Ch. 761..770

Chapter 761: What to Do, So Cute

Adrian Zhekova seemed to be stunned by her question, blinking foolishly, his eyes wide and mouth agape, uncertain how to answer.

Which was a far cry from his usual eloquence that could leave others speechless.

“I… I didn’t drink that much… did I?” Adrian Zhekova wasn’t very sure.

His mind was quite clear, actually.

He could answer Cindy Clarke’s questions smoothly.

He felt he wasn’t that drunk.

It’s just that his actions weren’t controlled by his brain very well.

Upon hearing this, Cindy thought, Adrian Zhekova actually knew how to doubt himself for once.

This made Cindy unsure if he was really that drunk or not.

Just then, a woman passed by outside the car, and Cindy pointed at her: “Who is she?”

Adrian Zhekova obediently turned his head to look, and turned back with a puzzled face, shaking his head: “I don’t know.”

“Then who am I?” Cindy pointed to her nose.

“Silly, you’re Cindy.” Adrian Zhekova answered.

Cindy finally felt reassured.

It wasn’t that Adrian Zhekova saw everyone as her.

“Alright, I’ll take you home.” Cindy saw how obedient Adrian Zhekova was behaving.

Although she didn’t have the chance to see him as a cute child, he seemed to have spiritually reverted to a three-year-old after drinking now.

His obedient appearance paired with his handsome face.

It had a different kind of lethal attractiveness.

Which almost made it difficult for Cindy to drive.

Cindy couldn’t help but rub his head twice before starting the car and leaving.

Soon after driving past the hotel entrance, they came to a red traffic light.

The car stopped, and Cindy was just about to turn to look at Adrian Zhekova.

Although the journey from the start to now was short, only a few minutes long.

Adrian Zhekova’s quietness was making her itch.

How could there be a drunk man behaving so quietly and obediently? It made her want to pull him into her arms.

Cindy turned her head, only to meet Adrian Zhekova’s gaze fixed on her.

Cindy: “…”

Anyway, Adrian Zhekova was drunk now, so Cindy was more relaxed and not as easily embarrassed.

Seeing him like this, she just asked directly: “Have you been staring at me like this all the time?”

Adrian Zhekova obediently nodded.

Cindy sensed that things couldn’t be this simple, so she asked again: “From when were you staring?”

As expected, she guessed right.

“I’ve been watching you since you started driving.” Adrian Zhekova answered every question.

“Why are you staring at me?” Cindy was puzzled.

Cindy never expected that Adrian Zhekova would give her a tilted head look at that moment.

Cindy: “…”

He was too adorable; she felt she couldn’t hold back anymore.

If Adrian Zhekova acted this cute all night, she feared she might have to take advantage of him once more.

“I just want to look at you,” Adrian Zhekova said, “You’re beautiful.”

After saying that, he leaned over, hugged her arm with both hands.

His face kept rubbing against her arm.

Just like what Morgan Zhekova would do when being affectionate with her.

Even when the green light was on, Adrian Zhekova didn’t let go.

Cindy could only hold the steering wheel with one hand.

Feeling a bit uneasy, she discussed with Adrian Zhekova: “Can you let me go first? It’s not safe for me to drive like this.”

“Ok.” Adrian Zhekova obediently agreed and sat back down.

Sitting up straight.

He was too well-behaved.

How adorable! What should she do!

Cindy felt that she was about to be stimulated by Adrian Zhekova into a full-blown auntie heart.

After driving some more, Cindy noticed that Adrian Zhekova was indeed too quiet.

He was so quiet that she was scared he might be feeling unwell but holding back from saying anything.

So Cindy took another peek at Adrian Zhekova and found him sitting straight up like a well-behaved student in class.

Not relaxing in the slightest.

Cindy asked, “Do you feel uncomfortable after drinking so much?”

Adrian Zhekova shook his head, saying, “I’m not uncomfortable, I feel fine.”

Cindy asked again, “Do you want to sleep for a while?”

Adrian Zhekova turned to look at Cindy and shook his head again: “I’m not sleepy, I’ll just look at you.”

Cindy couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing him being so obedient and clingy, he really looked like a puppy now.

“If you get sleepy, just sleep, don’t worry about me.” Cindy said, “I can drive on my own.”

Adrian Zhekova nodded.

Yet Adrian Zhekova didn’t sleep at all till Cindy drove back to the family mansion.

Because little Morgan was still at the family mansion, they decided to stay there for the night and return home the next day.

Upon parking the car, Cindy got out first, walked around to open Adrian Zhekova’s door, and reached out to help him out.

Adrian Zhekova then grabbed Cindy’s hand.

Who would have thought, the moment Adrian Zhekova tried to stand up, he stumbled and fell back down.

He gave Cindy a puzzled look, attempted to stand up again, but something seemed to be binding him, stopping him from moving.

He could barely leave the seat when he was pulled back again.

What was going on?

Adrian Zhekova looked at Cindy with a bewildered expression, his eyes full of confusion.

Cindy: “…”

Was Adrian Zhekova really this adorable now?

He didn’t even know he was still buckled in with the seat belt.

Cindy didn’t expect Adrian Zhekova could unbuckle the seat belt himself, so she intended to help him.

But her right hand was still held by Adrian Zhekova.

This position made it impossible for her to use her left hand to unbuckle his seat belt, so she discussed with Adrian Zhekova: “Adrian, let go of my hand first, and I’ll unbuckle the seat belt for you.”

Adrian Zhekova looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Cindy then explained: “You can’t get up because the seat belt is keeping you down. I’ll unbuckle it for you, and then you can get out.”

Adrian Zhekova finally nodded slowly.

However, Adrian Zhekova not only didn’t loosen Cindy’s hand, but he also held her right hand with both of his.

Chapter 762: Chapter 762: Taking a Photo for You

Although he was silent, Cindy could feel the movement of his head on her shoulder.

Helplessly, Cindy said, “Would you just stand up straight and walk? Aren’t you tired like this?”

Adrian Zhekova thought for a moment and said, “I want to lean on you like this.”

Cindy laughed, “I’m not going to run away.”

Adrian Zhekova shook his head and said, “I just want to lean on you like this.”

Cindy felt helpless and could do nothing but accommodate him.

Adrian Zhekova maintained this posture and followed Cindy all the way back to their courtyard.

They returned late, it was almost 1 am, and the little ones were already asleep.

So the two of them didn’t go looking for the little ones.

Besides, Adrian Zhekova was drunk and if he went to the little ones with this alcohol scent, he might make them uncomfortable.

Both of them went straight back to their room.

Cindy settled Adrian Zhekova down on the sofa and said, “Sit down, I’ll make you some honey water, it’ll make you feel better after you drink.”

