be? I’ve already checked everything.”
Mrs. Woods saw that the Headmaster still had naive hopes and said, “Adrian
Zhekova is currently single, and there’s no news of him dating anyone.”
“Of course, since you have a child, if he’s dating you, he might not be willing to openly admit your identity, maybe.”
“But we didn’t just find out this much, we also asked employees working at Pingla Group.” At this point, Mrs. Woods proudly raised her chin.
“Our family has many business partners, a wide network, and it was easy to connect with people from the Pingla Group,” Mrs. Woods said. “They said you just delivered food to the Pingla Group a few times.”
Poor Woods Family really asked the wrong people.
From high-level executives to ordinary employees at the Pingla Group, they all had suffered from Adrian Zhekova’s bad temper.
Who would tell the truth to outsiders?
What if Adrian Zhekova found out that the information was leaked from their mouths?
So, although everyone knew in their hearts that there must be an unusual relationship between Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke, no one ever said it out loud.
They only talked about what they saw on the surface.
Have Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke, even one of them, ever admitted that there was an unusual relationship between them?
No.
Did Cindy Clarke really deliver food to Adrian Zhekova at the Pingla Group?
Yes.
So, they didn’t lie, just told the truth.
Only, they talked about the superficial facts only..
Chapter 113: You I re Sitting in My Seat
They didn’t care about the words they revealed that caused the Woods Family great trouble.
What a joke.
Coming to inquire about Pingla Group’s affairs, especially about their scumbag
CEO.
Who wouldn’t be extra cautious?
Could they just tell everything?
When you inquire, you mean harm.
Otherwise, why not ask Adrian Zhekova directly instead of talking to their lower-ranking employees?
They didn’t lie, they just didn’t reveal all the facts.
If someone gets tricked, they’ll just have to accept their bad luck.
“Headmaster, I am reminding you out of kindness because of our previous relationship. Don’t be fooled. Thinking that a poor guy is a god of wealth and that you can establish a relationship with Adrian Zhekova is a joke.” Nelly Woods sarcastically said.
She turned to Cindy Clarke and said, “I also advise you not to shelter under Adrian Zhekova’s flag anymore. Even if Adrian Zhekova won’t do anything to you, wouldn’t the Zhekova Family mind? If you really annoy the Zhekova Family, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
Nelly Woods turned again to the many parents sitting around her: “Everyone, please take a good look at this person. She…”
Nelly was only halfway through when she noticed that people’s expressions seemed a bit off.
They all lifted their heads and looked over.
Nelly Woods thought that she had attracted their attention.
But the direction of their gazes was higher than her by a lot.
Nelly Woods stopped and felt someone behind her.
Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a cold male voice: “You’re in my seat.”
Nelly Woods immediately tensed up.
Then Adrian Zhekova said, “I just finished a meeting and rushed over. Has
Morgan Zhekova’s competition started yet?”
“Not yet, we have a few more rounds to wait. He’s warming up over there,” Cindy Clarke pointed at the other side of the Sports Stadium.
Everyone saw it, Adrian Zhekova was indeed here just for Morgan Clarke.
This was not what Nelly Woods said, implying that Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke had no connection.
From the looks of it, the two of them seemed to be getting along quite well.
“Adrian… Master Adrian…” Nelly Woods’ legs went weak. She wanted to give up her seat but was unable to stand up due to her wobbly legs.
Scared to death!
This… This was not what they had investigated on!
Adrian Zhekova glanced at her and said, “Why don’t we go see Morgan?
Cindy Clarke didn’t know why Nelly Woods hadn’t given up her seat.
How impressive, huh?
She didn’t realize that Nelly Woods simply didn’t have the strength to stand up.
So, Cindy Clarke agreed with Adrian Zhekova.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke went down the stands one after the other.
When they reached the last step, which was somewhat high, Adrian Zhekova jumped down first, then reached his hand out to Cindy Clarke.
All the gazes from the stands followed them.
Cindy Clarke glanced at Adrian Zhekova, who didn’t seem to notice anyone else’s gazes as he looked at her.
Before so many people, Cindy Clarke couldn’t embarrass Adrian Zhekova.
