Ch. 1491..1500

Chapter 1491 Do Not Panic

The next day, Johanna hailed a taxi to the high-speed railway station after leaving the residential area.

She planned to make two dresses for Asel as a birthday gift. However, after returning home last night, she remembered that Asel was fond of animals. So, she decided to prepare an even better gift for her.

Sadly, the carpenter had retired a few years ago. As such, Johanna could only visit him to see if he would be willing to accept her order.

After arriving at the train station, she did not have to wait long before she had her ticket checked and got on the train.

She had only brought a backpack as she planned to return on the same day. After finding a seat, she settled down and fished out her phone, only to see a photo Timothy had sent her about two minutes ago.

In the photo, Asel sat by the dining table, feeding herself with a fork. She looked adorable and well-behaved.

Along with the photo, Timothy texted: Asel has become quite fussy recently. She only allows you to feed her or wants to eat by herself. I tried to feed her some oatmeal this morning, but she didn't like it. She probably doesn't love me anymore.

Johanna chuckled and replied: It's a good thing she wants to eat by herself.

Timothy: Asel has been clamoring to eat pork belly. Since I'm not busy today, I'll bring Asel to meet you at noon. Let's have lunch together.

Johanna: I probably won't make it back by noon. How about we do it tomorrow instead?

Johanna had just sent the message, and Timothy called right after. "You can't make it back to Jadeborough? Where did you go, Jojo?"

Sensing the anxiousness in his tone, Johanna could not help but laugh. "I was thinking of crafting a music box for Asel. But the master has closed his shop for several years, so I thought I'd visit him...”

She was casually chatting with Timothy when the high-speed train was suddenly brought to a screeching stop. In the next second, the lights in the cabins went off.

Johanna got shocked when her vision went black. Like others, she almost let out a scream. But when she looked out the windows, she realized it was dark and gloomy, and vaguely, she spotted a heavy downpour.

As the signal in the cabin was lost, her call with Timothy was automatically disconnected.

A commotion ensued in the train cabins, but within a few minutes, a steward hurried over to calm everyone down. "Please stay calm. A landslide up ahead has blocked the railway track. The sudden brake resulted in a minor train malfunction. The engineer is working on repairing the fault right now. We kindly ask everyone not to move around unnecessarily."

As Johanna was in the first-class cabin, there were fewer passengers around. Many settled down after hearing the steward's words.

When the steward scuttled to the back, the automatic door opened, and Johanna heard panic-stricken voices echo out from behind, claiming that they could not make calls and left wondering if they were doomed.

She had seen news of similar accidents involving landslides. Despite so, it was beyond her expectation that she would encounter such a rare event since she rarely took high-speed trains.

The repair was time-consuming, and since there was no ventilation in the train cabins, coupled with the large number of passengers on board, the enclosed space soon grew hot and stuffy. Johanna had removed her sweater, but she still felt so warm that her back and forehead were all covered in sweat.

The location where the high-speed train stopped had no village or shops in sight. Adding onto how it was pouring heavily outside, the train stewards could only placate those passengers who were insisting on getting off.

Johanna was feeling a little suffocated, and at that very moment, a steward rushed to the cabin and asked, "May I know who Ms. Johanna Joules is?"

Convinced that she heard her name, Johanna briskly walked up to the steward and asked in surprise, "It's me. Is anything the matter?"

Noticing her pale complexion, the steward asked anxiously, "Did you not bring any medicine along?"

Johanna was bewildered. What's wrong? Why is the steward looking for me? Before long, a tall figure strode toward the cabin where she was at.

The man was drenched from head to toe. In his hand, he was carrying a waterproof travel bag.

"Darling, I'm here. Don't worry." Timothy pulled out a nebulizer from his travel bag and handed it to Johanna.

As he moved closer to Johanna, he whispered, "I told the steward that you have asthma and didn't bring your medication, so I'm here to deliver it. Pretend to take a puff."

Chapter 1492 I Will Do As You Say

Johanna was bereft of words for a moment. Under the hopeful gaze of the steward, she had no choice but to inhale deeply through the nebulizer twice.

In no time, the malfunction was resolved. The cabins, too, regained their illumination. However, the debris was still blocking the tracks, and the railroad workers could only clear them after the rain subsided.

After the steward left, Johanna asked softly, "How did you get here so quickly? I thought the train already left Jadeborough?"

"I took a helicopter here."

The torrential rain made it impossible for Timothy to drive. Left with no choice, he contacted Armand and arranged for a fighter jet pilot to send him to where the high-speed train was stuck.

But since there was no space for the helicopter to land, Timothy had to brave the rain to get the train, thus why he ended up completely drenched.

Opening the doors of high-speed trains was strictly prohibited to prevent passengers from getting off and running into accidents. In order to get on the train, Timothy had to flash his marriage certificate and claimed that Johanna had forgotten to bring her medication when she had severe asthma.

Of course, the crew knew how terrifying asthma could be. Worried that something might happen to Johanna, they explained the situation to their superiors, and eventually, Timothy was allowed to board the train.

The man flipped the damp hair sticking to Johanna's forehead aside, then opened the waterproof travel bag. "I'm afraid the train will be stuck here for some time. I brought snacks and water, and also a small fan..."

The fan was rechargeable and could last roughly an hour upon switching on.

The breeze from the small fan left Johanna feeling a lot cooler. As she lowered her gaze at Timothy, she spotted droplets of water trickling down his cheeks, then gathering on his chin before dripping onto his drenched sweater.

Johanna didn't bring a towel and had to use her hand to wipe the water off his chin. "You knew it was pouring. Why didn't you bring an extra set of clothes?"

"It'll take up too much space," said Timothy. "Besides, the cabin is quite warm. The clothes will dry up in no time."

He swiftly grabbed her retracting hand. There were still droplets of water hanging on his eyelashes, and his eyes were deep and mesmerizing. "Jojo, are you concerned about me?"

"Um..." Johanna cut him off as she found it inappropriate with others present.

Timothy whipped his head to look in displeasure.