Since Adrian Zhekova didn’t drink much even during social events, there was no hangover remedy at home.

Because Adrian Zhekova didn’t need it, it was rare for him to drink this much this time, so there was no hangover remedy for him to take.

Just as Cindy turned around, her arm was grabbed.

She looked back and saw Adrian Zhekova’s hands holding onto her arms again.

Cindy had no choice but to ask, “Do you want to come with me?”

Adrian Zhekova quickly nodded.

Cindy then said, “You can come with me then.”

So, Adrian Zhekova followed Cindy to the kitchen.

They had a small kitchen in their courtyard.

It was designed that way when the family mansion was planned.

Because the courtyards in the family mansion were a bit scattered.

It would take quite some time to go back and forth to the main kitchen in the front.

By the time the food was brought back, it would have turned cold.

If they were really hungry, they might not even have the strength to go to the kitchen.

So each courtyard had a small kitchen prepared.

It was a bit like a bed and breakfast.

There wasn’t a lot of stuff in the kitchen, but it was enough.

Especially when they wanted a late-night snack, they didn’t need to run around in the dark.

They could simply settle it in their own courtyard’s small kitchen, which was very convenient.

Once in the kitchen, Cindy prepared the honey water for Adrian Zhekova.

Wherever Cindy went, Adrian Zhekova followed.

Even if Cindy just turned around and took two steps, Adrian Zhekova would cling tightly

After preparing the honey water, she had Adrian Zhekova drink it down.

The honey water made Adrian Zhekova’s thin lips shiny, looking very enticing.

Adrian Zhekova, with his obedient and bewildered appearance, melted Cindy’s heart.

The drunken Adrian Zhekova was really too well-behaved, obedient like a good baby. Cindy told him to take a bath, and he obediently went to take a bath.

She gave him his pajamas, and he obediently changed into them.

When Cindy finished taking her bath and returned to the bedroom, she saw him sitting cross-legged on the bed with a pillow in his arms.

Seeing him like this, Cindy felt that it would be too beastly to take advantage of him.

The thought of the time when she was drugged and acted upon him, Cindy felt that Adrian Zhekova was truly pitiful.

“Have you been waiting for me the whole time?” Seeing the situation, Cindy asked.

Adrian Zhekova immediately threw away the pillow and hugged Cindy, “Go to sleep.”

When drunk, an obedient Adrian Zhekova meant really going to sleep.

There wasn’t any hint of intimacy.

“Wait a moment,” Cindy said, reaching for her mobile phone.

Adrian Zhekova had too much self-control, and it was usually very difficult to get him to drink more alcohol.

And this alcohol wasn’t something good, so it was best for him to drink less.

But this way, it was very rare to see Adrian Zhekova in this state.

She didn’t know when she would see it again next time.

So Cindy decided to take a photo to record it.

She could show Adrian Zhekova the next morning.

“Come on, don’t move, I’ll take a picture of you, be good,” Cindy coaxed him like coaxing a child.

Adrian Zhekova obediently sat still.

He let Cindy take several pictures of him.

Though it was just a picture, Adrian Zhekova’s expression was visibly different, one glance and the difference between when he was sober could be seen.

“Alright, sleep now,” With Cindy’s command, Adrian Zhekova immediately lay down and closed his eyes.

As Cindy turned off the light, she sighed, “So well-behaved.”

Chapter 763: Chapter 763: Zhao Gouzi Returns

The next day, Cindy woke up early.

Seeing Adrian still asleep and sleeping soundly, he didn’t seem like he’d wake up anytime soon.

Cindy didn’t wake him up either.

Looking at his sleeping face, she thought about how cute and well-behaved he was last night.

Now while he’s asleep, he still maintained that adorable behavior.

It was quite different from how he usually slept.

It really is a miracle.

Finding him so cute, Cindy couldn’t help but kiss him on the forehead before tidying up and going to Morgan’s room next door.

The little guy was also sleeping in.

Cindy didn’t wake him up either, so she went to the Main Hall where the two elders were.

As soon as she walked in, Aunt Evans was already preparing breakfast.

“Cindy, why are you up so early?” Old Madam saw Cindy coming in.

Seeing that Morgan and Adrian were not with her, she knew that the father and son duo hadn’t woken up yet.

“I just woke up naturally,” Cindy said, just in time to let the two elders know that Adrian and Morgan hadn’t woken up yet.

“What time did you guys get back last night?” Old Madam asked again.

“It was after 1am,” Cindy said, “We didn’t stay at the Banquet long. We just felt that it was rare for Adrian and his friends to be together like this, so we decided to hang out some more last night. Otherwise, who knows when we could have such an opportunity again.”

“They were having fun, so they drank a bit too much, and we came back late,” Cindy explained.

“Did Wendy go last night?” Old Madam asked again.

The two elders knew about Wendy’s plan.

They knew Adrian and Cindy were waiting for Wendy.

Cindy then told the elders about what happened last night.

“She used her only ‘joint’ trick, and now she has no other tricks,” Cindy said with a smile, “If she wants to do more, she’ll have to find another way.”

However, Wendy probably won’t be able to bother her for a while.

After all, Wendy’s restaurant in Belfard will never open.

According to Adrian, just as victory seems within reach, reality will give her a brutal education.

With this repetition, Wendy wouldn’t have time for anything else.

Cindy had breakfast with the two elders here.

Since Adrian and the little guy hadn’t woken up yet, and it was unclear what time they would, Cindy said to Aunt Evans, “Aunt Evans, you don’t have to worry about their breakfast. When I go back, I’ll just prepare some breakfast for them in the small kitchen of our yard when they wake up.”

“Alright,” Aunt Evans nodded with a smile.

So after breakfast, Cindy went back.

Taking advantage of Adrian still being asleep, Cindy quietly got back into bed, propped her head up with her arm, and silently watched Adrian.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she had adjusted herself to a particularly comfortable position and angle, Adrian opened his eyes.

“What are you looking at?” Adrian asked.

Normally, Cindy would definitely notice that Adrian was wide awake.

Not at all like someone who just woke up.

But Cindy was still immersed in Adrian’s adorable mode and hadn’t snapped out of it, so she grinned and said, “Looking at how well-behaved you are.”

Adrian: “…”

“I’m well-behaved?” Adrian suddenly turned over and pressed Cindy down, “I’m not your son!”

She actually used the word well-behaved to describe him.

Cindy finally reacted at this point.

Regrettably, she found that Adrian’s good boy demeanor was gone, and his roguish ways had returned.

However, Cindy wasn’t afraid of him.

Her eyes curved with laughter: “But last night after you were drunk, you were so well-behaved.”

After saying that, Cindy even boldly patted Adrian’s head.

“How was I well-behaved?” Adrian raised his eyebrows and asked.