She reluctantly placed her hand in Adrian Zhekova’s palm.
In fact, she could have jumped down from the stairs by herself.
She wasn’t even wearing high heels.
Unexpectedly, Adrian Zhekova held her hand and then his left hand gripped her waist.
He directly brought her down with him.
With no mental preparation at all, Cindy Clarke couldn’t steady herself upon landing, falling directly into Adrian Zhekova’s embrace.
Adrian Zhekova took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist.
Cindy Clarke vaguely heard a faint laugh from above, but she wasn’t sure if she heard it correctly..
Chapter 114: You Are a Liar Expert
But she couldn’t bring herself to look up, with the heat of the moment flushing her skin.
In the stands, the headmaster raised an eyebrow at Arthur Woods’ still-stunned mother.
How could there be no relationship?
What a liar!
Even at this point, this woman still wanted to trick him!
Luckily, he didn’t fall for it!
“Let’s go.” Adrian Zhekova’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
This time, Cindy Clarke didn’t mishear.
He released her waist but still held her hand with his other one.
Cindy looked up at him, trying to free her hand.
However, her hand was firmly held by him, unable to escape.
As for Adrian Zhekova, his face showed no awareness of their current state.
His gaze was fixed on the other side of the sports stadium, where Morgan Clarke was.
Morgan was warming up with his classmates from Star Class.
There were only two more groups before it was their turn.
After them, the competition would move on to the children one year older than them.
This competition was held among various schools.
For each round, each school would send out two children.
By coincidence, Arthur Woods would compete in the round following Morgan’s.
When Arthur Woods saw Morgan, he reacted as if he had met a mortal enemy.
He charged over with a menacing aura, pointing at Terry Smith beside Morgan and saying, “You shouldn’t hang out with Morgan Clarke, he’s a liar! He and his mother are both liars!”
“Arthur Woods!” Morgan glared fiercely at Arthur, “Wasn’t the lesson from last time enough? If I don’t bother you, don’t bother me!”
“You’re a liar!” Arthur pointed at the opposite stands, “My mom even went to the headmaster about this! You and your mother lied! You used Adrian Zhekova to kick me out of the nursery! In reality, he has nothing to do with you!”
“I don’t know what lurks beneath the surface, what your mother and he are doing…”Arthur Woods couldn’t find the word for “scheming” at the moment.
In terms of intelligence, Arthur Woods was far inferior to the younger Morgan.
Arthur crossed his arms with disdain, “Not only do you not have a father, but you’re also a liar!”
At this point, Terry Smith spoke up in displeasure, “Arthur Woods, how can you say that! Morgan’s about to have a father soon, you can’t keep talking about him like that.”
“Ha, who’s his father? Someone from the Zhekova family?” Arthur sneered contemptuously, “Is that what he told you?”
“Morgan Clarke, the liar! How is it possible that Adrian Zhekova is his father!” Arthur’s face was full of disdain.
Morgan trembled with anger but remembered Cindy’s words.
Should something like this happen again, don’t fight back, but instead tell her, the teacher, or the headmaster.
Morgan turned to find Cindy.
However, when he turned around, he saw Cindy and Adrian Zhekova walking hand in hand towards him from a distance.
At this moment, Morgan could no longer care about Cindy and Adrian holding hands, or the fact that she had been taken advantage of by Adrian again.
Morgan knew too well who could stand up for him in these situations.
He rushed straight towards Adrian Zhekova and skillfully hugged Adrian’s leg.
Adrian Zhekova: .
It truly was a familiar weight.
Adrian glanced at the flustered Arthur Woods and looked down to see Morgan’s upturned face.
“Papa!” Morgan called out, “Arthur Woods said I don’t have a father and that
I’m a liar.”
He hadn’t lied.
He called him Papa, not father.
Adrian lifted Morgan into his arms, saying, “You probably won’t have much of a chance to see him again in the future..”
Chapter 115: Bankruptcy
Upon hearing Adrian Zhekova say this, both Cindy Clarke and Morgan Clarke looked at him with confusion.
Adrian Zhekova offered no explanation.
