Ch. 276..280: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 276-280

Chapter 276 Here to Say Goodbye

At this moment, Amelie didn’t know what to say. She just wanted to quickly finish walking the red carpet, but now this had happened. As her head started aching, she rubbed her temples through the fox mask, feeling deeply resentful. Why can’t the two of them just solve their issues in private? Why drag me into it? Since the beginning, I have only wanted to be a bystander.

The reporters didn’t ask any questions, but was it necessary in this situation? They just needed to observe the interaction between her, Leo, and Elyse.

The reporters’ gossipy eyes shone brightly as they pulled out all their devices, which could collect any information to capture every moment, whether it was of Elyse alone or Amelie with Leo. There was no angle they missed. Even the three’s gazes could be useful for their reports.

Speechless, Amelie felt like a monkey on display. Although people were constantly watching her during her live stream, at least she had something to do. She couldn’t just dance or sing here on the red carpet. So, she could only hope for Leo to end this situation. Go ahead. Go to your beloved first love. I’ll be free once you leave.

However, he did not budge as he just stood there without moving an inch. He didn’t even glance over at Elyse but just stood there, stoic.

Seeing that, Amelie felt helpless. Is being watched by others that fun? Mr. Alston, were you too low-key in your earlier years that you now welcome excitement?

“Leo.” Elyse finally made a move and walked over confidently.

At the same time, Amelie took a step back, giving the two of them some space.

Just then, Elyse’s soft voice resonated again. “There’s no need to give us space, Miss Foxy. I’m here today to say goodbye to Leo.”

F*ck! Amelie, who usually paid the most attention to her image, couldn’t help but curse in her mind. Why involve me?

Sure enough, as soon as Elyse said that, there was an obvious change in the gazes of the reporters.

“Does it mean Foxy took Mr. Alston from…” Although the whispers were soft, Amelie still saw through the meaning behind those gazes.

Likewise, Elyse saw through it all as well. She let out a cold snort smugly. However, she didn’t show any of that on her face and even deliberately put on a look of regret and reluctance. “I had a great time participating in this show and learned a lot, but I have decided to withdraw myself from the show for the good of everyone.”

F*ck, f*ck, f*ck!

At once, the crowd soared. As expected, Mr. Alston and Foxy have gotten together. So, Elyse is leaving with heartbreak.

The reporters all turned their attention to Amelie, but their gazes were no longer showing respect and were even tinged with some contempt. How is she an influencer with 100 million fans when she has such a poor moral character?

Amelie was not stupid, for when Elyse announced her departure, she knew that Elyse intended to ruin her in this way.

However, Elyse seemed to be unaware that she had deployed a weapon of mass destruction against Amelie, as she intentionally looked at Leo with so much tenderness and reluctance. Yet, when she

turned to the audience, she pretended to be strong. “Allow me to explain. There’s actually nothing going on between Mr. Alston and me, so please don’t misunderstand.”

This statement only deepened everyone’s misunderstanding. Not only did they misinterpret their relationships, but they also pitied Elyse. Her man is taken away from her, but she still pretends to be strong. It’s really heartbreaking.

Many online influencers in the reporter group were live streaming this scene. That day happened to be the weekend, so students and adults were all at home watching the live stream.

Instantly, this incident attracted countless viewers, with everyone feeling indignant for Elyse.

‘The heck? What was Mr. Alston thinking? Why did he choose a faceless influencer over the beautiful Miss Clayton?’

‘I feel so sorry for Miss Clayton. I swear there were tears in her eyes when she forced a smile just now. Poor her.’

‘I beg you, Mr. Alston. Please don’t abandon Miss Clayton. She made mistakes in the past, but her love for you is genuine.’

‘It’s all because of that shameless Foxy! How can she interfere in other people’s relationships? She’s disgusting!’

‘How can a woman like her even be an influencer? Are all of her fans brainless as to support her?’

‘Damn, I must be brainless. I’m unfollowing her now.’

At once, different live streams were all bustling. Comments in various colors and fonts were filling the screen and were all condemning Foxy and stating to unfollow her.

Elyse also glanced at the content of the live stream. Although she looked pitiful on the outside, she was blooming with joy on the inside. This is exactly the way I want to ruin Amelie! What is this called again? Oh, giving one a taste of one’s own medicine. Thank you for teaching me that, Amelie!

Meanwhile, Amelie looked at Elyse’s act coldly and guessed her intentions perfectly. A faint smirk tugged on her lips. Without talking to Elyse, she turned around and gave Leo a cold look. “Are you not going to explain, Mr. Alston?”