“I’ve got it all recorded!” Cindy’s eyes lit up as she reached for her mobile phone.

She missed the second when Adrian narrowed his eyes.

Cindy showed Adrian the photos she took, “Look, how well-behaved you were, even more so than Morgan.”

Cindy said with heartache, “Back then in Nork City, I didn’t have much sense. I didn’t know that’s how you were at the time. No wonder I didn’t know how to resist.”

She was practically forced by him, how miserable.

Adrian: “…”

Chapter 764: Chapter 764: Learning to Play the Reverse Plow

Cindy Clarke actually threw her mobile phone away and used both hands to hold Adrian Zhekova’s face.

Usually, Adrian would be very happy when Cindy did this.

But now, seeing Cindy holding his face as if she was holding something precious, Adrian squinted his eyes.

Unfortunately, Cindy was completely unaware of the danger.

She was still pushing her luck, saying, “Ah, you mentioned before that when you get drunk, you tend to be easily manipulated by others. I couldn’t imagine what that would look like, but you’re really well-behaved.”

Cindy sighed, “I can hardly imagine what I did to you back at the hotel in Nork City.”

Cindy tenderly stroked Adrian’s hair, “You must have felt so helpless back then.”

Adrian: “…”

He was just drunk, not unconscious and unable to move.

Why did she think of him as so weak, pitiful and helpless?

“When I think about how well-behaved you are when you’re drunk, I feel like I was worse than a beast back then.” Cindy shook her head, expressing her disdain for herself.

Adrian: “…”

“It’s alright, now I have the upper hand anyway.” Things had long since been evened out, and the beast in the situation seemed to have become him.

Cindy understood Adrian’s meaning, and her face turned red immediately.

Adrian was really cunning when he was sober.

As Cindy thought about this, she suddenly felt that something was off.

After thinking for a moment, she remembered what she wanted to say.

She had just forgotten due to Adrian’s distraction.

Fortunately, she remembered now.

So, Cindy held his face again, not allowing him to look elsewhere.

But with Cindy there, Adrian couldn’t possibly look anywhere else.

However, now, the force with which Cindy held Adrian’s face was much stronger.

She stared intently at Adrian and instructed, “When I’m not around, you cannot get drunk.”

Unexpectedly, there was a moment when Adrian didn’t know how to react.

He still looked at Cindy with some confusion.

So Cindy explained, “When you’re drunk, you don’t realize how well-behaved you are.”

Cindy regretted a little, “I should’ve recorded you last night, so you could see for yourself! See if you’d dare to get drunk again!”

Adrian felt wronged, “Aside from that time five years ago in Nork City and yesterday, I have never gotten drunk.”

“It’s because when you’re drunk, you are so well-behaved! You would just obediently do whatever I asked. It’s just that I felt bad for you and didn’t want to take advantage of you.”

Otherwise, she would have wanted to see if he would really do anything stupid when asked.

It was really because Adrian looked so innocent when he was obedient that nobody could bring themselves to be mean to him.

“What if you get drunk and there’s another woman by your side instead of me? What then?” Cindy found this possibility very dangerous.

“What if that woman has ulterior motives? She could take advantage of the situation and take care of you!” The situation hadn’t happened yet, but when Cindy thought about it, she felt like it had already happened, and she got angry in advance.

She couldn’t even think about this.

Even the hypothetical situation made her extremely angry.

Just thinking about the possibility made her angry.

If someone were really harboring such intentions, Cindy would go mad.

Adrian: “…”

He had been “taken care of”.

Was he so weak and frail, that anyone could just take care of him?

Adrian raised an eyebrow and told Cindy, “It has always been me taking care of you and not allowing others to touch me.”

Cindy retorted, “Five years ago, we didn’t even know each other, and I’ve also ‘taken care of’ you…”

Before she could finish saying the last two words, Adrian swallowed them, together with her lips.

This girl was becoming more and more capable.

Was she trying to turn the tables and sing?!

Adrian rolled over, laying flat on the bed, with Cindy lying on top of him.

Then, Adrian let go of his hands, lying in the shape of the word “T.”

“Come on, take care of me now,” he said, looking as if he was ready for Cindy to have her way with him.

Cindy: “…”

She didn’t want to take care of him now.

“Are you doing it or not? Are you doing it or not?” Adrian became more spirited, repeatedly urging her.

Cindy: “…”

Cindy clenched her teeth, using both hands to hold Adrian’s face, squeezing it toward the middle.

“Don’t change the subject.” Cindy squinted her eyes, “I find your attempt to change the subject very suspicious.”

“Huh?” Adrian was stunned by her words.

No one could accuse him this way.

How had he changed the subject?

Moreover, he hadn’t done anything to be guilty about, nor anything that required him to change the subject. What couldn’t he discuss?

What had happened to this girl? It was as if he had been asleep for one night and the world had changed.

She even learned how to turn the tables and hit back!

Adrian didn’t know the real reason was that Cindy had seen his well-behaved side with her own eyes.

Adrian’s face had lost much of its intimidation in her eyes.

“I’ve never asked you this before,” Cindy said, not sure why she had thought of this question, “Have you ever hidden something from me?”

“What?” Adrian was caught off guard by her question.

“Pretending to be dumb!” Cindy irritably slapped his chest.

“I don’t believe that someone as outstanding as you wouldn’t have girls admiring you!” Cindy stared intently at Adrian.

As long as his expression was slightly off, she would catch it.

She hadn’t paid attention to this problem before.

But Adrian’s reactions when he was drunk made her feel a crisis.

When the crisis arose, her thoughts began to wander.

And naturally, they wandered to this matter.

Adrian always claimed to be single, telling her that she was the only one from beginning to end.

Cindy believed him, and there was no reason for Adrian to lie to her about this.

Besides, even if he had a love history, it would be normal.

Maybe Cindy would feel a little sour and jealous, but she wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.

After all, when she really got to know Adrian, he was already 29 years old.

For someone so old not to have had a love life would be what was really surprising.

As long as his love life wasn’t chaotic, serious dating could be understood.

Of course, past relationships and current love rivals are different.

Regarding past relationships, Cindy could be indifferent.

But if she still had love rivals now, Cindy would care a lot.

“There might… be some…?” Adrian said, not very sure.

“Huh?” Cindy frowned coldly, “What do you mean ‘might’? Tell me clearly!”

Adrian: “…”

After just one night, she seemed to have a much bigger temper.

“Of course, there are!” Adrian said with certainty, “You’re right, I’m so outstanding and good-looking. Not to mention the other qualities, just look at my face, there must be many girls who like me.”

Chapter 765: Chapter 765: Casting Flirtatious Glances to A Blind Man

Cindy Clarke’s eyes widened instantly: “Did you just admit it?”