But neither Cindy Clarke nor Morgan Clarke were aware that Nelly Woods, who was still on the viewing platform, had suddenly received a phone call from her husband.
Listening to her husband’s words on the phone, her face turned ashen.
Ban…bankrupt…
“How could this be?!” Nelly Woods exclaimed sharply. Seeing many people turning to look at her, she hurriedly left the viewing platform and hid in a corner.
“Weren’t you saying that the company has been doing well all along?” Nelly Woods whispered, “How could it be on the verge of bankruptcy so suddenly?!” Everything had been fine before!
“It’s all because you provoked Adrian Zhekova! I told you, regardless of how much or how little Adrian Zhekova has to do with that mother and son, you should’ve immediately kept your distance and shouldn’t have provoked them!” Her husband yelled, “The less trouble, the better. But you never listen!”
“Isn’t going against our small company like child’s play for his massive Pingla Group?” her husband said angrily. “You are always causing troubles outside, you wasteful woman!”
“Why is he mingling in the affairs of the children?!” Nelly Woods quivered in anger.
She could hardly imagine how their lives would change after bankruptcy.
“I… I’m going to find him!” Nelly Woods said, “Adrian Zhekova is right now in the sports stadium, I’m going to find him!”
“You’re not allowed to!” Her husband roared in anger, “And I warn you, if you don’t want to be sleeping on the streets in the future, you must not provoke that mother and son or Adrian Zhekova again!”
What could possibly come out of her seeking out Adrian Zhekova?
It would undoubtedly make their family’s situation even more tragic.
Seriously, this wasteful woman is enough trouble already, how could she possibly assist with anything?
Andy Woods saw right through her.
“Get Arthur and go home immediately! He is still participating in the sports meet at a time like this?” We won’t have the money to continue at that nursery anymore, and she is still talking about a sports meet.
“I warn you, you are not allowed to find Adrian Zhekova and that mother and son. Don’t even talk to them. If Adrian Zhekova continues to make things hard for our family because of it, I will never let you off!” Andy Woods was very angry.
His hard-earned enterprise had been ruined by this woman.
But he didn’t want a divorce.
It’s not that he still harbored feelings tor her, but because he didn’t want to let her off the hook that easily!
She was the reason they went bankrupt. If there were hard times, they should weather them together. She should not think about getting a smooth divorce and let him bear the burden alone.
“I understand.” Nelly Woods responded and hung up the phone. She went to find Arthur, crossing the entire sports stadium.
And found the journey incredibly challenging.
All along the way, she was thinking about their bankruptcy, wondering what they would do next?
How would they live?
Everything had been fine when she left home in the morning, and now, they were talking about bankruptcy.
Everything had happened too suddenly and unexpectedly.
Nelly Woods’ legs were weak, her body was cold.
She walked up to Arthur with a numb face.
Only to see him confronting Adrian Zhekova and the others.
Nelly Woods’ heart dropped, and she immediately rushed over: “Arthur!”
When she was actually in front of Adrian Zhekova, Nelly Woods backed off, not daring to say anything to Adrian Zhekova.
But Arthur was oblivious to all of this.. Seeing her approach, he quickly pointed at Morgan Clarke and said: “Mom, Morgan Clarke is calling him dad!”
Chapter 116: Papa, the Dominating Aura
Nelly Woods wasn’t too surprised by this.
After all, Adrian Zhekova had gone bankrupt for the sake of that mother and child.
Who would’ve thought Adrian Zhekova was actually serious!
With teary eyes, Nelly Woods picked up her son Arthur and left without saying a word.
She didn’t dare say another word to Cindy Clarke.
What if Adrian Zhekova wouldn’t spare the Woods family either!
Seeing Nelly Woods carrying Arthur Woods straight towards the exit of the Sports Stadium, not even participating in the Sports Meet anymore.
Feeling puzzled, Cindy asked, “What’s going on?”
“There must be some urgent matter,” said Adrian Zhekova with a light smile.
Having gone bankrupt, who had the mood for a sports meet anyway.
Cindy suspected more to the story, “You said Morgan won’t have many chances to meet Arthur Woods in the future?”
Cindy never expected Arthur Woods would transfer schools.