Hearing that, he lowered his head to look at her. Although there was a mask between them, her anger was visible in her eyes. At this moment, she was livelier than she usually was since she was always polite and formal with him.

Of course, he had no intention of letting these things affect her, so he turned his gaze to Elyse. Despite not saying a word, his gaze was deep, and his stare was deadly.

That glare frightened Elyse, who was feeling triumphant, making her couldn’t help but tremble a little. For a moment, she had forgotten his ruthlessness.

Her original goal was to make people misunderstand Amelie. In this situation, no one would believe Amelie no matter how she explained. Her fans would definitely realize her true colors and cease to simp for her. They would not only unfollow her but also become haters. Leo couldn’t help her either. If he admitted to liking Amelie, it would be tantamount to admitting that Amelie had interfered in their relationship. For him to deny it… was impossible. She knew his character well. He could stay silent, but he would never deny the truth.

With much confidence, she thought that she could use this trick to ruin Amelie, but she never expected that Leo would throw the question back at her. However, she knew that if she didn’t resolve this issue, he wouldn’t let her off the hook.

At this thought, she quickly spoke up. “Please don’t misunderstand, everyone. What I meant was…”

“I know you don’t like people surrounding you, so I stopped behind and let you go ahead. Guess it didn’t change anything.” Before Elyse could finish her sentence, a resigned sigh resonated. This sigh was gentle, full of helplessness and affection.

Immediately after, an arm was hooked around Amelie’s shoulder.

When everyone shifted their attention, Blake’s overly beautiful and clean face came into their sight. His eyes were hidden beneath his fringe and they had a gaze as gentle as water that softly engulfed Amelie like a veil. It seemed that he didn’t dare look at her too intensely, afraid that he would melt her with his gaze.

This natural display of affection didn’t require any language. Such affection penetrated everyone’s mind like a ghostly breath, making them can’t help but feel soft and tender in their hearts.

Damn it. It’s so sweet just to look at him, and it’s to feel his affection is just heavenly. At this moment, everyone watching the scene could only wish they were Miss Foxy.

In fact, Amelie had already discussed with Blake beforehand that they would treat each other like siblings. When she saw him coming out to help her, a smile of relief appeared on her lips.

At this moment, Leo just happened to catch her smile. In his eyes, her smile was a woman’s coquettish smile toward a man, a smile of venting grievances, and most of all, a joyful smile at the protection of a man.

His handsome face suddenly became as if it had been dipped in ice, so cold that it was bloodcurdling.

Chapter 277 Amelie Is the Only One

Blake did not care about Leo’s rage, nor did he bother to look at the others. Amelie was the only one in his eyes.

“Let’s go.”

He didn’t explain or blame her for anything, as though the farce earlier had never happened.

“Sure.” Amelie looked up at him gratefully and let him lug her forward with his arm around her shoulder.

The reporters couldn’t help but move to the sides and let them pass.

‘Damn! I was spooked. It didn’t happen, after all.’

Everything was on live stream, and the netizens started commenting enthusiastically.

‘They must be out of their minds to think that Foxy has hooked up with Mr. Alston. She and Blakey are partners.’

‘It was all Elyse’s fault for spouting nonsense.’

‘She must have done so intentionally. It’s not like it’s her first time slandering Foxy.’

‘I heard that she has tried to tarnish Foxy’s reputation on several occasions.’

‘Really? We should get to the bottom of it, then.’

…

As Elyse went through the comments that cursed at her and threatened to find out her wrongdoings, her face paled in horror.

She pressed her hands against her thighs and balled up her fists.

Initially, she thought that after she gave an explanation, the others would think that Leo and Amelie had joined forces to oppress her and that she was still the victim.

However, everything changed upon Blake’s arrival.

There wasn’t a need for Amelie to explain anything, and everyone believed that she was innocent.

My plan has failed again!

Although Elyse felt dejected, she wouldn’t dare to let her emotions show on her face. She then approached Leo, her body trembling slightly.

Leo did not look at anyone, nor did he move a muscle. Nonetheless, his gaze was as sharp as a knife.

Elyse felt as though a knife had been jabbed into her heart, causing her horrendous pain.

With a pale face, she stood in front of Leo and said, “I’m sorry for not making myself clear earlier, Leo. What I meant was that I intended to give the chance to someone else.”

Leo didn’t bother to spare her a glance as he walked away.

This time, no one stood up for her, nor did anyone find her piteous.

They were not fools. Elyse could’ve explained it clearly early on, but she only did so after a series of things happened.

It was apparent that she was trying to frame her opponent.

“Leo.”