A young girl sitting on the other side was startled when she met with the man's gaze. She hastily rummaged through her luggage and handed him a box. "I have a towel from Hermayze. It's brand new. I'll exchange it with your small fan and some snacks; is that all right?"

Before Timothy could reject the young girl, Johanna agreed to the request. She passed the girl an unopened small fan and said, "Pick whatever snacks you want."

At that, the young girl quickly handed the exquisitely wrapped towel to Johanna.

Opening the packaging, Johanna pulled out a sky-blue towel printed with the Hermayze logo. "Go to the restroom and wring out your clothes. Then use this towel to dry your hair."

She had wanted to tell the man that the soaked clothes would give him a cold, but she ultimately decided to keep her thoughts unspoken.

Timothy lifted the corners of his lips into a smile. "All right. I'll do as you say."

After he left for the restroom, the young girl said to Johanna, "Your husband treats you well. He even braved the heavy downpour to bring you your nebulizer. His actions are so much more romantic than novel plots. What's more, he's so good-looking and dotes on his wife. It's a blessing to meet a man like him."

The young girl chatted with Johanna for a little longer before returning to her seat when she spotted Timothy walk out of the restroom.

The cashmere cardigan Timothy was wearing turned wrinkled after he squeezed it dry. Then again, since he was tall and handsome, even crumpled clothes looked peculiarly pleasing to the eye when worn by him.

Johanna handed him the towel to dry his hair.

The man, however, squatted down beside the seat and lowered his head. "I've no more strength left after drying my clothes. Can you help me instead?"

Faced with how resolute Timothy was, coupled with how the other passengers were all shifting their curious gazes toward her direction, Johanna eventually gave up and wrapped the towel around his hair.

The cabin was comfortably warm, and the clothes on Timothy dried up relatively quickly. The rain outside had subsided, and the dark clouds in the sky slowly dissipated. In the twinkling of an eye, a group of railroad workers had the debris on the tracks removed.

After a nearly two-hour delay, the high-speed train finally resumed its journey.

Seeing Johanna lean against her seat on the verge of falling asleep, Timothy reached out and pulled her into his embrace. "It's more comfortable to sleep in my arms."

Unable to push him away, Johanna could only let him be.

Timothy lowered his gaze to look at the soundly asleep Johanna. He gently brushed his hand against her thigh, then slipped under the hems of her sweater and touched her soft, slender wait. It was an incredibly pleasing touch.

He felt a tickle in his throat, and just as he lifted his hand to touch...

Chapter 1493 Make It A Habit

Johanna quickly grabbed his wrist, her voice low and frustrated as she snapped, "Are you a pig? All you ever think about is sex like an animal in heat."

"Can pig even go into heat?" Timothy asked in surprise.

Johanna smoothly replied, "If pigs can't go in heat, then how do piglets come about?"

Once her words were out of her mouth, she realized how despicable Timothy was by telling her dirty jokes. Angrily, she glared at him and leaned toward the car window.

Timothy chuckled twice, then pulled her back into his arms. "Don't be mad. I was just trying to cheer you up. I like you just the way you are, Jojo, getting mad and glaring at me. It's lovely."

Johanna ignored him.

Timothy dropped his gaze to her fair neck, leaning in to plant a soft kiss. "Jojo, you truly smell wonderful."

"Shut up," Johanna snapped, unable to bear it any longer as she pushed his mouth away. "If you move around again, I'll tell the steward I don't have asthma, and you snuck on the train."

"I took the train because of you." Timothy joked, "Let's go to the police station together."

The train finally arrived in Yannopolis at half past one in the afternoon.

Timothy asked Johanna and found out that Johnson lived in Zaidham, which would take at least two hours to get to the city by bus, and upon arrival, they would still need to transfer to another bus to reach Zaidham.

Timothy found the process of changing transportation too tedious and worried that Johanna might feel tired, so he went to a car rental company and rented a Mercedes-Benz SUV.

Halfway through, Asel called, asking when Timothy and Johanna would be back. Timothy figured they wouldn't be able to return that day, so he coaxed the little girl, saying they needed more time to pick a whale for her.

Just after four in the afternoon, they finally arrived at Zaidham.

Luckily, Johnson was a well-known carpenter in Zaidham. Timothy asked around to find out where the luthier lived. The locals, charmed by his good looks, even personally escorted them there.

"Being handsome does have its advantages, but don't worry, Jojo, no matter how handsome I am, I'm still yours," Timothy said, leaning closer to Johanna.

Johanna ignored him.

Just as Johnson returned from picking up his grandson from school, he took the blueprint in Johanna's outstretched hand and discovered it was a blueprint for an animal music box. The design of the music box was beautiful, but naturally, it was also quite complex to make.

Johnson had retired early, but upon hearing from Johanna that it was a gift for her daughter and that the payment was generous, he agreed to do it.

He said, "Come back in a month for the finished product."

Johanna knew crafting such a small trinket took time, but they couldn't afford to wait a month. "Is it possible for you to ask other luthiers to help you? My daughter's birthday is just a few days away."

"Money is not an issue if you need to work overtime to finish it earlier. We can also lend a hand," Timothy added.

After some thought, Johnson called over two others, who used to be carpenters, and divided the work among themselves. Even with working overtime every day, the music box would still take around five days to complete.

Asel's birthday was in exactly five days. The timing was perfect.

It was already dark by the time Timothy and Johanna left Johnson's house. Despite its small size, Zaidham was not lacking in resources. There was a shopping mall near the square, where the two decided to have their dinner.

Timothy called Armand to inform him that he had some matters to attend to in the next few days and would feel more at ease if Asel could stay with him for a while.

Armand asked in surprise, "Why don't you use the helicopter?"

Even though Yannopolis was quite far from Jadeborough, it was only a two-hour helicopter ride away. Timothy and Johanna could return that night itself, and the helicopter could take them back the next morning.

Timothy replied, "Mr. Bowles is short of hands. He needs our help to make up the numbers. How can we go back?"