“…” Adrian Zhekova felt wronged, “Admit what? I’m just stating a fact with self-confidence.”

Cindy Clarke: “…”

“But you also said that it would be strange if no girl liked me, considering how outstanding I am, right?” Adrian Zhekova raised his eyebrows, “But I really have no idea, because I never pay attention to these matters.”

“Those people who look at me, who have a crush on me, I never paid them any mind. Because I don’t care, so I don’t know anything about it.”

“Perhaps there might be. Maybe some people hinted at their affection towards me, but I didn’t pick up on those signals, so I really don’t know who has ever liked me, or who has ever had a crush on me.”

It’s just like, those people were making eyes at the blind.

Cindy Clarke: “…”

Hearing his words, she couldn’t help but raise the corners of her mouth slightly, amused.

But soon, Cindy Clarke tucked the smile back away.

Muttering to herself, he can’t be allowed to gloss over it this easily.

“Wrong, your grandmother is so keen on you getting married. Since so many girls like you, why do you find it hard to get off the single track?” Cindy Clarke asked.

With so many girls liking him, there must be some good ones among them, right?

Adrian Zhekova looked at her with a grieved face: “Isn’t it just because I haven’t met the right one? Because I didn’t like them, I didn’t care to look any further, let alone know when they were flirting with me.”

“It wasn’t until I met you that I knew I liked you, so I went straight to you.” Adrian Zhekova said, with quite a smug look on his face.

“See, if I like someone, I don’t need that person to take the initiative. I will take the initiative to approach you. For those I don’t like, no matter how they make the first move, I won’t even glance at them, let alone remember who they are or what they look like.”

The corners of Cindy Clarke’s mouth that she had just retracted twitched upwards once again.

This man, his words are becoming more and more pleasing to the ear.

“Fine,” Cindy Clarke finally decided to let him off for now, “You’re right, Garlic Paste.”

“There better not be any lingering admirers even after you’re married.” Cindy Clarke warned him again with an icy look.

Adrian Zhekova: “…”

Should be… none, right?

He really didn’t know!

Cindy Clarke hummed a couple of times.

Before she could do anything, she was suddenly flipped over by Adrian Zhekova.

Luckily, the bed was wide enough to accommodate his exertions.

“So you’re really not sleepy anymore?” Cindy Clarke noticed the deepening look in Adrian Zhekova’s eyes, and her legs went a little weak.

“Not sleepy. I’ve slept for quite a while,” Adrian Zhekova nodded and affirmed.

“You drank so much last night, your head doesn’t hurt now?” Cindy Clarke asked.

Truth be told, Adrian Zhekova didn’t feel particularly comfortable at the moment.

Although his head didn’t hurt, his stomach felt a bit fiery and a little bit stuffy, as if he couldn’t digest food.

In any case, he just didn’t feel so well.

Cindy Clarke quickly seized the opportunity and said, “You get up first and freshen up. I will cook some noodles for you.”

“The soup will be warm, good for your stomach. Add some vinegar and tomatoes to make it sour; it can whet your appetite and make your stomach feel a lot better,” Cindy Clarke said.

While Cindy Clarke was speaking, Adrian Zhekova couldn’t help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

Lured by Cindy Clarke’s words, he was really getting a bit peckish.

What delicious food hasn’t Adrian Zhekova, who owns so many famous restaurants, tasted?

However, anything that Cindy Clarke mentioned, he felt would surely be extraordinarily delicious.

At this moment, Adrian Zhekova was a bit torn.

Should he eat Cindy Clarke first, or have breakfast?

But according to the current time, it was already late.

It was almost 11 o’clock, so even if he ate now, it wouldn’t count as breakfast.

Just as Adrian Zhekova was torn, a little voice came from outside the door.

“Dad, Cindy, have you guys woken up yet?” A clear voice came from outside the door, belonging to Morgan Zhekova.

It was obvious that Morgan Zhekova was standing at the door.

Luckily Morgan Zhekova had been taught by Adrian Zhekova not to come in without permission.

Seeing that the bedroom door was closed, he would knock first and wait for a response from inside.

Upon hearing the little child’s voice, Cindy Clarke had no more mood to dally with Adrian Zhekova.

She quickly pushed him, fearing that Morgan Zhekova might hear them.

She lowered her voice and said: “Quickly get up.”

Morgan Zhekova was right outside the door, he could hear any slight noise.

He couldn’t mess around.

Adrian Zhekova was really conflicted at the moment.

On one hand, he understood that if it weren’t for Morgan Zhekova, he and Cindy Clarke might not have had the chance to meet again.

On the other hand, he very much wanted to return Morgan Zhekova back into Cindy Clarke’s belly.

To allow him to return to being a tiny tadpole.

So he wouldn’t constantly be a third wheel between him and Cindy Clarke.

“We’re awake, we’ll be out soon.” Cindy Clarke called out from Adrian Zhekova’s arms, “Just wait a moment, okay?”

At this point, there was nothing else Adrian Zhekova could think of doing.

“Have you gotten dressed yet?” Cindy Clarke asked.

“I’m all dressed up!” Morgan Zhekova responded.

Cindy Clarke hurriedly pushed Adrian Zhekova.

Adrian Zhekova could only reluctantly let go of Cindy Clarke.

Cindy Clarke had already been to the Main Hall earlier.

So, she was still fully dressed now and didn’t need to change clothes.

So she got up first.

Adrian Zhekova was still in his pajamas, so he went to open the wardrobe to see what to wear for the day.

Cindy Clarke went to open the door, only to see Morgan Zhekova standing there, clad in a sweater, jeans, and a pair of Doc Martens, looking as dashing as ever.

“Did you come here like this? Did you wear a coat?” Cindy Clarke asked as she reached out to cup Morgan Zhekova’s cheek.

Finding his little face warm, she finally felt at ease.

Then she heard Morgan Zhekova say: “Yes, I wore my coat. I took it off after coming in because it was too hot.”

Their room wasn’t connected to Morgan Zhekova’s.

Although the courtyards were connected, they still had to cross through the yard to enter.

“Great job,” Cindy Clarke didn’t hesitate to praise.

Morgan Zhekova puffed out his chest and patted it, saying: “I’m a big boy now, I won’t cause Cindy any worries.”

Cindy Clarke suddenly felt that she was wrong last night.

The obedient Adrian Zhekova when he was drunk and the obedient Morgan Zhekova were different.

Morgan Zhekova was exceedingly clever when he was well-behaved.

Whereas the un-clever Adrian Zhekova, was just now coming out after getting dressed properly.

“You two wait for me for a bit, I will finish freshening up in five minutes,” Adrian Zhekova said.