Just then, a clear voice was heard calling out to the man.

The next moment, a woman in a chiffon dress with floral patterns got out of Elyse’s white van.

She had long silky hair with a pink hairband over her head. Some strands of hair stuck close to her cheeks, making her look as dreamy as a princess.

She was the one who called out to Leo in a sweet voice.

The woman could run so fast that she reached Leo in a moment.

She took Leo’s fingers with both hands and kept shaking his hand. “Why did you walk so fast, Leo? I had to run after you.”

“Who is that?”

The woman’s appearance instantly attracted everyone’s attention as they looked at the duo’s hands.

It seemed that they were pretty close.

Elyse strode forward and patted the woman’s shoulder with a smile. “She’s the one I’ve been talking about. Her name is Ellen Clayton, and she’s my sister.”

As though not hearing her, Ellen focused on Leo’s face.

She batted her big alluring eyes at the man. Unlike how sedate a mature woman was supposed to be, she behaved like a young kid.

Why is she acting childishly?

“Are you here to take part in the show?” Leo finally replied as everyone speculated on their relationship.

Nevertheless, he only arched his brow without showing much affection.

Although he was surprised at Ellen’s arrival, he wouldn’t let his emotions show on his face like others typically did.

Ellen pouted gently. “Since you’re here, I certainly have to come. Don’t you want me to be here?”

“That’s not true.”

Leo was always gentle to his benefactor.

Everyone was shocked when they saw how tender Leo looked.

One had to know that Leo had always been indifferent. He rarely showed his gentle side to anyone.

What’s this woman’s relationship with him?

Since Ellen appeared intimate with Leo, coupled with the fact that Elyse had just announced that she and Leo were not a couple, everyone soon realized something new.

It was no wonder that there didn’t seem to be much communication between Elyse and Leo when they watched the show. After all, Elyse’s sister, Ellen, was Leo’s partner.

Elyse was worried that others might notice that Ellen was disturbed if they stayed there any longer. As such, she urged them by saying, “Ellen, Leo, let’s go in.”

Leo nodded in response.

Ellen just wouldn’t release Leo’s hand as though she was some sort of glue. She skipped forward and turned to flash a sweet smile at the man. “Hurry up, Leo.”

Leo looked down at her hand but said nothing as he stepped forward.

When Blake and Amelie reached the end of the red carpet, she couldn’t help but turn around, only to see Ellen and Leo holding hands.

Due to the distance, she was unable to make out the woman’s face. However, it was apparent to her that the woman was acting coquettishly in front of the man.

Leo was a dispassionate man. He wouldn’t let anyone touch him unless it was someone close to him.

That woman…

Just then, Elyse was heard saying that the woman was her sister.

Amelie then recalled that Elyse had said she had a sister who had saved Leo before.

I suppose she’s that woman, then. Has he gotten together with her just because she saved him before? I’m also his benefactor, but why doesn’t he treat me the same way?

“Are you alright?” Blake asked caringly.

Amelie turned around and saw Blake looking at her with a gaze that was tinged with worry. Smilingly, she replied, “I’m fine.”

All the same, she and Leo were divorced. Since she had willingly done so much for him in the past, there was no point asking anything from him in return.

“Let’s go,” she said and lifted the hem of her dress.

Then, she couldn’t help but utter, “Thank you so much for what happened earlier. If you hadn’t stepped forward and diverted everyone’s attention, I would’ve been in trouble.”

Although she could still solve the issue without Blake, it would’ve been troublesome.

“That was the least I could do.” Blake looked softly at her and smiled sheepishly.

Nevertheless, a tinge of dejectedness rose within him.

How he wished he could stand by her side and protect her as her man.

However, he knew that once he confessed his love, he would scare the woman off.

Even though he was still deeply in love with her, he wouldn’t dare to show his affection. Below his soft bangs, his eyes curved into crescents. “Regardless, you’re my good friend.”

Amelie nodded with a smile as they entered the place.

Soon, they arrived backstage.

Since it was a variety show, there wasn’t any strict demand when it came to makeup. As such, they only let their makeup artists reapply some makeup for them.

Amelie didn’t have to put on any makeup as she was going to wear a mask. Therefore, she just waited in the lounge.

She was the only one in that place.

Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to close her eyes and meditate.

That was something she did regularly. When she had some free time, she would empty her mind so that she would get enough rest and feel energetic when she had to respond to complicated questions.

While she was meditating, someone asked coldly, “What are you up to?”

 

Chapter 278 Leo

Amelie smiled and looked at Blake, who also happened to be grinning at her.