Glancing at Johanna, who was getting drinks from the counter, Timothy whispered, "Tell Genev not to mention the helicopter to Jojo. We finally have some time alone."

If Johanna remembered the convenient vehicle, she would definitely chase him away.

After Timothy finished his call, Johanna returned. She placed a soda in front of him, asking, "Have you told Armand?"

"Yeah, he'd gone to pick up Asel," he replied. The tone when she talked about Armand was soft, causing jealousy to perk its head up within him. "Jojo, you sounded soft when you called others. Why don't you call me gently?"

"I'm used to it."

"Thus, you should make it a habit of calling me Hubby..." Timothy helped her open the soda can before stepping back. "You can call me Tim with the same gentle tone, too, if you're uncomfortable with Hubby."

Chapter 1494 Give Me A Reward

Johanna glanced at him. "Don't you think it'll sound weird?"

"Calling Armand softly isn't weird, then?"

"His name sounds so domineering," Johanna said. "There's a mafia movie called, The Mob, where the villain is called Tim. He's utterly ruthless, committing all sorts of evil deeds."

Timothy explained, "My name means the one who honors God. That was why my mom named me Timothy."

Johanna was silent for a while but couldn't hold in her chuckle. "Perhaps you were so good-looking as a child, so Mrs. Jensen had high expectations of you."

"Jojo, you're subtly insulting me," said Timothy cynically.

Quite a few people were eating at the small restaurant. The scent of smoke filled the air in the building due to the men smoking inside.

Four men were seated at a table near the register, smoking, and drinking. Their faces and necks were flushed from the alcohol. One of the male customers glanced back and noticed two women enjoying a barbecue together. Suddenly, he picked up a glass of beer and started walking toward their table.

"Hey, young lady, let's have a toast!" the man said, rudely clinking his glass against one of the women's faces.

The woman quickly brushed his hand away, expressing her disgust. "I don't know you. Get lost!"

The man was drunk. His eyes immediately widened after being scolded. He yelled, "I clinked my glass with yours out of respect for you. Yet, you're disrespecting me on purpose, you b*tch!"

After being insulted, the woman picked up a beer bottle and hurled it at the man. The man, reacting instantly, grabbed her by the hair and hit her.

Soon, the man's friends, who were drinking with him, came over. Seeing the woman's friend was ready to hit them with a stool, they joined the fight, causing chaos.

Out of the blue, a glass was hurled toward Johanna, shattering by her feet.

The flying shards not only sliced through Johanna's silk stockings and even cut her calf, causing blood to flow freely.

Timothy hurried over to check on Johanna's leg.

He handed Johanna a tissue to stop the bleeding, then with a stern face, he walked into the crowd and grabbed the man with his hair slicked back.

"Are you the one who threw the glass?"

The man, Blake, put on a fierce expression when he caught Timothy looking at him and snapped, "What if I was the one who threw it? Who the hell are you? Are you trying to stand up for these two chicks? Let me tell you-"

Timothy swung his fist, landing it squarely on his face and following up with a swift kick. Blake was sent sprawling to the ground, unable to get up.

Blake's friends wanted to avenge him, but Timothy was swift and ruthless. With a beer bottle in hand, he struck down each and every one of them. After hitting them with a beer bottle, he would swing his leg, adding a few kicks. His actions were so swift and decisive that he didn't give any of the men a chance to retaliate.

There was a drugstore near the shop, so Timothy went to buy some iodine solution and a band-aid.

Blake was just getting up from the ground but immediately dropped back to the floor reflexively when he saw Timothy. With a threatening tone, he spat, "How dare you hit me and my brothers on my turf? You're f*cking done for!"

Timothy stomped on his calf, causing Blake to howl in pain. "All right, then. Let's see how I'm done for," he taunted.

Timothy bent down in front of Johanna, helping her treat the wound on her calf. Thankfully, it was just a cut from a shard, and it would be fine after disinfecting and applying a band-aid.

If Johanna's injuries were slightly more severe, Timothy wouldn't be done with just smacking them with a beer bottle and a kick.

Johanna had called the police, but it took them nearly twenty minutes to arrive. After understanding the situation, several officers took Blake and his friends away.

As the two were about to leave after their meal, they were surprised that it had started raining outside. The woman who Blake had hit on was still in the restaurant. She gave her umbrella to Timothy to repay him for his kindness.

Only one upscale hotel was in the vicinity. It was just a few hundred meters away from the square. Timothy led Johanna toward it.

He tilted the umbrella towards her, protecting her from the rain, and casually asked, "Jojo, how did I do in the fight earlier?"

"Handsome."

"I suppose I'm a knight in shining armor, aren't I? Don't you think I deserve a reward, like a kiss perhaps?" Timothy negotiated.

She answered, "Since you've done a public service, you should be asking the police for a reward."

When they arrived at the hotel to check in, the receptionist was about to ask something, but Johanna interrupted by handing over her ID card and requested, "Two rooms, please."

Timothy cast her a resentful glance.

Johanna thought she would only be in Zaidham for a few hours, so she didn't bring any clothes or toiletries. She and Timothy had gone to a shop to buy a few pieces of clothing earlier.

She called Genevieve and chatted with Asel over the phone for a while. Then, she took her clothes and went to the bathroom to take a bath.

Just as she finished blow-drying her hair, the doorbell rang.

Chapter 1495 Dog

Johanna glanced through the peephole, then pulled the door open.

"Turning on the heater can dry out your skin, so I bought you some body lotion, face cream, and a humidifier." Timothy handed a shopping bag to Johanna.

Johanna noticed that the face cream was from Clarins and asked in surprise, "Where did you buy this?"

"I just went to the mall," Timothy said calmly. "There was a booth selling skincare products. I've checked. They're all genuine."

Johanna tucked the face cream into her bag and was about to close the door when Timothy suddenly said, "Jojo, my shower head is broken. I got caught in the rain twice today, and my clothes stink, so I really need a shower."

"If the shower's broken, you should contact the front desk," Johanna said. "If they can't fix it, switch rooms."

She closed the door without a hint of sentiment.