However, he could still meet him at this sports meet.
Even though the chance of meeting was slim, having to listen to Arthur Woods’ nasty words every time they met was indeed quite annoying.
“The Woods Family Company has run into some issues, and they can no longer afford the fees of these private nurseries,” replied Adrian Zhekova with a light smile.
And it wasn’t just the prestigious kindergarten.
Looking up, he asked, “Uncle, did you do it?”
Adrian Zhekova didn’t answer but instead said, “Didn’t you just call me dad?”
Although he left the decision to reveal the truth to Cindy,
He wasn’t too disappointed when Morgan Zhekova called him uncle before.
But when the little guy hugged his leg, called him dad, Adrian Zhekova’s heart was severely struck by a heavy blow.
And then, it softened beyond words.
He discovered that he had always been looking forward to hearing Morgan Zhekova’s tender voice calling him dad.
“No, I didn’t.” Morgan Zhekova said, “I just called you Papa, like in patriarch.” While saying this, Morgan Zhekova even gave Adrian Zhekova a thumbs up.
Cindy noticed a flash of disappointment across Adrian Zhekova’s face.
And then she heard Adrian Zhekova say, “Well, you can continue to call me
Papa, like in patriarch.”
Morgan Zhekova hesitated, “That doesn’t seem right. It might be easily misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood? Just Papa,” said Adrian Zhekova, “Besides, I could be your backer.”
“Such a ready-made backer, and you’re not accepting?” Adrian Zhekova looked at Morgan Zhekova as if he was an idiot.
Morgan Zhekova thought he wasn’t an idiot at all!
“No, I can’t let you take advantage of my Cindy! ” Morgan Zhekova said.
Even being a backer wouldn’t do!
His Cindy was the most important!
Fathers and mothers were a pair.
If he called Adrian Zhekova Papa, wouldn’t he and Cindy become a couple?
He couldn’t let Adrian Zhekova have it that easy!
“Actually, I could call you Godfather,” Morgan Zhekova thought, he was a clever little devil.
Now he had a big backer and didn’t have to worry about his Cindy being taken advantage of.
Adrian Zhekova gave a cold laugh.
He was a biological father, why should he settle for being a godfather?
“I can’t take advantage of your godmother either,” said Adrian Zhekova coldly.
“…” Morgan Zhekova thought for a moment and asked, “So if I don’t call you Papa, you won’t be my backer?”
“Then I’ll just be Cindy’s backer,” Adrian Zhekova replied.
Morgan Zhekova felt that it wasn’t a bad deal, but said, “Let me think about it.” The father and son went back and forth, like a pair of big and small foxes..
Chapter 117: 1 1 m Still a Baby
“First warm-up, then slowly think about it,” Adrian Zhekova reminded him.
“Oh, right!” Morgan Clarke remembered the main task and hurried to do warm-up exercises on the side.
He did some stretching exercises and also moved his ankle and wrist joints. His movements looked quite professional.
His movements looked quite professional.
At this time, an announcement came over the speakers, reminding that the next round of the competition was about to begin, and the children participating in the round after that should get ready early.
And in the next round after that, it would be Morgan Clarke’s turn.
Adrian Zhekova said, “We’ll go to the finish line and wait for you.”
Morgan Clarke had signed up for the 50 -yard race.
This 50 yards, for children, is not a short distance.
While doing his warm-up exercises, Morgan Clarke said, “Okay.”
He saw Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke heading to the finish line.
Suddenly, Morgan Clarke felt something was wrong.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke were holding hands!
Morgan Clarke was immediately so angry that he stomped his feet.
This Cindy Clarke, she was so annoying!
How could she be so foolish!
As long as he wasn’t watching, she let Adrian Zhekova hold her hand!
Morgan Clarke wanted to chase after them, but he was stopped by Terry Smith: “Morgan, we have to go get ready now.”
The children in the round before them had already started running at the sound of the whistle.
It was time for them to go to the starting line and get ready.
Morgan Clarke, fuming, followed Terry Smith.
He saw Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke at the finish line, still holding hands.
Morgan Clarke suddenly unleashed a huge amount of potential and rushed to the first place.
