Ch. 681..690
Chapter 681
Xyla Quest's relatives were still complimenting her.
When May Conner and Emily Quest saw how Xyla and Stanley Batton had become the center of attention, they felt extremely upset.
In the past, when Xyla had become ugly and ran away, May and Emily would always be the center of attention.
However, ever since Xyla returned in a grand fashion, things were never the same again...
Emily couldn't stand listening to all of it any longer. She stood up and walked right out the door.
When Xyla saw Emily leaving, her eyes turned cold. After that, she smiled at her relatives and excused herself before heading out.
In the courtyard, the fragrance of spring was strong. The intensity of sunlight was just lovely, and there were soft breezes in the air.
In a little garden, countless flowers of all sorts were in full bloom, and the various colors were mesmerizing.
When Emily saw that Xyla came out, she knew very clearly why that was.
Emily immediately pretended to be extremely depressed as she leaned against a pillar. "Sister... The weather is great today," Emily said as she looked at Xyla meekly. Emily was surprised that Xyla was able to figure it out this time.
Clearly, she had made sure everything was seamless. What had gone wrong?
When Xyla saw Emily behaving like this, she couldn't help but feel that her little sister had become much smarter.
Emily seemed to have gone through an evolution.
Without showing any facial expression, Xyla walked over to Emily and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Emily, you don't have to pretend in front of me."
"What do you mean?" Emily still pretended to be confused.
"You know exactly what I mean. For your own sake, and for Dad's, I'd suggest you don't do anything foolish. You should know that I'm the vengeful kind of person. I've been tolerating you all this while only because of our father, but he can't protect you forever..." Xyla snorted coldly.
"Sister, what are you talking about?" Emily's eyes widened as her eyes turned red.
Xyla ignored Emily and walked into the house right away.
All Xyla could feel for Emily was disgust.
After Xyla had left, Emily's facial expression turned cold suddenly.
The look of despise on her face was apparent.
"Xyla Quest... Just you wait," Emily said through gritted teeth as she clenched her fists tightly.
So what if Xyla told her those things? Did she think Emily would give up? Emily was not born a coward.
Besides, Xyla didn't have any proof. It was only a guess.
As long as Emily was alive, she would make Xyla suffer!
When Xyla returned to the house, she sat next to the rest.
"Where did you go?" Jeremy asked curiously as he looked at Xyla.
"I just went out for some fresh air. It smells nice in the garden..." Xyla smiled.
"Speaking of that, I was just going to say that Atlantis looks beautiful right now. I wonder who decorated the entire city with roses to please his wife. It's beautiful," Emily's aunt said.
Since Tom was in a bad mood, he couldn't be bothered to stay here and listen to their chatter. He went outside right away.
He wanted to get a breather outside.
As soon as Tom went out, May began speaking in a soft voice, "I heard Emily saying that Tom has been contacting someone who sells roses these days. I wonder if Tom was the one who did it." May thought that since the actual couple's identities hadn't been revealed, there wouldn't be an issue for her to say such a thing.
Everyone was focusing on Xyla today. May wanted to draw some attention to Emily to feel better.
Chapter 682
Chapter 682
When Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton heard this, neither of them said a word. All they did was listen silently while May Conner boasted.
When their relatives heard what May said, they immediately started expressing how much they envied Emily Quest.
"What? Do you mean to say that it's like Tom was the one who bought all those flowers for Emily? Does that mean their relationship is smooth sailing once again?"
"Oh my god. Emily has really done well for herself... From now on, I'll argue with anyone who says the Sullivan family is not doing well."
"The Sullivan family sure is rich. Emily got married to a good person."
When May heard what everyone was saying, she immediately felt pleased. "Oh, I'm not too sure. Anyway, Emily told me that Tom was contacting someone about planting roses. It's just a guess on my part. I haven't asked him."
"Is that true?" Jeremy was wide-eyed.
May nodded.
"When did the flowers I plant become Tom Sullivan's?" Stanley, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke.