Both of them did not want to invite trouble for themselves, nor did they bother to explain anything. Amelie only gave Fiona an ambiguous response. “Why don’t you venture a guess?”

Fiona giggled. “For some reason, even though both of you look intimate, something is lacking between you two.”

“Can you get me some water, Leo?” Ellen was heard asking softly. Her childish voice was piercing.

All of them were startled, and they couldn’t help but turn to look at her.

Although they were aware that there would be a newcomer, they hadn’t seen her before. When they saw how Ellen was dressed up like a princess, coupled with the fact that her expression and voice were that of an inexperienced girl, they were surprised.

Where is this woman from? Does Mr. Alston like this kind of pretentious woman?

When a crew member heard that she needed water, he promptly passed her a water bottle.

However, Ellen wasn’t willing to take it. She snuggled up to Leo and demanded, “I want you to take it for me, Leo.”

Everyone was stunned.

Oblivious to their awkward expressions, Leo took the water bottle from the crew member and opened the cap.

As though he was worried that Ellen might dampen her clothes, he asked for a cup and filled it with water for her.

An elated Ellen said, “You’re the best, Leo!”

Then, she took the cup and drank the water.

Following that, Leo kept filling the cup for her until she said she was no longer thirsty.

Certainly, the videographer wouldn’t miss such a scene as he found the right angle and started recording them.

Amelie was standing nearby. When she saw what was going on, her gaze darkened.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Blake asked worriedly.

Then, he pointed to the side. “It’s humid here. Why don’t we get some rest under the tree?”

“Okay.”

They then shuffled forward and sat down on the chairs with their backs to the crowd.

The moment Amelie took a seat, she saw Blake passing a water bottle to her.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile.

Blake pressed his lips together and looked down at the ground. “Do you still feel sad?”

“Huh?” Amelie was taking a sip of water when she heard that. It wasn’t until a moment later that she realized what he was talking about. With a smile, she shook her head. “No.”

Despite what she said, the worry on Blake’s face never faded.

A helpless Amelie explained, “We’re divorced. Regardless of how many women are by his side, it has nothing to do with me anymore. I still have a bright future ahead, so why should I feel sad over something meaningless?”

She was just slightly surprised.

After all, Leo wasn’t a man who would be excessively gentle to a woman.

Back then, he only connived at Elyse’s wrongdoings, but he never served her water before.

“You have a point.” Blake nodded in agreement.

“Ouch! It hurts!”

Just then, someone exclaimed from behind them.

They turned their heads at the same time and saw Leo and Ellen standing behind them.

The moment Amelie met Leo’s eyes, she realized that his face was livid.

Why is he acting like that? Did he hear what I said? Is he mad at me?

“Leo, my head aches badly.” Ellen looked pitifully at Leo and touched her forehead, her eyelashes fluttering.

“Alright.” Without saying anything else, Leo carried her and walked away.

Amelie was stunned.

Was he livid because Ellen had a headache? He’s usually an indifferent man, but he lost his cool when Ellen was in pain. It seems that I’ve underestimated his love for her.

Presently, Ellen stuck close to Leo as she wrapped her arms around his waist. The man supported her weight with his strong arms, and he wasn’t bothered by the attention at all.

“I guess he really loves her.” Amelie sighed.

“Something seems off.” Fiona came over and took Amelie’s hand as they watched Leo leave. There was no doubt she had beautiful eyes.

For some reason, she felt that Leo was only carrying Ellen to make someone jealous.

Meanwhile, Fabian stood in the distance. He wanted to approach them, but he seemed worried.

A moment later, he came up to Blake and spoke to him.

Amelie noticed that even though he was talking to Blake, he was stealing glances at Fiona.

In truth, she already realized that something was going on between Fiona and Fabian when they were shooting the previous episode. Nonetheless, Fabian took the initiative to talk to her most of the time while Fiona rarely responded to him.

“Let’s go. The bus is coming.” Fiona pointed at the bus in the distance and pulled Amelie to somewhere else.

As Fabian watched them walk away, there was a helpless expression on his angular face.

Meanwhile, in the lounge, Ellen leaned against the chair languidly as though she didn’t have a backbone. She took Leo’s arm and rambled on.

“I guess you can’t take part in the show anymore. In that case, I’ll send you home.” Leo retracted his arm and sat down on a chair that was far away from Ellen.

There was no longer any softness behind his gaze as he appeared distant and aloof.

Without the man by her side, Ellen pouted aggrievedly.

He was carrying me gently earlier, but why is he so indifferent now?

However, the moment she met Leo’s dispassionate eyes, she straightened up. “It’s fine. I feel much better now. My head no longer aches.”