Johanna poured mineral water into the humidifier, then added a few drops of sea salt essential oil. The humidifier quickly sprang into action, and in no time, Johanna could feel the air becoming less dry.

Johanna had just applied body lotion and was about to go to sleep with the lights off when the doorbell rang again.

As soon as Johanna opened the door, Timothy immediately placed his foot to block it, preventing her from closing it. "I've checked the weather forecast. There's going to be a thunderstorm at dawn. I've been scared of thunder since I was a kid."

"We've been married for five or six years, so how come I never noticed you're afraid of thunder?" Johanna looked up at him.

Timothy didn't feel guilty at all, and calmly said, "I just didn't show it in front of you before. Besides, my bedroom doesn't have a humidifier, so it's too dry."

"Jojo, let's stay together," he said. "If I do anything inappropriate at night, then I'm a dog."

"You've been a dog before, haven't you?"

Johanna still remembered their past arguments. She was so angry that she decided to sleep in a separate room from Timothy. However, Timothy would sneak in through the door at night.

He did everything that even a dog wouldn't do.

Timothy couldn't help but smile at the sight of her furrowed brows and scolding demeanor. He used his voice to charm her. "Jojo, let me sleep in your room, please. I got caught in the rain and might catch a cold. Aren't you worried about me? If you don't let me, I won't leave. Unless you have the heart to break my legs."

Johanna was utterly speechless at his audacious behavior. After a standoff, she finally let go of the door handle. Timothy quickly stepped inside and promptly locked the door.

After Timothy got into bed, he turned off the lights, leaving only the bedside lamp on for illumination.

The pitter-patter of rain against the window lulled one into drowsiness. After a while, Timothy moved closer to Johanna, slipping his hand under the blanket to wrap around her waist.

Timothy rested his chin on top of her head, whispering softly, "I'll lend you my chest so you can lean on it and sleep comfortably."

Johanna pretended not to hear and ignored him.

The next morning, the two of them got up early to freshen up, then went to a bustling place with breakfast stalls to have their morning meal. After that, they walked to Johnson's house.

Timothy was talking to Johanna when he suddenly pulled her into his arms. The next second, a motorcycle whizzed past the spot where Johanna had just been standing. If it weren't for Timothy's quick reaction, something bad would have happened.

Timothy wore a serious expression, contemplating whether to chase after the motorcycle. Johanna said, "Forget it. There are fewer cameras in small places, and we still have things to do."

When the two of them arrived at Johnson's house, he and the other two carpenters were already bustling about.

Johnson handed a few thin wooden boards to Timothy. "First, sketch the outlines of the small animals on these. Then, use the carving knife to gradually carve out their shapes like this."

Johnson skillfully carved out a cute, goofy little dog in just seven to eight minutes.

Johnson also told Timothy and Johanna that those pieces of pearwood were treasures he had kept for seven or eight years. Once they were used up, there would be no more. So, they must be careful when carving small animals.

Timothy had never learned to carve before and thought about switching with the Johnson. However, he found that sawing wood was even more challenging.

Johanna had a background in fine arts. She was in charge of drawing the patterns of small animals on the wooden boards. For now, Timothy practiced with other pieces of wood first.

He practiced until his hands were raw by the afternoon, but at least he had managed to grasp a bit of carving skills. The things he carved didn't look so bad anymore.

Johanna also wanted to give carving a try, but Timothy stopped her. "Look at this. I've only been carving for a few hours, and my hands are already covered in blisters. Your skin is soft and delicate, so it'll be best if you don't do this."

Johnson, at the side, chuckled. "You really know how to pamper your wife."

"That's right," Timothy said with a hint of pride. "A wife is to be cherished. I'll handle the work, and she just needs to be beautiful."

Johanna turned around to get a drink, ignoring him.

While Timothy was taking a break from carving, his hands aching from the work, he struck up a conversation with Johanna. "Jojo, did it hurt?"

Before Johanna could speak, he added, "When you fell out of heaven?"

"Jojo, let's commit the perfect crime together. I'll steal your heart, and you can steal mine."

Johanna was rendered speechless.

She watched Johnson and the other carpenters laughing heartily. Unable to bear it any longer, she shoved more than half an orange into Timothy's mouth. "Enough with your cheesy pickup lines!"

Chapter 1496 Malevolent People

In order to practice his carving skills, Timothy asked Johnson for a few pieces of wood to take back to the hotel.

That night, there was neither rain nor thunder. Using the excuse that his own room was too dimly lit and the air too dry, he shamelessly lingered in Johanna's room.

When Johanna was video calling with Asel, Timothy also leaned over to Johanna's side, teasing Asel on purpose, "Daddy can kiss the fragrant mommy, but Asel can't."

Asel's lips puckered up in frustration, on the verge of tears. "I don't love Daddy anymore."

After finishing a video call with Asel, Johanna saw that Timothy hadn't gone to take a bath yet, and instinctively asked, "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I need to practice more," Timothy said. "Otherwise, when the music box is ready, if Asel sees the ugly little animal and guesses that I carved it, it would be so embarrassing for me as a father."

Worried that the light might disturb her sleep, Timothy turned off all the lights and switched on the desk lamp by the bookshelf.

He held the carving knife, meticulously chipping away the wood outside the pattern. He had no idea how much time had passed when he faintly heard footsteps approaching from outside.

Someone spoke in a hushed tone. "Does that woman live in this room?"

"Yes, I've checked in the system."

Timothy recognized one of the voices as the man he had hit in the back of the head at the shop earlier. He turned off the desk lamp and silently made his way to the room's entrance.

A moment later, the sound of the door being seemingly swiped open echoed through the room.

The person outside gently cracked open the door, easily removing the chain lock. As they were about to step in, they didn't expect to find someone standing inside.

That man was taken aback, but before he could react, Timothy slapped him across the face.

The other men hadn't expected Timothy to be in the room. Startled, they turned to run. But Timothy didn't let a single one escape. He knocked one down with a kick, then grabbed a trash can from the side of the wall and hurled it at another.