Everyone in the room went quiet.
May instantly felt embarrassed. Her smile froze. "What? Was it you who planted all that? Stan? I must have misunderstood. I'm sorry."
At first, May thought she might be able to gloat for a while, but it ended up backfiring when the person who planted those flowers was here in the crowd.
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have done it.
Fortunately, she wasn't saying it in a very confident way. Otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing.
"Oh my. May, why would you say something like that if you weren't sure?"
"This... This is embarrassing, isn't it?"
"Xyla Quest really is being treated like a little princess..."
May's relatives eagerly showed Xyla and Stanley their thumbs.
Now, every single person in the room was envious of Xyla.
The facial expression of everyone in the Sullivan family had turned dark.
None of them would have guessed that May could be such a thick-skinned liar.
However, they all kept quiet so as not to embarrass themselves.
"Oh, look at me. I said stupid things without even finding out the truth. I'll punish myself by drinking three extra glasses of alcohol during the meal later..." May stood up awkwardly and said. "Next time, don't say anything you're unsure of." Jeremy felt equally embarrassed.
"Yes, yes. Honey, I know." May kept smiling.
"Stan... What made you think of plating roses all over Atlantis?" Jeremy turned to look at Stanley affectionately.
"Xyla said she'd like a city surrounded by roses," Stanley said blandly.
"Hmm. You're the perfect husband..." Jeremy said gladly.
"Yeah... Perfect husband."
"I agree..."
Everyone began praising Stanley as much as they could.
"Not only is he the perfect husband, he's also the perfect son-in-law. You guys have no idea about this, but Stan gave Xyla one billion when he found out I was going to an antique auction, and he told her to get anything I liked..." Jeremy praised Stanley once again.
When Jeremy said these things about him, Stanley remained calm and collected. He didn't show any expression in his eyes.
Xyla behaved the same way.
However, other relatives reacted differently.
How could they not be jealous that Jeremy had such a perfect son-in-law?"
While the elders were envious of Jeremy, the younger folks were envious of Xyla.
Who would possibly not want a wonderful son-in-law or husband like Stanley?
May had no idea that her plan would end up benefiting Xyla and Stanley yet again.
At first, she wanted to boast on behalf of Emily. But in the end, it was Xyla who received all the attention.
Chapter 683
Chapter 683
Jeremy Quest saw how envious his relatives were, and he felt immensely proud on the inside.
"Isn't that so? Xyla really did get married to a good person." May Conner was forced to put in some good words. After that, she turned to look at the Dior bag on the table and changed the topic. "Xyla, what did you get your father?" she asked.
"It's the newest men's watch from Dior." Xyla chuckled.
"How nice. I bet it must be expensive," May said.
"Not too bad... About 500,000 dollars," Xyla said.
"You always give us expensive gifts. Emily gave your father a watch too, and it cost 1,000,000 dollars. Also, Uncle Sullivan gave your father a golden tortoise. It's huge, and it costs several hundred thousand too..." May said.
Xyla knew what May was trying to imply. May was simply trying to compare her gift to Emily's, and she wanted to make Emily and the Sullivan family's presence known. Indirectly, May wanted to imply that the Sullivan family was better than the Batton family because they offered gifts while the Batton family didn't even show up.
"Ding-dong... Ding-dong..." Right then, the doorbell started ringing.
A servant immediately went to the door to open it.
As soon as the door was opened, the servant who opened it was stunned.
There was a large group of men dressed in neat, black clothes holding intricate, golden gift boxes of various sizes in their hands.
Behind them, there were countless luxury cars.
These cars were all worldwide limited editions!
Right after that, the men dressed in black gathered and entered the house.
They walked in one after another in an orderly manner before standing in a row in front of everyone...
At one glance, the various gift boxes they were holding were making the guests dizzy.
They were all stunned by what they were seeing.
Xyla could recognize some of these men. She remembered seeing them around Sharon Lindt.