Although Ellen loved Leo, she was also afraid of him.

Leo didn’t respond to her. Just then, his phone started ringing.

“Just stay here,” he ordered and strode out of the room.

It wasn’t until he reached somewhere quiet that he connected the call. “Speak.”

“I’ve examined Ellen’s background.” The person on the other end of the line was Victor. “She might not be the girl who used to keep you company back then.”

Leo’s pupils dilated when he heard that as he clenched his phone.

In truth, he had already doubted Ellen’s identity. Although plenty of evidence showed that she was Big Eyes, he still asked Victor to look into the matter.

The truth turned out to be just as he had expected.

“We’ll talk about the details when I go back.”

“Sure,” Victor replied.

After hesitating for a bit, he asked, “Do we have to take Miss Clayton away?”

Leo didn’t immediately respond to him while holding his phone. He couldn’t help but recall the images of Amelie and Blake making out.

A moment later, he replied, “There’s no need for that.”

Jodie took the longest time to put on her makeup, for she wanted to stun everyone with her appearance.

When she was done dressing up, she stepped out of the room and realized everyone was there.

She ran her hand through her wavy hair and bit her lip charmingly. Then, she sashayed forward while clad in a tight-fitting dress.

When she looked at her reflection in the mirror earlier, she was stunned by her own beauty.

Just as she expected, she attracted everyone’s attention at once.

Giada was the first to compliment Jodie, and the others subsequently approached her to praise how gorgeous she looked.

A conceited Jodie lifted her chin, pleased with their compliments.

Nevertheless, the person she wanted to see the most was nowhere in sight.

She couldn’t help looking around for Blake, and when she finally found him, she wasn’t surprised to see a certain woman beside him.

Foxy!

Her alluring face contorted as she dug her nails into her palms. At that moment, she had the urge to strangle Foxy.

What’s going on with Leo? Doesn’t he love Foxy? Why hasn’t he taken this woman away from Blake?

At the thought of this, Jodie hurriedly looked for Leo.

“Jojo, I’ve just realized that your brother is in love with someone else. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Giada came over and wrapped her arm around Jodie’s shoulder without permission. “Seems that after the show ends, you’ll have a new sister-in-law.”

“Huh?”

Just like Melissa, Jodie felt that she was superior to others.

If a woman like Giada had tried to get close to her in the past, she would’ve flared up.

However, she was too stunned to push her away at this moment.

“What do you mean?”

“Look.” Giada pointed in a particular direction.

Jodie looked in the same direction and saw Leo striding forward while a woman followed him.

“They’ve been sticking close to each other since their arrival. Are they also like this when they’re at home?” Giada asked.

Only then did Jodie recall Elyse claiming that this woman was her sister.

She couldn’t believe that her brother had hooked up with the woman.

In that case, who would help her lure Foxy away from Blake?

She took a look at Leo and Ellen before shifting her attention to Foxy and Blake. With reddened eyes, she seemed to be on the brink of breaking into tears.

How can they do this to me? No, I’ll never accept this outcome!

Just then, the director announced, “It’s time to split all of you into different groups.”

An idea suddenly sprang into Jodie’s mind as she strode forward.

Chapter 279 Wherever Leo Goes, I’ll Be With Him

“Why don’t we stick to the previous arrangement? I suppose we’re all used to it now.”

Then, Jodie looked at her brother. “What do you say, Leo?”

Leo stopped in his tracks and fell silent.

Meanwhile, Amelie glanced at Jodie with surprise, for she couldn’t believe that the woman still wanted to be on the same team as her.

When Ellen heard that, she stuck close to Leo and said, “Wherever Leo goes, I’ll be with him.”

Jodie was annoyed by Ellen. When she heard what the woman said, she glowered at her.

However, Ellen’s attention was all on Leo, so she didn’t notice it at all.

On the other hand, Amelie was reluctant, for she did not want to watch Leo and Ellen showing their affection for each other again, nor was she willing to face the grumpy Jodie all the time.

She parted her lips, trying to tell them that she wanted to be on the other team. All of a sudden, Leo approached the director and took their name tags.

When the other team saw that he had chosen his team members, they took the remaining name tags. In the end, their members were the same as in the previous round.

Under such circumstances, it would make Amelie seem difficult if she wanted to go to the other team, and she might be regarded as making things hard for others.

Since she only wanted to keep a low profile in this show, she decided to keep her mouth shut.

Just then, Jennifer came over with a male participant as she said, “I’m sorry, but we have to quit the show.”

Then, they exchanged glances and smiled.