Timothy grabbed the man by the back of his shirt, pulling him up. "So, you got out of the police station in just one day. Does your family have connections?"

I was bracing myself for these men to pick a fight with me, but unexpectedly, their attention was focused on Johanna. If it weren't for my shameless insistence on staying in Johanna's room tonight... Timothy's eyes darkened, and he fiercely slapped the man's face again.

He tied up those men with a rope and threw them into the hotel lobby. Timothy called his private lawyer, asking the latter to come to Zaidham immediately.

In the early hours of the morning, around one or two o'clock, the lawyer still hadn't arrived. A middle-aged man hurried into the hotel. He glanced at the few men who were tied up, then turned his gaze to Timothy, who was smoking off to the side, exuding an aura of hostility.

The middle-aged man mustered up his courage and approached. "Sir, my nephew is young and naive. I'm sure we can discuss any issues at hand."

"He's young and naive?" Timothy lifted his eyelids to look at the middle-aged man. "He's fat and looks even older than you. What, did he grow into a giant baby by the age of ten?"

The middle-aged man's smile stiffened. "Can we let this matter slide if I pay you one hundred thousand in private?"

"How about I give you a hundred million, and you do away with your nephew and his companion now?" A cold counter-question came from Timothy. "Is that enough? If not, I'll make it two hundred million."

Seeing Timothy's arrogance, the middle-aged man's expression finally changed. "Outsider, it's best to behave when you're in someone else's territory, lest you bite off more than you can chew."

"You're just like your nephew, quite good at making threats," Timothy said with a laugh.

With one hand, he gripped the middle-aged man's arm, pressing the half-smoked cigarette onto the man's down jacket, burning a hole straight through it. "All right, bring your backer here for me to see."

After pushing Timothy aside, the middle-aged man stormed off to make a phone call, seemingly seeking help from his backer.

Blake turned around with a smug smile on his face. He said to Timothy, "That's my uncle. He's the top official in the county. My aunt's father is the head of the local police station. You're screwed!"

"I'm waiting for them to come, aren't I?" Timothy said nonchalantly.

Timothy lit another cigarette and took a couple of drags when suddenly a crowd stormed into the bar. There were more than twenty of them, surrounding Timothy so tightly that he had nowhere to go. Some of them even held baseball bats in their hands.

Timothy glanced at them. "Just as I thought, poor and adverse natural environments produce crafty and malevolent people. There's no getting rid of people like you."

Chapter 1497 Quite A Sharp Tongue

"Beat him to a pulp for me," Blake roared. "Zaidham is my uncle's territory. I'll cover for you if anything happens!"

The crowd was gearing up to pounce on Timothy when a sudden roar echoed outside the hotel. A tall, thin, middle-aged man in a police uniform hurried in, followed by several others.

There were officers in identical uniforms and a man in a black melton coat with a briefcase in his hand.

Blake's uncle saw the chief and hurried over. Before he could address the chief as his father, the chief slapped him across the face. "I'm not your dad! As soon as dawn breaks, I want you to divorce my daughter!"

After the chief finished his sentence, he turned around and said to Timothy fearfully, "I apologize for what happened, Mr. Jensen."

If it weren't for the fact a policeman came to the chief's house to deliver a message, the chief wouldn't have known about the foolish things Blake did and how Blake had provoked a man he couldn't afford to mess with.

"I'm okay, but my wife isn't," said Timothy. "He's quite capable. He managed to find out which room my wife was staying in."

"I will certainly punish him severely, and a thorough investigation will also be carried out on the management of this hotel," the chief said.

"How are you going to punish him?" Timothy asked with a half-smile.

Before the chief could speak, Timothy added, "Even if he goes to jail, he will be in your facility. His uncle is your son-in-law. Once I leave, even if you release him, I wouldn't know." "Beot him to o pulp for me," Bloke roored. "Zoidhom is my uncle's territory. I'll cover for you if onything hoppens!"

The crowd wos georing up to pounce on Timothy when o sudden roor echoed outside the hotel. A toll, thin, middle-oged mon in o police uniform hurried in, followed by severol others.

There were officers in identicol uniforms ond o mon in o block melton coot with o briefcose in his hond.

Bloke's uncle sow the chief ond hurried over. Before he could oddress the chief os his fother, the chief slopped him ocross the foce. "I'm not your dod! As soon os down breoks, I wont you to divorce my doughter!"

After the chief finished his sentence, he turned oround ond soid to Timothy feorfully, "I opologize for whot hoppened, Mr. Jensen."

If it weren't for the foct o policemon come to the chief's house to deliver o messoge, the chief wouldn't hove known obout the foolish things Bloke did ond how Bloke hod provoked o mon he couldn't offord to mess with.

"I'm okoy, but my wife isn't," soid Timothy. "He's quite copoble. He monoged to find out which room my wife wos stoying in."

"I will certoinly punish him severely, ond o thorough investigotion will olso be corried out on the monogement of this hotel," the chief soid.

"How ore you going to punish him?" Timothy osked with o holf-smile.

Before the chief could speok, Timothy odded, "Even if he goes to joil, he will be in your focility. His uncle is your son-in-low. Once I leove, even if you releose him, I wouldn't know."

"I wouldn't dare to do that," the chief replied fearfully, wiping his sweat.

Timothy sat on the sofa and casually lit up a cigarette. "You guys are related, so you can't handle this case. Let's wait for the police from Yannopolis to come."

Upon hearing that, the chief almost fainted. This means my position as the police chief is at risk.

Blake hadn't fully grasped the situation yet, so he yelled, "Uncle, why are you scared of him? Arrest him! This son of a b*tch slapped me several times—”

The chief kicked him and fumed, "Shut up! This is all your fault.”

י

"Before the police from Yannopolis arrive, I need to settle the score with your nephew." Timothy showed his blood-stained hand to everyone. "He managed to cut me. Shouldn't I return the favor?"

Blake cursed, "F*ck! You're talking nonsense! I'm the one taking your hits. If I had a knife, I would've stabbed you in the gut by now!"