“No rush.” Cindy Clarke laughed and said, “The elders had their breakfast on time this morning.”

“Since you and dad got up too late, let’s not go for breakfast. I’ll cook some noodles for you two as breakfast here, okay?” Cindy Clarke asked Morgan Zhekova.

Morgan Zhekova was obviously delighted.

Looking at the remaining snow outside, with the northerly winds blowing.

The thought of being able to eat a bowl of hot noodles inside the room was very comforting.

Cindy Clarke then went to the kitchen to prepare.

Making noodles is very quick.

There were ready-made dried noodles at home, so Cindy Clarke didn’t need to make them herself.

Otherwise, kneading the dough, rolling the dough, and then cutting the noodles would take quite a lot of time.

Chapter 766: Chapter 766: Like Three Winters Apart

Because Adrian Zhekova was hungover, eating something sour would help stimulate his appetite and relieve the hangover.

Spicy and sour would be the best.

But since he had just woken up and was on an empty stomach, it wasn’t good to eat something with such a strong taste.

When Cindy Clarke went to the Main Hall earlier, she had brought back some bone soup that Aunt Evans had made in a thermos.

It was perfect for reheating and serving as the soup base for their noodles.

She also took some small tomatoes.

These small tomatoes were only slightly larger than cherry tomatoes.

Cindy fried the small tomatoes in a pan until their skins were slightly charred.

The tomato skins had become wrinkled and the flesh inside had softened, no longer as plump and full as when they were fresh.

But now, the slightly charred and softened small tomatoes had a tempting appearance that greatly stimulated one’s appetite.

The cooked noodles were neatly arranged in each bowl.

In each of the three bowls, two fried small tomatoes were placed.

Next to the small tomatoes, two pieces of blanched greens were added.

Finally, next to the small tomatoes and the greens, a soft-boiled braised egg was placed.

Due to limited time, she couldn’t properly braise the eggs.

So, she used soy sauce, mushrooms, nutmeg, and other ingredients to make a simple braising liquid.

After cooking the eggs, she peeled them and soaked them in the braising liquid.

Although this temporary soaking might not fully infuse the flavor, the surface of the eggs would at least absorb some taste, making it more flavorful than eating them plain.

It was mainly because the little guy didn’t really like plain boiled eggs.

The soft-boiled eggs were better, but if the yolk was completely cooked, the little one would find it hard to swallow.

Now, after soaking in the braising liquid, the egg whites were marinated to a yellowish-brown color.

Frying the eggs would have been simpler.

But since Adrian Zhekova was hungover, he shouldn’t eat anything too greasy.

After arranging all this, Cindy poured the soup over everything.

The milky-white soup soaked the surfaces of the fried small tomatoes and the braised eggs.

Leaving a glistening layer on top.

Only then did Cindy add a little salt and vinegar to the soup.

In order not to ruin the color of the soup, she didn’t add dark vinegar like balsamic or malt vinegar, which are deeply colored.

Instead, she used rice vinegar.

Rice vinegar was light in color, with a pale yellow hue.

Adding just a little wouldn’t ruin the soup’s color.

She took out the three bowls of noodles, along with three plates of previously mixed sour and crunchy side dishes.

Although they had gotten up early and had breakfast in the Main Hall.

By the time Adrian Zhekova and the little one woke up, it was already noon.

So, Cindy decided to treat this meal as her lunch, eating together with Adrian and the little one.

The little guy took a spoonful of the soup.

The soup was still hot, so he blew on it carefully for a few moments before carefully slurping it up.

It was so delicious!

Looking again, it turned out that Adrian and his son were alike – they both had the same mannerisms.

Adrian found the soup very soothing, feeling his stomach warming up and getting unblocked.

It was as if all his organs were being released.

Adrian drank a few more mouthfuls of the soup, and then slurped up a mouthful of noodles.

The noodles were smooth, thin, and chewy.

A warm current went down his throat, reaching his stomach, lubricating and filling it.

Adrian then picked up a small tomato.

The small tomato had already been fried till it was soft and tender; with a slight touch of his chopsticks, the skin loosened, and the mashed tomato flesh inside was revealed.

Dipping it in the bone soup, he took a bite.

The core of the tomato immediately burst into piping hot tomato juice mixed with the taste of the bone soup.

It was sour, fragrant, and rich.

On the side, the little one used a spoon to lift a braised egg and took a bite.

As soon as he did, the runny yolk inside began to flow out.

The little one quickly slurped it up, sucking the whole yolk into his mouth.

He had always loved soft-boiled eggs since he was young, not finding the taste of the yolk fishy at all.

Instead, they could taste the rich flavor in the dish.

Father and son were eating enthusiastically, making noises as they consumed their food.

Adrian Zhekova ate quickly, finishing in no time at all.

The little one ate more slowly.

After everyone finished eating, the three of them went to the Main Hall together.

At this time, the two elders had also finished their lunch.

The elders’ lunch was also simple.

Because in the morning, when Cindy Clarke arrived, she said Adrian Zhekova and the little one slept in.

Even if they woke up before noon and finished eating breakfast, they wouldn’t have any appetite for lunch.

So they told the two elders not to wait for them.

As a result, only the two elders, Butler Howard, and Aunt Evans were left in the Main Hall.

All four of them had small appetites, so they didn’t eat much in the first place.

Eating simply, they naturally finished quickly.

Seeing Adrian Zhekova’s family of three approaching, the Old Master’s eyes only saw the little one, completely ignoring Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke.

He eagerly stretched out his hand towards the little one: “My beloved child!”

“Great Grandfather!” The little one immediately ran towards the Old Master.

It was only last night that the elderly man and the child spent a whole evening playing.

Although it had only been a single night, at this moment, they looked like they hadn’t seen each other for a year and a half.

Especially the little one, his reaction was even more exaggerated.

If possible, he would even like to shed some tears for the Old Master to see.

Cindy Clarke: “…”

Adrian Zhekova: “…”

He had never realized before that the Old Master of his family was such a drama queen.

While thinking this, the Old Master and the little one, young and old, had already embraced each other.

The Old Master was squatting down, and the little one directly squeezed into his arms.

With the little one’s height, it was the perfect fit with the Old Master’s squatting form.

He hugged the Old Master and squirmed in his embrace, nearly knocking the Old Master over.

Cindy Clarke was startled, about to remind the little one to be more careful.

Who knew that the Old Master would quietly signal to Butler Howard?

Cindy Clarke wondered, what was the Old Master up to?

The little one’s face was buried in the Old Master’s chest, and he didn’t see his actions.

Butler Howard somehow brought out a small stool.

Short and tiny, it was barely noticeable.

He sneakily placed it under the Old Master’s butt, and the old man sat down comfortably.