The rules stated that if any two of them became a couple, they had to leave the show.

All of them instantly realized what was going on, so they offered their blessings to the couple.

Jennifer bashfully accepted their blessings and thanked them before leaving with her partner.

“In that case, Team A is lacking two people now,” Fabian said.

Previously, to make up for the deficiency, even the hosts had to join Team A. Now that two people were gone, coupled with the fact the hosts had resumed their roles, they needed two more people to join Team A so that the people on both sides would be equal.

“Why don’t I go to Team A?” Upon finishing his words, Fabian strode toward Team A and stood beside Fiona.

“Foxy, why don’t you come over and join my team as well?” Fiona ignored Fabian’s fervent gaze and walked over to take Amelie’s arm.

Amelie was eager to stay away from the Alston siblings, so she nodded immediately.

“Blakey, why don’t we exchange places?” Silas, who had been keeping a low profile in Team A, winked at Blake.

In actuality, they were good friends in private.

Before Silas joined showbiz, he was also a figure skating athlete. Blake had helped him a lot in the past.

Everyone could tell that Blake was fond of Amelie. As such, Silas decided to exchange places with Blake.

“Thanks.” Without turning him down, Blake shuffled toward him and switched places.

As his bangs brushed above his beautiful eyes, he flashed an amiable smile at him. Silas clenched the other man’s shoulder and said, “You can do it!”

Then, he took a look at Amelie, who stood beside Fiona. Blake put on a gentle and bashful smile. However, when he looked down, he appeared downcast.

Without explaining anything, he stood beside Amelie calmly.

“They can’t do this to me!” When Jodie saw Blake heading to the other team, she furiously stomped her foot on the ground.

She then turned to look at her brother and called out, “Leo…”

Nonetheless, Leo remained unmoving as his expression was as solemn as usual.

Jodie wanted to join the other team as well, but there wasn’t any place for her. Left with no choice, she snorted and entered the bus with reddened eyes.

“Let’s go, Leo,” Ellen said in a childish voice that didn’t match her age as she kept swaying Leo’s arm.

Without a word, Leo turned around and shuffled toward the bus. The moment he brushed past Amelie, he stopped in his tracks for two seconds before he started moving again.

The ladies only thought that he was waiting for Ellen, so they shot her envious glances. Giada was especially green with envy.

Ellen chuckled in response. Although she was a little disturbed, she still noticed how Leo pressed his lips together while the veins on his forehead bobbed when he looked at Amelie.

That prompted her to take a look at Amelie with caution.

She didn’t recognize Amelie since the latter was wearing a mask. Still, she exerted more force with her hand as she draped her arm around Leo’s.

When they entered the bus, they realized that they couldn’t choose the seats they wanted. Their names had been written on the seats, so they had to sit down accordingly.

It wasn’t clear if it was a coincidence or if the director had done so intentionally, for Amelie’s seat was just beside Leo’s.

The seats with their names gave Amelie a headache. She stopped in her tracks and waited for Leo to complain to the director.

As though not seeing Amelie’s expression, Leo pushed Ellen’s hand away and brushed past Amelie before taking a seat.

At that, Amelie was stunned.

“Leo…” Ellen stood in front of him and muttered under her breath with a pitiable gaze.

Even an outsider like Amelie felt sorry for her.

When did Ellen learn to be so coquettish and squeamish?

An unfazed Leo ordered coldly, “Go to your seat.”

Ellen was evidently not happy with the arrangement. She waited for a moment and realized that Leo didn’t seem like he was going to give in. Worried that he would get mad, she bit her lip and walked

toward the back of the bus.

After sitting down, she batted her teary eyes as though she had just suffered the worst grievance in the world.

Amelie glanced at her and felt as if she was the one oppressing her.

As his bangs brushed above his beautiful eyes, he flashed an amiable smile at him. Silas clenched the other man’s shoulder and said, “You can do it!”

The female host walked over and said passionately, “Miss Foxy, please have a seat. The bus will set off soon.”

Since the female host didn’t have to be a participant this time, her expression was mild and joyful.

Certainly, Amelie didn’t want to have a seat, but her refusal to do so would make it impossible for the bus driver to get going.

Forget it. Leo doesn’t mind sitting with me, his ex-wife. Why am I being dramatic here?

At the thought of this, she set her mind at ease and sat down beside him.

Leo wasn’t a talkative person. Amelie didn’t have anything to say to him either, so she fished out her phone and dealt with the learning platform’s affairs.

The platform’s development was wonderful. They had launched several economics and business courses, and they were very popular with over a million subscribers.