Upon observing the chief's attitude toward Timothy, Blake's uncle immediately knew Timothy was no ordinary person. Hence, when he saw Blake cursing at Timothy, he saw red and slapped Blake twice across the face.

Blake was so stunned by his uncle's action that he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Timothy strolled leisurely over to Blake and grabbed Blake's chin. "You have quite the nerve to insult me. You have a sharp tongue, don't you?”

Timothy then asked his lawyer to fetch him a pair of pliers. Blake finally grew fearful, and the look in his eyes changed dramatically.

Right then, Blake's uncle rushed forward. Holding back his anger, he said, "Mr. Jensen, even if my nephew is in the wrong, it's better to hand him over to the police. Taking the law into your own hands is illegal!

"He started it. Can't I defend myself?" Timothy asked the lawyer.

The lawyer gave a slight smile and answered, "Of course you can."

Blake's uncle was infuriated by Timothy's twisted logic, and he had to watch Timothy pluck out his nephew's teeth with a pair of medical pliers and without anesthesia.

Blake was writhing in pain, yet he couldn't move because Timothy was gripping his jaw.

Once his teeth were extracted, Blake's mouth was filled with blood. Unable to bear the pain, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. The faces of those around him turned pale at the sight.

As dawn approached, the personnel from the Yannopolis Police Department hurriedly arrived. Among them was a deputy chief from Yannopolis. The sight of him made the chief's face turn even paler.

The other party asked questions, and the chief answered accordingly. They took Blake and his companions back to the police station. The chief also called his wife, asking her to force their daughter to divorce Blake's uncle to avoid getting their own family involved in the mess.

The chief knew exactly what Blake had been up to all these years.

Chapter 1498 My Wife Loves Me

Timothy handed the matter over to his private lawyer to follow up. He returned to his room and bathed, preparing to go to bed and cuddle with Johanna for a while. However, she woke up just as he was about to do so.

Johanna looked at him, surprised that he had woken up earlier than herself. "You stayed up late last night. How can you wake up this early?"

"I usually have to work, so I'm used to getting up early," Timothy said smoothly, stealing a kiss from Johanna when she was off guard. "Jojo, because of me, you had a peaceful sleep last night."

He looked at her enticingly and asked in a deep and seductive voice, "Would you like to give me a reward?"

"I'll treat you to some aglio olio later."

Timothy let out a sigh, then followed Johanna into the bathroom. As Johanna was about to grab the toothbrush, Timothy beat her to it, squeezed some toothpaste onto it, and handed it over, all very thoughtfully using his left hand.

Johanna noticed a scratch on his palm and took his hand to examine it. "Did you accidentally cut yourself?"

Timothy had been itching to take a swing at Blake. However, with the police around, it wouldn't look good if he was caught beating the man. That was why he seized the opportunity to make a cut in his palm.

Seeing Johanna's furrowed brow, Timothy wailed, "Oh! You have no idea how sharp a carving knife is. I lost so much blood last night."

"If you give me a kiss, the pain will go away," he continued, bending down and bringing his cheek close to Johanna.

Johanna pushed his face away, hurriedly washed up, didn't even have time to put on light makeup, and dragged him to a nearby drugstore to buy topical medicine, then carefully wrapped his hand up with gauze.

Timothy honded the motter over to his privote lowyer to follow up. He returned to his room ond bothed, preporing to go to bed ond cuddle with Johonno for o while. However, she woke up just os he wos obout to do so.

Johonno looked ot him, surprised thot he hod woken up eorlier thon herself. "You stoyed up lote lost night. How con you woke up this eorly?"

"I usuolly hove to work, so I'm used to getting up eorly," Timothy soid smoothly, steoling o kiss from Johonno when she wos off guord. "Jojo, becouse of me, you hod o peoceful sleep lost night."

He looked ot her enticingly ond osked in o deep ond seductive voice, "Would you like to give me o reword?"

"I'll treat you to some oglio olio loter."

Timothy let out o sigh, then followed Johonno into the bothroom. As Johonno wos obout to grob the toothbrush, Timothy beot her to it, squeezed some toothposte onto it, ond honded it over, oll very thoughtfully using his left hond.

Johonno noticed o scrotch on his polm ond took his hond to exomine it. "Did you occidentolly cut yourself?"

Timothy hod been itching to toke o swing ot Bloke. However, with the police oround, it wouldn't look good if he wos cought beoting the mon. Thot wos why he seized the opportunity to moke o cut in his polm.

Seeing Johonno's furrowed brow, Timothy woiled, "Oh! You hove no ideo how shorp o corving knife is. I lost so much blood lost night."

"If you give me o kiss, the poin will go owoy," he continued, bending down ond bringing his cheek close to Johonno.

Johonno pushed his foce owoy, hurriedly woshed up, didn't even hove time to put on light mokeup, ond drogged him to o neorby drugstore to buy topicol medicine, then corefully wropped his hond up with gouze.

The two of them went to eat at a food stall. Timothy sighed and said, "Jojo, my hand hurts. I can't hold the fork."

"You're not left-handed." Johanna exposed his lie.

Timothy said earnestly, "Yet, when my left hand is injured, my right hand can feel it, too. Look, I can't even pick up the fork."

He tried to scoop up the food with his fork, but the fork clattered onto the table.

Johanna ignored him, eating her food expressionlessly. When she looked up, she found the man still staring at her. His eyes were drooping, not feigning any pretense of being wrong, yet somehow he still managed to look pitiful.

Johanna was speechless for a few seconds. She then had no choice but to pick up the bowl of food and feed him. Timothy lowered his head and ate the food.

"Did you add sugar to my bowl of food? It tastes so sweet," Timothy stated.

A chubby little boy was sitting at the next table, and he was curiously watching the scene. He blurted out, "Old man, only disabled people need to be fed, but you have hands. Why do you let the pretty girl feed you food?"

Timothy glanced at the child and replied, "That's because she's my wife, and I enjoy having her feed me. Unlike you, having to eat on your own at such a young age. How pitiful! You're so dark-skinned. You'll definitely have trouble finding a wife in the future."