This time, it was especially stable, no matter how much the little one squirmed, there was no way he could knock the Old Master over.

The Old Master chuckled delightedly.

As he aged, his base became less steady.

So he had asked Butler Howard to prepare a small stool for him in advance.

Waiting for the moment when it would come in handy.

And now, wasn’t the stool being put to good use?

“Great Grandfather, although we’ve only been apart for one night, I feel like it’s been…been…”

How long had they been separated?

The little one secretly counted on his fingers and said, “It’s been three winters!”

The Old Master couldn’t help but ask, “Why does it feel like three winters?”

The little one looked up and said, “Because it’s winter now!”

Old Master: “…”

Alright, that explanation made sense.

At this time, Adrian Zhekova’s mobile phone rang.

Seeing that it was a call from Sheldon Rowland, Adrian Zhekova knew it was work-related, so he went to one side to answer the call.

Nowadays, the festive atmosphere during the Spring Festival isn’t as strong as before.

Apart from close relatives and friends who would visit to celebrate, most classmates, friends, and colleagues used Whatsapp to send their greetings.

Even manually typing “Happy Spring Festival” was considered sincere.

Chapter 767: Chapter 767: Urgent Upgrade

Mostly, they just copy and paste some generic New Year’s greetings and send them out in bulk.

This can be quite annoying.

Adrian Zhekova has always hated receiving these kinds of mass New Year’s texts.

He never replies to them.

Of course, if someone were to hand-write a New Year’s greeting, Adrian Zhekova would still find it bothersome and wouldn’t reply either.

As Adrian’s assistant, Sheldon Rowland is all too aware of this.

So, every year during the holiday season, Sheldon simply doesn’t bother sending Adrian any New Year’s messages.

Adrian doesn’t really care about it, anyway.

Today, Sheldon only called Adrian because of a work-related matter.

Otherwise, during the holidays, Sheldon wouldn’t have contacted Adrian proactively.

On the call, as soon as Adrian picked up, he heard Sheldon say, “Mr. CEO, Happy New Year! Please give my regards to Mrs. CEO.”

“Happy New Year,” Adrian replied briefly.

Immediately, Sheldon got to the point: “Mr. CEO, the TV station contacted us at the last minute saying that the Spring Festival Special Program for the Pingla Competition will be moved to air tonight.”

“What’s going on?” Adrian frowned, “Hasn’t it been agreed that it will be on the fifth day of the month?”

Although both days fall during the holiday season, there’s still a significant difference in timing.

During the Spring Festival holiday, most people go out and have fun.

Many people take advantage of the seven-day break to go traveling.

Even if they don’t go traveling, the first few days of the holiday are usually spent gathering with friends and family.

Some play mahjong from morning till night.

Young people tend to stay up all night having fun.

Even if they don’t stay up all night, they still play until late at night.

So, the TV ratings during the first few days of the holiday are not actually that high.

However, things start to change from the fifth to the seventh day of the holiday.

By then, it’s the end of the holiday season.

Because people have to go back to work on the eighth day, whether they are going home for the holidays or traveling, everyone starts to return home to prepare for work after the holidays.

And young people who have spent the first few days having fun also need to rest for the last two or three days of the holiday.

As for those who play mahjong from morning till night.

Who can endure playing for four or five consecutive days, right?

Thus, everyone usually sets aside some time for themselves to rest and recharge during the late stage of the holiday season.

Wouldn’t that leave them more time to watch TV?

The Marketing Department of Pingla has drawn this well-reasoned conclusion after analyzing TV viewership statistics and conducting online surveys.

It wasn’t just a decision made on the whim of someone in charge.

Now, suddenly moving the broadcast to the third day of the holiday catches everyone off guard.

Moreover, there hasn’t even been any publicity for it yet.

“Originally, tonight was scheduled for the premiere of the TV drama ‘The Way Home’. However, the lead actor, James Davies, was involved in a scandal where he cheated on his wife with a young model, and someone reported him for evading taxes. Whether the tax evasion is true or not is still unclear, as it’s under investigation.”

The outcome of the investigation is uncertain, too.

Even if the accusation is true, it depends on whether it can be suppressed or not.

However, the cheating scandal has been confirmed.

“This issue has been brewing for five days,” Sheldon explained. “If it had been exposed earlier, it wouldn’t have been much of a problem once the hype died down. However, it’s now at its peak, and it coincides with the holidays when netizens have a lot of free time.”

“Even though they’re going out and having fun, they still have a few minutes to spare to scroll through their Facebook feed and check out gossip. So, the issue with James Davies has just grown larger and larger,” said Sheldon.

“Now, James Davies is still the number one hot topic on Facebook, with a glaring red ‘Breaking’ tag after it.”

“Moreover, netizens have spontaneously called for a boycott of James Davies’ new drama. Although the evidence of tax evasion hasn’t been revealed yet, James Davies’ cheating scandal occurred when his wife was six months pregnant. He cheated on her while she was carrying their child.”

There are different levels of cheating scandals.

This kind of scumbag who cheats on his pregnant wife is probably the highest level of cheating.

It generates the most hostility.

“So, the netizens are all boycotting his drama, saying they won’t watch it even if it airs. With rival companies fanning the flames, the boycott of James Davies and ‘The Way Home’ has reached extreme levels,” Sheldon said.

“The TV station can’t afford to take such a risk. I heard they even consulted Olivia Davis for advice,” Sheldon added.

Chapter 768: Chapter 768: Compensation

Olivia Davis was not just an actress; she was also a very famous publicist.

Her public relations skills were as excellent as her acting.

She even earned the title of number one publicist in the entertainment industry.

When faced with a crisis, if you can get Olivia, most people don’t bother looking for anyone else.

On the other hand, if people are aware that Olivia is their opponent, they would feel inferior even before engaging in a competition.

It shows that Olivia truly has a fierce reputation within the industry.

By coincidence, the TV station involved was Cresthill TV Station, which had previously enjoyed a pleasant collaboration with Olivia.

This was mainly due to Olivia’s participation in Cresthill TV’s variety show “Classic X Files,” and how well she got along with the show’s director Dylan Olsten.

Especially when Olivia was ridiculed online and targeted by Star Guest Platform for boycott, Dylan remained supportive of her.

As a result, Olivia remembered Dylan’s kindness.

When the issue with James Davies arose,

The TV station urged Dylan to contact Olivia.

They asked her to help analyze the pros and cons of the situation.

Whether it would be okay to air James Davies’ TV series.

Whether it could be profitable.

Airing James Davies’ TV series on schedule would result in criticism.

But how much damage would this backlash bring to the TV station?

Olivia didn’t hold back, providing an in-depth analysis for the TV station.

In the end, it was determined that withdrawing “The Way Home” from the schedule might cause losses. Still, it would be less damaging than airing it.