On the other hand, over 300,000 e-books had been uploaded to her online bookstore. Those were all useful and highly sought-after books.

Many people had subscribed to the service as well.

Amelie went through the statistics and saw some comments saying that some books were too difficult to understand. Several people also said that they didn’t have sufficient time to read those books. An idea instantly formed in her mind.

She was a pragmatic person who loved putting ideas into action immediately.

As such, she contacted the platform’s operations manager at once and started an intensive discussion with him via text.

When the discussion ended, the bus stopped as well.

Amelie stretched her back while feeling pleased with what she had achieved. When she looked up, she met Leo’s eyes.

He pressed his lips together. Unlike how stern he usually appeared, he looked inquisitively at the woman.

There also seemed to be something deeper behind his gaze.

Just as Amelie wanted to find out what it was, she heard someone saying sweetly, “Leo!”

Ellen sprinted toward them from behind and crashed into Leo’s arms, looking as though she had been forced to be separated from her man. It seemed that she was about to break into tears.

Does she think she’s acting in some sort of tragic drama?

Amelie found the woman over the top.

Leo didn’t push Ellen away, nor did he respond to her. He only stared fixedly at Amelie, who was rendered speechless by his behavior.

Why is he looking at me like that? Does he think that I’m a third wheel or something while she puts up a pitiful act?

At any rate, she wasn’t interested in watching such a tacky and cheesy act. As such, she turned around and left the bus.

Behind her, Leo’s face fell as his gaze turned cold and distant.

Terrified by the man’s indifference, Ellen looked at him meekly and muttered, “Leo.”

While ignoring the woman, Leo brushed past her and left the vehicle with a dispassionate expression.

Chapter 280 He’s Not a Trophy for Exchange

The view outside was a large, flat, green grass field that extended to a mountain range.

The mountains weren’t tall, but to those used to city life, this was still a breath of fresh air.

After exiting the bus and seeing the view, Amelie took a deep breath. “Fresh air!”

“Come on, let’s take a look over there,” suggested Fiona while pulling Amelie after hopping out of the vehicle.

The others, too, ignored the following cameramen and their cameras and ran toward the center of the field.

Just like that, the area where the buses parked fell silent instantly.

Meanwhile, Leo held his phone impassively as he went to a secluded area. “That girl back then, can you still find her?”

“It happened too long ago, and a lot of evidence has been deliberately wiped out. It isn’t an easy investigation. However, I did talk to the attending physician who treated your eyes. He said he doesn’t quite remember what she looked like anymore, and what he said was practically what he told you the last time—the girl’s father was a shoemaker.”

A shoemaker? Ellen’s father, Michael, is a shoemaker.

It was indeed useless information.

He hung up the phone dryly and looked up to capture Amelie at first glance.

The young woman was snapping pictures of the surrounding scenery.

Though he couldn’t make out her expression hidden beneath the mask, something hit Leo with a thump, and he clenched the hand holding his phone.

If his memory served him right, Amelie’s father was also a shoemaker.

With that, he strode toward Amelie, who was oblivious to Leo’s actions. She remained immersed in the beauty of the scenery.

Bria will love this place, she mused while taking more photos when Leo suddenly entered the shot.

He had a dashing face, and his chiseled outlines were impeccably good-looking. He was looking right into the camera as though he wanted to creep into her heart through it.

A thick, enigmatic emotion surged beneath his eyes, and it had already reached the ignition point. One flick of a match, and it would explode.

Amelie’s heart skipped a beat. She nearly dropped her phone, for it was her first time seeing Leo like this. What… What is up with him?

The man wasn’t himself that day, and Amelie couldn’t help being stupefied, only staring at him through the camera.

For a moment, time stopped.

Half a minute later, Leo finally moved, reaching a hand toward her.

Is he going to pull me toward him? Just as Amelie was speculating, another hand entered the shot, and a slender figure blocked the entirety of it the next second.

“Leo.” Ellen appeared out of nowhere and held Leo’s hand while giggling, looking innocent and adorable. Her piteous look was long gone.

“We’re camping today. I’m so happy!” She clapped and hopped with joy in front of Leo like a little girl.

“I’m going to be sick!” Jodie shot Ellen a side-eye glance with zero effort of concealing her contempt for the young woman as she approached the pair from the other side.

With that, she shoved Ellen aside and stood in front of her brother. “The crew wants us to gather now. Let’s go.”

Leo hummed a response, but he remained still and only gazed at Amelie.

Amelie, on the other hand, genuinely wanted nothing to do with them, so she hurriedly put her phone away and rushed toward the bus upon hearing that they needed to gather up.