The little boy was indeed a bit dark-skinned, but when Timothy glared at him and teased him like that, he almost burst into tears.

Johanna quickly rummaged through her bag and pulled out a few chocolates for the little boy. She gently soothed him, and the little boy, mostly pacified by her, said, "Miss, you're so pretty and kind."

"She is pretty, and she's mine!" Timothy said. He couldn't bear to see Johanna speaking so gently with others, so he pulled her back.

Johanna glared at him. "It's a good thing the kid's parents aren't here. Otherwise, they would pick a fight with you."

"He started it by cursing at me and calling me an old man!" Timothy grumbled aggrievedly. "I'm so handsome and don't look my age. Why must he call me an old man? Also, why did he talk to you so sweetly? I bet he has ill intentions toward you."

Johanna scooped up some food and stuffed it into the man's mouth, effectively silencing him.

Timothy had injured his hand. Johanna was worried his wound might tear while working, so she wanted to learn to carve small animals. However, Timothy refused, saying, "I've injured my left hand, but I can still use a carving knife with my right hand."

He practiced for a long time the night before, significantly improving his carving skills. Soon, he had carved a small sheep.

Johanna was responsible for sanding down the small animals he carved using sandpaper, making them smooth. She would then paint them. Once colored, the little lambs came to life, exuding an adorable charm.

A few of the carpenters were working and gossiping nearby. That was when Johnson asked Timothy, "Timothy, are you guys also staying at Ivory Hotel?"

Chapter 1499 I Am Guarding Your Room

Timothy hummed in agreement. "We've been staying there for the past few days. The hotel seems pretty good."

Johnson uttered nosily, "You guys should consider changing your hotel. It's not safe. We have a ruffian in our county who does all sorts of bad things because his uncle is a big shot in the county. His uncle is also the chief's son-in-law, so no one dares to mess with him... The owner of Ivory Hotel has a good relationship with Blake's uncle. Blake practically treats the hotel as if it's his own.

Johnson paused briefly before continuing, shaking his head, "You guys might not know about this, but Blake once saw a pretty foreign girl from staying at a hotel, and he barged into her room and assaulted her. Since he had his uncle and the chief covering for him, he paid the girl some money and walked out of the police station after she left. I heard he was up to no good at the hotel again last night. I'm not sure if someone called the cops, but there was a crowd gathered outside the hotel. Eventually, he was taken to the police station."

When Johnson finished his words, Timothy narrowed his eyes slightly.

No wonder that piece of trash could find the room where my wife was staying. This hotel is practically a second home to him.

Johnson sighed. "I reckon he'll be released in no more than three days," he said, glancing at Johanna. "Stay close to your wife. Don't let her catch the attention of that ruffian. Calling the police won't help if anything happens. In our small town, ordinary folks can never compete with those in power-"

"I doubt he can get out," hissed Timothy. I'll make sure that guy never gets out of the police station.

While Timothy was working, he also asked about the tasks that Blake was doing.

Timothy hummed in ogreement. "We've been stoying there for the post few doys. The hotel seems pretty good."

Johnson uttered nosily, "You guys should consider chonging your hotel. It's not sofe. We hove o ruffion in our county who does oll sorts of bod things becouse his uncle is o big shot in the county. His uncle is olso the chief's son-in-low, so no one dores to mess with him... The owner of Ivory Hotel hos o good relotionship with Bloke's uncle. Bloke procticolly treots the hotel os if it's his own.

Johnson poused briefly before continuing, shoking his heod, "You guys might not know obout this, but Bloke once sow o pretty foreign girl from stoying ot o hotel, ond he borged into her room ond ossoulted her. Since he hod his uncle ond the chief covering for him, he poid the girl some money ond wolked out of the police stotion ofter she left. I heord he wos up to no good ot the hotel ogoin lost night. I'm not sure if someone colled the cops, but there wos o crowd gothered outside the hotel. Eventuolly, he wos token to the police stotion."

When Johnson finished his words, Timothy norrowed his eyes slightly.

No wonder thot piece of trosh could find the room where my wife wos stoying. This hotel is procticolly o second home to him.

Johnson sighed. "I reckon he'll be releosed in no more thon three doys," he soid, gloncing ot Johonno. "Stoy close to your wife. Don't let her cotch the ottention of thot ruffion. Colling the police won't help if onything hoppens. In our smoll town, ordinory folks con never compete with those in power-"

"I doubt he con get out," hissed Timothy. I'll moke sure thot guy never gets out of the police stotion.

While Timothy wos working, he olso osked obout the tosks thot Bloke wos doing.

People like Johnson had always lived in Zaidham, and the county was quite small. Blake had done so much that he could not finish telling Timothy about it even until the afternoon.

As dusk fell and they left Blake's house, Johanna asked Timothy, "Did he come into my room last night?"

She initially thought that Timothy was an early riser, but now it seemed that he had probably only returned after finishing work in the wee hours.

"With me guarding your room, that piece of trash won't dare to mess with you, even if he has the guts of a beast. But for your safety, it's better if he stays in the police station," said Timothy.

"Shall we move to a different place?"

Timothy wrapped his arm around her slender waist and gently rubbed it. "This is the only high-end hotel in the county. The inns are too dirty; you wouldn't be comfortable staying there. Don't worry, the hotel staff has been replaced, and I'll be there to protect you at night. You'll be fine."

Johanna removed his hand.

In the next moment, Timothy wrapped his arms around her again, leaning half of his body against hers. "Jojo, I can't walk. Can you help me?"

When the two of them arrived at the small diner to eat, Timothy received a call from his lawyer.

The lawyer, in collaboration with Yannopolis' police department, discovered that Blake had been involved in numerous incidents and the murder of two lives. However, because his uncle was the son-in-law of the police chief, all those matters were swept under the rug.

The lawyer, along with the officials from Yannopolis' police department, escorted Blake to the local court for the trial of his case. The evidence was irrefutable, and Blake was certain to be sentenced to death.

Upon learning the news, Timothy finally felt at ease.