As luck would have it,

Right after talking to Olivia over the phone, the TV station was informed that all brands that previously signed on for advertising had withdrawn.

As series were aired on the TV station for free, the station profited from advertisements inserted in the middle of the show.

There were also ads at the beginning and end of each episode, as well as sponsorships and such.

But now, due to the negative news about James Davies, advertisers believed netizens would boycott the show.

As a result, the audience wouldn’t watch the series, leading to poor ratings.

And if nobody was watching the drama, no one would be watching their ads either.

It wasn’t just about having fewer viewers.

If the audience started to hate these advertisers because of this fiasco, the unintentional consequences would outweigh the benefits.

Take a look at all the brands that had endorsed James Davies; weren’t they all busy canceling contracts with him?

So without any advertisers, what was the point in airing the series?

In light of this, the TV station urgently withdrew the series.

They tried to push forward another series, but scheduling needed to be negotiated.

So they decided to use the Pingla Culinary Competition’s Spring Festival Special Program to fill the gap.

“The station stated that in order to compensate, they will promote the show all day today. Advertisements will be inserted into every Cresthill TV program. Addtionally, they also offer promotion on their official website, coverage on Facebook’s hot topics, and a marketing account for further assistance. All expenses will be covered by Cresthill TV.”

As long as Pingla agreed, that permission was enough for the show to be aired ahead of schedule.

If it were any other program, Cresthill TV wouldn’t be so polite as to offer so much compensation.

After all, purchasing a hot-topic spot on Facebook wasn’t cheap.

The top five spots on Facebook were calculated by the hour.

With a price of 400,000 per hour, it was truly painful to spend that much.

Even Cresthill TV felt the pinch with that amount of expenditure.

But surely, they couldn’t just promote the series for one hour.

Since Cresthill TV promised to spread the word all day, they would have to allot at least five or six hours of airtime.

Also, they would have to use marketing accounts for additional support.

Red-V marketing accounts with many followers and high readership numbers don’t come cheap.

And they couldn’t just rely on one marketing account.

Naturally, many interconnected marketing accounts were needed to maintain the hype.

These expenses added up, making for a substantial sum.

This level of compensation was indeed a rare offering for Cresthill TV.

In the end, it was all because they didn’t dare offend Adrian Zhekova.

If it were anyone else, Cresthill TV wouldn’t offer this compensation.

They wouldn’t have been so easily convinced to reschedule.

Sheldon Rowland said, “The marketing department calculated that our original promotional plan would cost less than what Cresthill TV offered.”

Primarily because the current situation was time-sensitive.

Instantly pushing the schedule ahead while ensuring adequate promotion,

required a comprehensive spread of publicity in a short period of time.

This would naturally be far more expensive than gradually rolling out promotions.

“However, the effect of this promotion would be similar to our original plan,” Sheldon added.

“Agreed,” Adrian replied. “And have someone else contact those short-video platforms to buy some promotion. Pingla will cover the costs. Tell your team to coordinate with the TV station to obtain clips from tonight’s program for promotional purposes.”

Chapter 769: Chapter 769: Holding the TV Station’s Camera Steadily

“Yes.” Sheldon Rowland acknowledge and immediately get to work.

At the same time, he had Pingla’s publicity team start promoting without delay.

The sudden rescheduling of the program to air that night was an irreversible change.

The TV station had been polite to them and had generously compensated them out of respect for the Zhekova Family.

But after all, they could not really come to blows with the TV station.

The two parties still had many areas of cooperation, and ultimately, the TV station had official backing.

They couldn’t possibly burn bridges with the authorities.

Not just Adrian Zhekova, but all of The Big Eight families understood their boundaries.

Since the TV station had given face, he too needed to act within limits.

Then, Adrian Zhekova contacted Olivia Davis, Charlotte York, and Zachary Hamilton.

All three of them worked in show business.

Olivia Davis, needless to say, was a public relations genius and an actor at the same time.

Charlotte York was a top-tier actor in her home country and well-known internationally too.

Zachary Hamilton was a director, who had so far only directed one film, “Dimension”, but it had caused a major box office boom with its debut.

It even cracked into the top three grossing films in domestic box office history.

This was quite a feat.

It was only Zachary Hamilton’s restraint that had stopped him.

If Zachary Hamilton had been a bit more shameless and extended the screening time of “Dimension”.

He could’ve slowly climbed the box office charts.

He could’ve even knocked off the second place.

But Zachary Hamilton didn’t do that.

He followed the standard release schedule, no more and no less.

Keeping things upscale, leaving audiences with a lasting impression, and building anticipation for his next work.

Regardless, Zachary Hamilton gained popularity with this film.

Emerging as a promising new director to look forward to.

At the beginning when he made “Dimension”, because it was a science fiction film, and difficult to make.

Furthermore, it was his maiden attempt at film-making, with no previous significant works to his name.

He had only made a short film for his graduation project.

But what could a short film prove?

Even if he was the Third Young Master Hamilton, the investors conducted risk assessment and wouldn’t recklessly invest just because of his background.

If the film underperformed, the ones at loss would be the investors.

The Hamilton Family wouldn’t compensate for their losses.

So, with no investors, Zachary Hamilton could only dip into his own pockets.

He emptied his savings; he almost had to sell his car.

It wasn’t until Zander Hamilton and Zane Hamilton discovered he had been secretly funding the movie himself.

Then the whole Hamilton Family pooled together a substantial amount of money to support Zachary Hamilton’s film project.

Upon hearing this, outsiders commented that the Hamilton Family’s indulgence in Zachary Hamilton was quite something.

Zachary Hamilton had zero experience, yet they dared to fund his film out of their own pockets.

The first film, and a science fiction film at that, was bound to have bumps and obstacles along the way.

Weren’t they essentially throwing money at him to let him gain experience?

Despite this, the Hamilton Family reassured Zachary Hamilton that he could continue filming at ease.

While they cautioned him to make sure money was spent where it was needed and not wasted unnecessarily,

if he did run out of funds, he could always ask for more from the family.

They would always have enough to support his film production.

All of this money, didn’t come from the Company’s funds.

It all came out of the Hamilton Family’s own pocket.

If they did suffer a loss, it would be a substantial one.

And these were just the initial investments.

This didn’t include the various promotion costs after the completion of the film and before its release.

The budget for promotions was no small number either.

No wonder outsiders claimed that the Hamilton Family really spoiled Zachary Hamilton.

Not just that, both Charlotte York and Olivia Davis agreed to act in Zachary Hamilton’s film for no remuneration.

Charlotte York was the led female role.

As for Olivia Davis, she had just given birth at the time and hadn’t been out of confinement for long, so she only took a supporting role.