Xyla had no idea that Sharon would send so many gifts to them on this day. In fact, Xyla and Stanley didn't even tell the Batton family what was happening here today.
"Mr. Batton... Mrs. Batton!" The men dressed in black greeted Stanley and Xyla respectfully as soon as they entered.
After that, they nodded politely at Jeremy and May.
"What's going on?"
"I have no idea... These people appear to work for Stanley. Isn't that so?"
"I'm not sure. There are so many things. A golden tortoise pales in comparison."
The Quest family's relatives all seemed very curious, and they began whispering among themselves.
May felt extremely embarrassed by what they were saying.
"Mr. Quest, nice to meet you. These are gifts from the president and his wife. They send their best wishes to you for the 25th anniversary of Quest Group since its establishment," one of the men dressed in black said.
Jeremy felt overwhelmed with joy.
He didn't think his in-laws would send gifts over on this day.
They had never even met each other before.
After that, the men dressed in black opened the gift boxes in their hands before carefully displaying the items inside.
There were jade ornaments of different designs, gold coins and gold bars, wild ginseng, cordyceps, bird's nest, a pure-gold statue of a valiant soldier, a pure-gold teapot, and a white porcelain vase. Jeremy could instantly tell that the decorative objects were all antique items.
The antique items, coupled with the supplements, would cost up to a hundred million.
His relatives were all dumbfounded.
Jeremy suddenly felt very proud.
Slowly, he stood up and looked at each of the gifts. After that, he turned to face the men dressed in black. "Please thank my in-laws on my behalf," Jeremy said.
When the Sullivan family witnessed this scene, they all felt ashamed. Their gift was worthless in comparison to these expensive gifts.
Chapter 684
Chapter 684
"These things must individually cost more than that golden tortoise, right?"
"Yeah... These are probably all antique items..."
"That golden tortoise isn't even an antique, is it?"
"No, it isn't..."
The relatives began discussing softly among themselves.
When May Conner listened to them, she immediately felt embarrassed again.
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have boasted and made the comparison earlier!
Seeing how pleased her father appeared, Xyla felt very thankful to the Batton family.
Xyla's gaze softened.
"Isn't Stanley's parents being too generous? These gifts prove how important Xyla is in the family."
"Oh my god. The amount of wealth on display here seems even grander than the gifts emperors give as rewards in those period dramas."
"Indeed, the Batton family is supremely wealthy. Even their gifts are unusually expensive."
These relatives were all staring at these gifts, and they seemed to desire them more than anything.
Suddenly, they all wished they were Jeremy Quest.
While listening to everyone's compliments, Jeremy felt very satisfied.
"Honey, take them to a place where they can put all these gifts away," Jeremy said.
After that, Jeremy thought about how he needed to give his in-laws expensive gifts in return when the time came.
Only then would Xyla's reputation be upheld in his in-law's family.
Since May couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat, she immediately stood up and led the men in black away to put those gifts away.
"Xyla... I mentioned meeting our in-laws previously. Have you made the arrangements?" Jeremy sat down next to Xyla and asked.
When Xyla thought about this, she suddenly appeared awkward.
There was so much happening before this, and she had been too busy for the past two days. Hence, she had completely forgotten about this. "Have you forgotten?" Jeremy asked affectionately.
Xyla nodded.
"That's alright. You can set the meeting up after you get home today..." Jeremy added.
"My parents are always available," Stanley said right away.
"Well then, let's go to Silver International Hotel this Saturday at eight o'clock in the evening. What do you think?" Jeremy asked. "Done." Stanley nodded decisively.
"In that case, I'll book a room in advance. I'll inform you once it's done, and you can tell your parents," Jeremy said joyously. "Sure," Stanley replied.
***
Two days later, the semi-finals for the spring season of the League of Legends competition was held in Atlantis Stadium.
The match was between Team XS and Team GL.
The first team to win three matches out of five would claim victory.