He had already forgotten about the competition in his mind, only thinking about rushing to Cindy as quickly as possible.
Adrian Zhekova saw Morgan Clarke rushing towards them as if he was a small cannonball.
Morgan Clarke didn’t even stop when he crossed the finish line, charging straight at them.
Then, he went right between them, forcibly separating their hands.
Adrian Zhekova:
Was this little brat so intent on destroying his parents’ love?
At this moment, Cindy Clarke’s face was flushed with embarrassment.
She had been trying to break free from Adrian Zhekova’s hold, but couldn’t.
But after a while, she had even forgotten that her hand was still being held by Adrian Zhekova.
Now that Morgan Clarke saw it, Cindy felt extremely embarrassed.
Morgan Clarke came over again and grabbed the hand that Cindy Clarke had just been holding with Adrian Zhekova: “Cindy, let’s go get our prizes.” He didn’t even think about inviting Adrian Zhekova to go with them.
Adrian Zhekova was so angry that he grabbed Morgan Clarke by the collar and dragged him away.
Although he felt it was inappropriate to hold Cindy’s hand again, he wouldn’t let Morgan Clarke hold it either.
This little brat, he would call him ‘Papa’ when he needed a backer.
When he didn’t need him, he would pretend he didn’t exist.
Morgan Clarke was lifted by Adrian Zhekova, his limbs flailing in the air like a little turtle.
“Cindy!” Morgan Clarke tried to seek her help.
Adrian Zhekova flicked his forehead mercilessly, “You’re already this old, don’t always act so spoiled with your mother.”
He was already old enough to know he shouldn’t ask to be carried, but now he still had the nerve to act spoiled!
“I’m still a baby,” Morgan Clarke protested, flailing his limbs.
But his protest was ineffective.
Adrian Zhekova didn’t let Morgan Clarke approach Cindy.
He dragged him all the way to the stands.
After making him sit down, Adrian Zhekova went to the parents’ stands opposite Cindy.
Morgan Clarke was furious.
Cindy Clarke also felt guilty, as she hadn’t spent any quality time with Morgan yet.
When she looked back at the stands, she saw the little guy staring at her expectantly.
Morgan Clarke had initially been fuming, but when he saw Cindy Clarke looking back, he immediately put on a pitiful expression with his mouth pouting..
Chapter 118: Would you please shut up!
Hearing adorable and pitiful whimpers, Cindy Clarke’s heart softened.
Cindy immediately wanted to go back and comfort the little tot.
Just as she was looking at him, her face was abruptly held by Adrian Zhekova, who forcefully turned it back to him.
Adrian Zhekova’s incredibly handsome face that made people blush, was now right in front of Cindy Clarke’s eyes.
Just as Cindy was startled, she heard Adrian Zhekova say, “He gets his looks from me, just look at me instead.”
“Is it the same thing?” Cindy couldn’t help but mumble, almost making Adrian Zhekova burst into laughter.
“How is it not the same?” Adrian Zhekova arched an eyebrow and said in a teasing tone, “Are you implying that I’m not good-looking?”
Cindy Clarke:
He is good-looking, but Morgan Zhekova is adorable.
Adrian Zhekova lightly chuckled and pinched her cheek.
Sure enough, her face felt as delicate and smooth as it looked.
Adrian Zhekova couldn’t resist and pinched her cheek again.
Cindy Clarke was flabbergasted, this man is acting like a scoundrel!
“Let’s go.” Adrian Zhekova let go of her face and continued walking forward.
Cindy Clarke: ‘
So he just pinches her face and leaves? What’s this all about?
“Adrian Zhekova.” Cindy didn’t even think, she just instinctively called out his name.
“Hmm?” Adrian Zhekova turned his head to respond.
“It’s nothing.” Seeing Adrian Zhekova made Cindy nervous.
She was so nervous that she forgot what she wanted to tell Adrian Zhekova.
It wasn’t until a while after they had taken their seats that she finally recovered, only then recalling the questions burning in her mind, unsure of where to start.
She wanted to know if Adrian Zhekova was treating her differently, was he only like this with her?
Why was he being so nice to her?