But Olivia Davis had taken on the movie’s publicity work.

When you think about it, having show business’s first public relations genius promoting his movie,

it would still attract a few audiences even if the film didn’t do as well as expected after its release.

However, Zachary Hamilton did not let his family’s support go in vain.

He managed to deliver results.

Helping the Hamilton Family reap huge benefits.

Their investment came out of their own pockets, not channeled through Benjamin Hamilton’s accounts.

The profits made were solid and real, all theirs.

Apart from the box office revenue split with theatres.

All the remaining profit was genuinely profitable.

This significantly enriched each person’s small coffers in the Hamilton Family.

This made the investors who had initially refused to invest envious and regretful all at once.

However, there’s no point in regretting, once missed, it’s missed.

They missed an opportunity to make large returns and to gain fame.

They could only hope anxiously for Zachary Hamilton’s next film.

Though this film was successful, the next one might not necessarily be a success.

But given the Hamilton Family’s backing, Benjamin Hamilton’s connections and Olivia Davis’s involvement,

with the audience base and popularity established by this film and the anticipation for Zachary Hamilton’s future works,

it meant the next film, even if average, would have decent box office revenue on release.

At least they could break even.

So, everyone was waiting for it.

As such, Zachary Hamilton’s fame now rivals that of established directors like Caleb Jefferson and Geoffrey Harrison.

His guarantee for box-office hits might not inspire as much confidence in investors and netizens as Caleb Jefferson and Geoffrey Harrison did,

but he had already gained a fair share of fans.

Nowadays, a director’s reputation usually is less well-known than their works.

Many people may have heard of a film’s name but not know who directed it.

When only a director’s name is mentioned, netizens are generally clueless.

Aside from a few exceptionally well-known directors, it is generally hard for directors to gain fame.

For someone like Zachary Hamilton to be remembered at such a young age, is quite impressive.

With Olivia Davis, Charlotte York, and Zachary Hamilton hyping up the program for tonight, they also attract quite a lot of netizens.

The Old Madam now enjoys scrolling through short videos.

She even downloaded the TicToc app on her mobile phone.

She wouldn’t record and upload videos herself, but enjoyed scrolling through some entertaining ones.

Because she often searched for videos related to the Cooking Competition and Cindy Clarke,

and often mentioned them in conversations.

The app’s big data algorithm would recommend more short videos related to the Cooking Competition to the Old Madam.

In the afternoon, the Old Madam was the first one to come across the promo pushed out for the special program that evening.

“It’s Cindy!” The Old Madam, upon seeing Cindy Clarke’s face in the video, excitedly exclaimed.

“Where? Where? I want to see too.” The Old Master was anxious.

He too had the app on his phone but didn’t scroll through it as often as the Old Madam.

He often forgot to look at it.

Furthermore, it was all random content, you wouldn’t see the content you wanted just by opening the app.

Of course, if they found out the publisher’s ID and searched for it, they could see it too.

But there was no need for that hassle, the Old Madam directly downloaded it and sent it to their family chat group.

So, everybody could see it.

“Cindy managed to endure the TV station’s difficult segment.” Old Madam said with a smile.

Chapter 770: Chapter 770: Scumbag

The TV station’s camera is quite different from the ones used in live streaming.

This time, the show was filmed indoors.

Harsh lighting all around.

Furthermore, the TV station’s camera didn’t have any beautification or soft light filters.

On the contrary, the high-definition camera magnified even the slightest flaws.

It’s rare for an ordinary person to look good under such cameras.

Even those who are usually good-looking, like Internet celebrities and campus beauties, end up looking ordinary and even a bit ugly on TV.

The gap between pretty actresses and pretty internet celebrities and campus beauties becomes evident under this lens.

Only those who can maintain their looks under such cameras must be truly stunning in person.

Considering today’s widescreens, in order to appear thin on camera, they have to be even thinner, paler, and more refined in person.

Yet, under the sort of cameras that ordinary people struggle with, Cindy Clarke wasn’t made to look plain at all.

Of course, she wasn’t as good-looking as in real life, but maintaining 80% of her looks was already quite impressive.

She still looked outstanding on camera.

Although Cindy attended the banquet as Adrian Zhekova’s wife,

it was only revealed at face-to-face events.

It didn’t create a huge buzz online.

No one knew if the TV station was aware of Cindy’s relationship with Adrian.

If they knew, giving her more screen time wouldn’t be a surprise.

“They probably don’t know,” Adrian Zhekova said.

Hearing his words, Old Madam knew they really weren’t aware of it.

If they knew, with Adrian’s personality, he would want everyone to know about their marriage.

Would he deny it if the TV station knew about it?

The kid was also holding his mobile phone, watching and then concluded, “The TV station must have thought Cindy looked good, so they gave her more screen time.”

Meanwhile, Cindy wasn’t idle either, as she had many fans.

So she went online and promoted tonight’s Spring Festival Special Program that was temporarily moved up in schedule.

She asked her fans to watch it if they had time.

Just in time, she shot a dumpling-making video before the Spring Festival, waiting for the festival to upload as a season greeting.

The edited video was saved in her CouTube and Facebook draft box.

She uploaded it all at once.

Cindy had wondered more than once if her fans lived on CouTube.

Whenever she uploaded a video, they knew about it immediately.

The video had barely been online for a minute, and comments were already pouring in.

“The missing person has returned!”

“Finally, I see a new video from Cindy!”

“Because of the festival, the Cooking Competition was suspended, but Cindy hasn’t been uploading many videos due to the Competition. The wait is finally over.”

“Cindy, even if you don’t upload videos, you could at least update your Facebook more often.”

When there were no competitions or new videos, Cindy seemed to go missing, forgetting to post on Facebook.

Fans could only watch her old videos back and forth, driving them crazy.

“Dumplings, dumplings! It’s perfect timing to try making the fillings according to Cindy’s recipe.”

“Wow! The video’s background has changed!”

Fans noticed it.

This time Cindy filmed directly in the house she shared with Adrian, not going back to her old place.

So naturally, the kitchen background was the spacious one at their house.

The cabinet colors and dimensions were different.

Even the texture was much better.

The high-end vibe was evident even through the screen.

“The kitchen seems much more spacious. Did she move?”

“The kitchen background is filled with the scent of money!”

“It reminds me of a previous video where there was a man’s laughter.”

“Could it be her boyfriend’s house?”

“Ahhhh! We’re unexpectedly witnessing PDA! Did Cindy move in with her boyfriend?”

“Which scumbag stole my Cindy?! You better show yourself!”

Cindy couldn’t help but laugh when she saw this comment.

The commenter probably didn’t expect to actually be right about the “scumbag.”

Unable to resist, Cindy chuckled and sneakily glanced at Adrian Zhekova.