Team GL was the new champion of this year's League of Legends competition. They had been invincible throughout the entire season, and they had many tricks up their sleeves. During the regular season's matches, they had even overpowered Team XS in terms of their ranking.
For this particular match, due to Xyla's participation, a lot more people paid attention to it.
Two days before the match took place, netizens began discussing the match excitedly on Weibo and other social media platforms.
Everyone in the esports realm had placed their full attention on this match.
Some of them believed in Team XS, while others didn't.
The stadium was packed before the match even began.
Chapter 685
Chapter 685
The tournament's live stream had exceeded ten million views on each website.
Xyla Quest's face was rigid with tension as she walked up the stage with her team members.
Live tournaments and pastimes were two different cases.
She could never allow herself to make mistakes today and cause her team to lose such an important game.
Putting on the headset, Xyla adjusted her keyboard firmly and took a deep breath.
She was wearing Team QPG's uniform, consisting of a set of black Nike sportswear with a white Nike T-shirt.
There were various sponsors' labels all over her body.
Her hair was pulled back into a youthful high ponytail, and her makeup was light yet appealing. She was just like a gaming goddess sitting in front of the computer.
The team's Jungler, Simon, was the first to notice Xyla's anxiety. He whispered into the microphone, "Don't be nervous, boss. You can do it. Just play like how you usually would during training, and everything will be fine."
Levi, the team's Support, tried to reassure her too. "He's right. We might earn a lot of money if we win, but it doesn't cause any harm if we lose, right? Chill, boss. Being nervous would only leave you playing under par."
Meanwhile, the director shifted the camera to where Xyla was sitting.
A close-up of Xyla's side profile appeared on the big screen in the very next second.
Instantly, the netizens started spamming the pop-ups hysterically.
"Damn... Look at that beauty! Xyla Quest is definitely a real-life fairy!"
"She's so hot. I'll forgive her even if she loses the game later. How can I ever attack this beautiful girl?"
"She could've just made a debut in the entertainment industry with that face. She looks so much better than the other celebrities."
"Her skin is smooth and flawless, and her features are so exquisite. What a goddess!"
"I want Xyla to be my wife. Sob..."
"Don't even think about it... We are not worthy of a real-life fairy like her."
Upon hearing the encouragement of her teammates, Xyla let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. I'll try..."
Though she was a sophisticated woman who had seen much in life, she had never been this nervous before.
Perhaps today's match meant a lot to Team QPG.
If they lost the match today, they had to say goodbye to the entire tournament.
She knew very well that all the members were looking forward to winning this tournament. Even if they tried to comfort her by saying, 'it doesn't cause any harm if we lose, right?', Xyla was aware that they did not think so inwardly.
Every enthusiastic young man in esports aspired to be a champion, including her team members.
The championship trophy was the main goal of every game.
Soon, it came to the BP session.
The opponent had selected their Champions very quickly.
On the other hand, Team OPG decided to go with their original plan. They were going to play double AD carry, where one went top lane and the other to bottom lane.
The Top Solo, Mason chose his favorite Aphelios, whereas Xyla picked Caitlyn as her Bot Lane. The team's Support took Tahm Kench, the Mid Lane took LeBlanc, and finally, the Jungler played Zac.
Their line-up was inclined to the early game and mid-game. Therefore, they ought to take advantage of the early game to suppress their enemies.
Conversely, the opponents' line-up was totally different from theirs. They had Gangplank as their Top Solo, Ryze as their Mid Lane, Elise as their Jungler, Braum as their Support, and Ezreal as their ADC. Their overall battle formation was more tank-heavy than Team OPG.
From their Champions alone, Xyla could tell that they would play really fiercely late in the game.
Grasping the situation, Xyla adjusted the microphone and whispered, "Early game. We must try to stand an advantage in the early game. All the best, guys."
Everyone nodded firmly.
She sounded calm, but her palms were actually covered in a layer of sweat.