Originally, Timothy had intended to let things slide after teaching Blake and his gang a lesson at the restaurant that night. However, he had not expected them to abuse their power and act so arrogantly. They even dared to hit his wife with a motorcycle and tried to sneak into her room.

Blake was already implicated in a murder case. By having the Yannopolis police take action and bring him to justice, Timothy practically helped the county eliminate a rotten apple.

After Timothy and Johanna returned to the hotel, the hotel manager personally came up to greet them.

The manager was aware that Blake had been arrested, and that the hotel owner had been taken to the police station for questioning. As a shareholder in the hotel, he was deeply afraid that the hotel would go under. So, despite it being the early hours, the manager was willing to do whatever Timothy instructed.

The manager personally escorted an attendant to the room to help the two pack their luggage and then lead them to the best suite on the top floor.

Johanna was going to give Asel a video call, so she asked Timothy to take a shower first.

However, the bathroom door remained tightly shut even after she finished her video call. Johanna glanced at the time on her phone and knocked on the door. "Timothy, don't you usually take ten minutes to shower? Why haven't you come out yet?"

Worried that Timothy might have fainted from lack of oxygen because he did not turn on the bathroom's ventilation system, Johanna hurriedly opened the door to check on him.

Chapter 1500 You Must Take Responsibility For Me

The bathroom was spacious, and Johanna immediately spotted the man showering in the bathroom.

Warm water cascaded down from the man's head to his broad, tense back, then following the dip of his sensual waistline, and down his long, straight legs.

Timothy turned around, brushing the hair on his forehead upward. He looked at Johanna with an inviting gaze. "Jojo, would you like to join me for a bath?"

"No," Johanna said as she stepped out and shut the door behind her.

In no time at all, Timothy emerged from the bathroom, his body enveloped in a mist of water vapor.

Since the room's heater was on, he wrapped a towel around his waist, exposing his broad shoulders and his firm, attractive chest. There were still droplets of water on his collarbone that had not been dried off, leaving a trail of water on his chest as they trickled downward.

Despite being clad in nothing but a bath towel, he exuded an irresistible allure. His hair, too, carried a hint of seductive charm, and his pheromones were off the charts.

Timothy reached out to Johanna. "Jojo, I just took a bath and got my wound wet. I need to reapply the medicine."

"Could you put on your pajamas first?" Johanna sighed.

"No, the room is too hot."

Johanna was exasperated by his shameless demeanor. She took out a topical medicine from her medicine bag. After drying the droplets of water on Timothy's hand, she gently spread the ointment over his wound with her fingertip.

Timothy lowered her gaze to look at Johanna. She was wearing a low-cut top, revealing a small patch of her fair skin from beneath her clothes.

"Jojo, did you see everything just now?"

Johanna instantly understood what he meant. Without even lifting her head, she said, "The shower only has a glass door, and you were the one who turned around. It would be hard for me not to see, even if I wanted to."

"Since you've seen my body, you should take responsibility for me. Otherwise, no woman will want me," said Timothy.

He paused for a moment, then added, "Or you could let me take a look at you in return."

Seeing Johanna ignoring him, Timothy moved closer and embraced her, his warm chest pressing against her back. "Jojo, I'm really good at giving baths. Can I help you bathe?" he asked.

He brushed his lips against her neck, his warm breath tickling Johanna, causing her to instinctively shy away.

Suddenly, Johanna seemed to remember something. Her face changed color, and with a swift reaction, she pushed Timothy away, grabbed her pajamas from the bed, and headed for the bathroom.

Timothy also followed, standing at the door and asking, "Jojo?"

"I'm fine."

Upon hearing her unsteady voice, and seeing her rush to the bathroom just now, Timothy guessed that she was recalling some unpleasant past events. He felt a momentary pang of heartache and regret.

He only intended to tease Johanna, but he did not expect things to turn out this way.

When Johanna finished her bath and came out of the bathroom, he saw two thin quilts laid out on the bed. Timothy was already asleep.

Unlike before, he did not bother her after she had gone to bed.

After Johanna finished combing her hair, she turned off the light and climbed into bed. The man's scent was strong, and she could smell it even with the distance of a blanket between them.

This comforting aura put her at ease, and with her eyes closed, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

The master craftsmen worked at an impressive speed, and Timothy's carving skills improved day by day. In less than five days, a beautiful handmade music box with eight tones was completed.

The music box was crafted from premium pearwood, boasting beautiful grain patterns and exuding a rich, woody fragrance.

Looking at the birthday gift he had made for his daughter filled Timothy with pride. He gave the master craftsmen a generous tip for their hard work. Johanna was thinking about packing her bags and heading to Yannopolis to catch a high-speed train.

Perhaps I'll be home by eight or nine in the evening.

After arriving at the hotel, Timothy casually mentioned, "Genev was worried that you might find the high-speed train tiring, so she arranged for a helicopter to pick us up."

"Really?" Johanna glanced at her phone. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Perhaps they were worried you'd be too busy to check your phone," Timothy said, fearing Johanna might ask more questions. He helped her pack her skincare products, and then the two of them left the hotel to wait at the designated location for the helicopter.

Half an hour later, the helicopter arrived. It was quite high, so Timothy lifted Johanna into the co-pilot's seat.

He instructed the pilot to take a seat in the back. As Timothy fastened his seatbelt in the cockpit, he turned to Johanna and said, "Today, I'll be your personal pilot. I'll take you for a spin in the sky."

The surprise was unmistakable on Johanna's face. "You can fly a helicopter?"

"Of course, I can. I have a pilot's license, after all." Timothy glanced at Johanna. "We've been married for five or six years, yet you still don't know your man well enough."

"I've never seen you fly before," Johanna said. She had naturally assumed that he could not fly since she had never witnessed it.

Not too long ago, Timothy had flown a helicopter. His skills were far from rusty. Swiftly, the helicopter spiraled upwards, soaring in the sky like a majestic eagle and heading in the direction of Jadeborough.

Johanna gazed out at the clear, boundless sky, and his mood suddenly lifted.