A glimmer flashed across Leo’s unfathomable eyes before his eyelids drooped and he strode toward the bus.

Meanwhile, Jodie glared warningly at Ellen before checking their surroundings for the camera crew. Seeing that no one was following them, she taunted icily, “Don’t copy your sister’s ridiculous actions! My brother isn’t a trophy you and your sister can give to each other, and the Alston Family will never accept low lives like you. F*ck off!”

Terrified, Ellen balled herself up and stared timidly at Jodie. The woman loathed Elyse and disliked Ellen as well, so she wanted to throw up even more when she saw Ellen’s reaction.

“Did you not hear me? I told you to f*ck off! I won’t play nice the next time I catch you approaching my brother!” With that, she pointed far away. “See that? My brother’s interested in Foxy. A sl*t like you isn’t even worthy of holding a candle for Leo!”

With that, she strutted away condescendingly.

“As all of you can see, we’re camping today,” the hosts announced the theme for the day beside the bus.

“No challenges?” Lilith asked quizzically.

Usually, the crew would arrange a difficult challenge for them.

“Nope.” The two hosts shook their heads, appearing incredibly guilt-ridden.

Everyone couldn’t help glancing at each other.

“Why does it sound too good to be true?”

“Has the crew given up on messing with us?”

“Since when have they become so humane?”

Everyone teased benignly.

After all, it was an open secret that the ‘Show Your Love’ crew loved to give the celebrity guests a hard time on the show.

Meanwhile, the hosts exchanged a glance and pointed toward a few camping carts aside. “These are your supplies. Team A and B will get the same things.”

With that, they hopped into the vehicle speedily and waved everyone goodbye.

After the door closed and the vehicle drove away, the two hosts finally heaved a sigh of relief and looked at each other.

“What a relief.”

Thank goodness they sped away.

Back on the field, everyone looked at each other for a while, but they still couldn’t figure anything out.

Fiona reacted quickest to the situation and tugged on Amelie. “Forget about guessing. Let’s pull all the stuff out so that we can assign the work.”

“I’m going to be sick!” Jodie shot Ellen a side-eye glance with zero effort of concealing her contempt for the young woman as she approached the pair from the other side.

It was clear that they had to improvise when they didn’t even pick a leader for the team this time.

“Why waste time instead of making the most out of this?!” Gordon echoed and joined the two ladies in carrying the equipment.

It was only right that they enjoyed it to the fullest when they not only got to go out for some fun but also earned a few bucks from it.

The others, too, returned to their teams without thinking and helped pull everything out from the carts.

There were honestly quite a few things in there—tents, foldable chairs and tables, and all sorts.

What was more, the crew even provided them with a portable stove, pots and pans, bowls, and a camping grill.

“Wow, we’re going to have a great time today.” Silas grinned while rubbing his hands together.

Similarly, Fabian chuckled as he moved toward the cart storing their food. “Let’s see what we’ll be feasting on today.”

“It’s surely barbecue. This is my forte. Just sit back and watch this pit master cook up the best barbecue you’ll ever have,” boasted another male guest in their group as he followed Fabian to the food cart.

The two removed the dark green linoleum, and sure enough, a large white container appeared.

It was a rectangular type that could store more than ten pounds of food.

Everyone applauded upon seeing it. However, Fabian and the male guest stood frozen stiff with strange expressions.

“What’s wrong? Is it too heavy for you guys to carry? Come on, I’ll do it!” Lilith rolled her sleeves up and strode toward the two, only to blurt out a cuss, “What the f*ck?!”

Everyone’s first reaction was to look toward the camera crew around them. Has Lilith given up on maintaining her image?

“What the heck?! How come all we get is a large bowl of dry pasta?!” someone from Leo’s group shouted, leading the camera crew and everyone else to look in that direction, only to find Jodie holding a large bowl in front of the food cart.

Inside the bowl was indeed pasta.

“What is the meaning of this?! You guys invited us to join your stupid show, yet all you give us is a bowl of dry pasta?! Do you want to starve us to death?!” Jodie’s bratty attitude came out, and she threw an exasperated tirade at the camera crew without even caring about her image anymore.

The camera crew, on the other hand, silently put their equipment away since whatever they captured would be deleted anyway. After all, who’d dare to broadcast Jodie cussing?

Meanwhile, Amelie and Fiona approached the food cart when they saw the large bowl in Jodie’s arms.

Their ingredients were no different from Jodie’s. The large bowl was all there was in the large container, and the bowl was cling-wrapped to prevent the pasta from spilling everywhere. What can anybody do with nothing but a bowl of pasta?!