While Xyla was fighting her anxiety on the stage, Stanley Batton, Sharon Lindt, Catherine Batton, and Jeremy Quest found their seats in the auditorium's first row in a low profile.
Not long after they settled down, Josh Batton dressed in full black entered the stadium with a black cap covering his face.
His seat was in the last row, and it was relatively secretive.
Josh pulled the brim of the cap down despite the fact that he was already wearing a mask. The audience were all focused on the big screen. No one had noticed that a superstar was sitting next to them.
Chapter 686
Chapter 686
Soon, the game began.
As soon as the game started, four enemies surrounded two of them in the bottom lane.
Unfortunately, Xyla Quest and the Support were killed by them in the very next second due to Xyla's mistake.
The opponent had also broken one of the turret's plates.
Everyone in the stadium was on tenterhooks seeing their awful way to start the game.
Xyla's mistake had also caused a big stir in the live stream pop-ups.
"Why doesn't Xyla run? She could've just run! I had high hopes for her, but it turns out that she's just a noob."
"Why doesn't she try to run? Why? Ugh, she has ruined my mood."
"Holy sh*t! The bottom lane has already collapsed at the beginning."
"Team QPG is going to lose for sure. I take back what I said about Xyla earlier. She's a f*cking rookie."
"What was she doing just now? Esport is a high standard competition. Get out of here if you can't match the level of a professional gamer!" Xyla totally had no idea that people were cursing at her madly on the internet right now.
Yet, she knows very well in her heart. Her unforgivable mistake would definitely drive the people who were watching the live broadcast crazy. Xyla gaped at the grey screen with an apologetic face. "Sorry... I blundered. I should've run just now but... I died before I could react." "It's okay, boss. Take it easy."
"Nevermind. Nevermind. It's just the beginning. We can save that later..."
While the few of them were gibbering, the surviving members made a double kill.
Seeing that splendid attack, Xyla could not help but exclaim, "Wow... That's awesome..."
After resurrecting, Xyla quickly returned to the bottom lane along with her Support, Levi. They had to protect their turret.
However, the two of them were surrounded by those four opponents again.
Learning from the experience, Xyla and the Support decided to retreat this time. As they ran away, Xyla managed to kill one of the enemies with her agile movement...
Live stream pop-ups:
"???????????"
"Crap. I regret what I said. Xyla's pretty good, eh? 2 vs. 4. Did she just kill one of them?"
"I'm so sorry, Xyla. You're a fairy, indeed."
Slowly, Xyla was getting into her stride, her face aglow with confidence.
Without wasting any more time, she led her Support to the other sites and gradually opened up the map.
Both of them worked closely together and killed the opponent's ADC and Support effortlessly. It only took them ten minutes to demolish the opponent's inner turrets. The commentators watching the live stream were all dumbfounded by their performance. All of them started to compliment Xyla as if they were her loyal fans. The plot twist had gone haywire on the internet instantaneously..
Similarly, the audience broke into applause, and they were cheering at the top of their voices.
Noticing there was not a single enemy around her, Xyla immediately attacked the opponent's base turret with her Support.
Suddenly, the whole opponent team came to a halt in front of Xyla and Levi.
Though they were at a disadvantage, Xyla did not retreat. She charged at them instead, dodging their attacks skillfully, and killed two opponents in no time. Noticing her danger, the rest of the Team QPG's members rushed to her and fought alongside her.
In the blink of an eye, the opposing team was defeated.
They then demolished the turret and ended the game with a flourish...
It was only fifteen minutes before the game was over.
They did not even go for the Baron.
The commentators shrieked.
"F*ck??? What just happened? Is Xyla a human? Is she a human being?"
"To be frank, Xyla is the most outrageous player I've ever seen..."
As expected, the pop-ups exploded.
"Holy sh*t! You nailed it, Xyla... I'm not going to insult Xyla anymore."
Chapter 687
Chapter 687
"What's going on? This is the best game Team QPG has ever played!"