He even touched her face just now, that gesture was somewhat too intimate.
But with all these mixed thoughts swirling in her mind, Cindy was all the more confused about how to voice them out.
And now, the best opportunity to ask has already passed, it was not a good time to ask anymore.
“Master Adrian.” The headmaster quickly greeted Adrian Zhekova, his face full of pleasing smiles, “You both look so sweet together, hehehehe.”
Earlier, while Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke were crossing the Sports Stadium, Adrian Zhekova had played a face-touching attack on Cindy.
Everyone saw it!
He was so indulgent, it was clear that Adrian Zhekova genuinely likes Cindy Clarke!
How did Cindy, despite having a child, manage to win the heart of the prince of the Zhekova Family?
Adrian Zhekova raised his eyebrow, thinking that this headmaster was not completely useless, his vision was pretty good at least at the moment.
Adrian Zhekova maintained a modest smile.
He silently accepted the compliment and implied that the headmaster could continue praising him a bit more.
But after the headmaster said that, he didn’t continue to praise him.
Adrian Zhekova’s face immediately darkened.
Indeed, this headmaster was a complete idiot, Adrian Zhekova shouldn’t have had such high expectations of him.
If any member of the Pingla Group was present, they’d definitely continue to lavish praise.
This headmaster was even worse than the average employee of the Pingla Group!
How could such an idiot become a headmaster!
The headmaster was dumbfounded.
What happened?
Did he say something wrong?
Why did Adrian Zhekova’s face darken?
Did he misunderstand the relationship between Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke?
Were they not as close as he thought?
Would it be too late for him to correct it now?
“Hehe!” The headmaster forced a laugh, “I was mistaken before, you two were not…”
Adrian Zhekova darkened his face and harshly said, “Could you please shut up!”
Chapter 119: Turning Hostile on a Whim
Headmaster:
What should he say?
Is Adrian Zhekova being a dogface?
How could he turn his face away so quickly!
Having a conversation with Adrian Zhekova is so difficult.
At noon, the children all came over to ask their parents for lunch.
Morgan Clarke also ran over and sat directly between Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova, not giving Adrian a chance to get too close to Cindy.
Adrian Zhekova had been relying on his family to Cindy all morning!
Adrian Zhekova:
Because they were having lunch outdoors, convenience was the priority.
So, Cindy prepared a steak sandwich.
The sandwich was wrapped in plastic wrap, which not only kept its shape but also prevented dirty hands.
Adrian Zhekova took it and saw that the edges of the sandwich were sealed with plastic wrap.
The cut-open sandwich looked like a pocket.
Between the two pieces of toast was a juicy steak.
But outside the steak, there was also a layer of crispy lettuce wrapped around it.
Cindy explained, “This way, the steak’s juice can be locked in without seeping into the bread, ruining its texture and causing the steak’s juice to be lost. At the same time, it also cuts the greasiness.”
Adrian Zhekova nodded. Cindy’s dishes always looked simple, but a lot of thought went into the details.
It made the eater feel her intention, and everything tasted comforting.
Adrian Zhekova took a bite, tasting the soft texture of the toast combined with the crisp lettuce.
As Cindy had said, the lettuce wrapped the steak well, and none of the juice was lost.
The steak was cooked perfectly – caramelized on the outside, light meaty pink on the inside, and tender pink in the center.
With each bite, the steak’s juice spread in the mouth, creating a melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
“You chose snow beef?” Adrian Zhekova identified it right away.
Cindy nodded: “I chose A5-grade snow beef. The marbling and lean meat are evenly distributed, allowing the maximum integration of the two. This way, you can really feel the melt-in-your-mouth sensation when you eat it.”
Adrian Zhekova nodded. Judging by taste alone, he knew that Cindy had chosen high-quality meat.
The tender texture made it difficult to detect any fibrous sensation, and each bite was silky smooth.
The soft toast and faint milkiness blended harmoniously with the tender beef, as though they were a natural match.
Morgan Clarke was eating heartily.
He had also been spoiled by Cindy since he was little, and now he was eating with his mouth full of meat juice.
“It’s so delicious that my tongue is about to melt!” Morgan spoke while trembling with gratitude.
The children around them looked envious: ‘Morgan, is it really that good?” “Of course!” Morgan brought the sandwich closer to their eyes and pinched it, “Look, the meat juice is oozing out.”
Morgan heard the sound of the children slurping their saliva.
The little fellow was especially pleased, looking at their envious expressions, and his own food tasted even better.
After Adrian Zhekova and Morgan finished eating, Cindy brought out the prepared fruit salad as a dessert.
The other children’s parents had also prepared delicate meals.
However, when children see others enjoying their food, they easily feel that those meals are more delicious.
While eating their own dishes, they still kept glancing at Morgan’s side.
“Tomorrow is the Cooking Competition auditions,” Adrian Zhekova said, “are you all prepared?”
“Yes,” Cindy nodded, not taking the auditions lightly, “the auditions don’t have Internet and television live broadcasts. The competition time for the participants is arranged according to the order of registration..”
Chapter 120: Auditions
“I’m scheduled for tomorrow at 3 pm,” Cindy said. “Then I’ll cook on site and let the judges taste and score my dish. After the auditions are over, they’ll announce the rankings, and the top 50 will advance to the official competition.”
After all, there were too many people who signed up for the auditions; it was impossible for everyone to compete at the same time.
Even if there were enough space, the judges wouldn’t have the appetite. Even if they only tasted one bite of each dish, they still couldn’t taste that many.
Therefore, during the auditions, contestants were divided into groups of 10 to cook on site.
Judges would score the contestants based on their observation of their cooking process and the final taste test.
To ensure fairness to the greatest extent, the judges would not be replaced.
After all, taste is a subjective matter, and different judges have different requirements and preferences for cuisine.
So, once the judges’ list was confirmed, it would not be changed.
This was to avoid any scoring discrepancies caused by changes in the judges.
Cindy had seen previous years’ Cooking Competitions.
There were usually five fixed judges.
Among them, two were teachers from the Pingla Culinary Academy, two were famous chefs, and the remaining one was an invited chef from the top ten chefs worldwide.
There was no need to mention the Pingla Culinary Academy teachers, as any one of them was a famous figure.
Without some remarkable specialty, one simply couldn’t enter the Pingla Culinary Academy.
The other two master chefs were also famous for their respective cuisines, each with their own signature dish.
As for the remaining world-class master chef, there’s no need to mention their expertise.
The five judges tried to cover various professional culinary fields. For example, one judge might specialize in Chinese cuisine, another in Japanese cuisine, another in French cuisine, etc.
When the five judges gathered, they could cover a wide range of culinary specialties.
But there couldn’t be too many judges.
If there were too many, it would be troublesome for the contestants to prepare their dishes.
The tasting time would be longer and inconvenient from any perspective.
Five judges were already plenty.
In the later stages of the major competition, when the competition became more intense,
celebrities would be invited as guest judges to increase ratings. Although they would also express their opinions, they wouldn’t participate in scoring, they were just there to increase the event’s exposure.
Since the Pingla Culinary Competition was organized by the Pingla Group, it was not only about selecting talented chefs but also creating benefits for the Pingla Group.
Therefore, the cooking competition’s television ratings, internet clicks, and advertising revenue were all things the Pingla Group had to consider.
Apart from inviting celebrities, the competition format of the cooking competition had to be eye-catching as well.
Thus, the Pingla Culinary Competition had already evolved beyond a simple cooking contest, becoming more like a Reality Show.
However, the difference was that the Culinary Competition had no script; advancement relied on contestants’ abilities, and there was no such thing as a predetermined outcome.
“What about Morgan when you go to the auditions tomorrow?” Adrian asked her.
“I’ve talked with Peggy,” Cindy thought for a moment, realizing Adrian didn’t seem to know who Peggy Lewis was, so she explained, “She’s Morgan’s godmother. Tomorrow, I’ll let her help look after him.”
“She and Morgan both insisted on going with me to the competition. Although they’re not allowed to watch during the auditions, they’re still planning to wait for me outside,” Cindy said.
At least she wouldn’t have to worry about little Morgan being alone at home. The little guy was just too energetic; what if he ran out of the house on his own?