"Her operation was amazing! Did you see that group battle at the end? She dodged all the attacks with her daring maneuver! All of them!"
"Cool!!! Xyla is so cool that I felt goosebumps!"
The audience screamed like lions.
The marvelous game had set pulses racing all over the world.
Xyla Quest and the rest of the team members were over the moon with their win.
There and then, Xyla felt that she was not so nervous anymore.
The competition was just like the regular game, after all.
Xyla shined like a star on the stage, whereas Stanley Batton gazed at her with a proud smile off stage.
Sharon Lindt and Catherine Batton had already lost their sanity. They were constantly clutching each other's hands and staring at Xyla with admiration written all over their faces.
"Why is my sister-in-law so talented? I'm really impressed by her!" Catherine cried.
"My daughter-in-law is the best, okay? I'm falling in love with her. What should I do?" Sharon's eyes were flooded with adoration.
Though Wilson Batton was as calm as Stanley on the surface, Xyla's performance had made his blood rush. He took a deep breath to cool himself down before saying, "Stanley, you have definitely found the most precious diamond ever..."
Upon hearing their compliments to his wife, Stanley's smile broadened subconsciously.
Perhaps the team's first win had boosted the members' spirits; Team QPG romped through the following games with unexpected ease and won all three.
Initially, the gamers from all over the world guessed that both of the teams had a fifty-fifty chance of winning. However, Team QPG had proven them wrong.
The match ended with 3:0.
This meant that Team QPG would be competing with Team IM in the finals for Spring Tournament Championship.
This was the smoothest match the Team QPG members had ever played, and they were as excited as everyone else. They turned to each other with knowing glances and smiles, connecting over their joy of the team's victory.
The boys gathered in a circle and hugged each other. Some of them even teared up.
Conversely, Xyla was calm.
She remained seated in her place without turning a hair. All she did was watch the boys' exhilarated expressions in a gratifying manner.
She tried to maintain a serene aura on her exterior, although she was extremely pleased with their achievement today.
Once again, the director zoomed into Xyla's face.
Her close-up had caused a sensation in the pop-ups.
"What kind of divine eyes are those?"
"I can sense unusual confidence and calmness in Xyla."
"Her eyes are so beautiful! I finally understand what it means to have stars in your eyes."
After hugging each other, the team members led Xyla to the opposite desk to shake hands with the opposing team.
Subsequently, they walked to the middle of the stage and bowed deeply to the audience.
The host came on stage shortly and requested Xyla to stay back for a quick interview.
The others then went backstage together.
While all these were happening, Josh Batton had been sitting at the corner and keeping his eyes on Xyla. His soft lips stretched into a smile, and his eyes were as gentle as a dove. Suddenly, the director caught sight of Josh. Without further ado, he shifted the camera from Xyla to the superstar's face.
The live stream's pop-ups blew up on the big screen.
"Josh Batton? Is he at the scene now? Oh my, I should've gone to see the game today."
"I can't believe I just missed my beloved idol! By the way, I've never heard of him having the habit of watching live video games before. What's wrong with him today?"
"The way he looked at Xyla is so loving! I'm melting."
"She's glowing on the stage, and he's watching her from afar in the midst of the crowd. This is so beautiful!"
Xyla was completely unaware of what was going on right now. She was too focused on the interview with the host.
From time to time, her gaze would drift toward Stanley and his family.
They met her eyes smilingly too.
Meanwhile, #Josh Batton Watching The Game# had bolted to the top of the trending list!
Chapter 688
Chapter 688
"After the interview, Xyla Quest bowed politely to all the workers before leaving the stage.
Suddenly, the audience started screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Ahhhhhhh!!! My idol!!!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Josh Batton, I love you!!!!!!!!!"
Xyla immediately turned in the direction of the noises.
A black figure was lowering his cap while dashing to the exit. It was Josh Batton.
The audience chased after him, frantically, like a swarm of bees.
However, Josh was running very fast.
It seemed that they would not easily catch him up.
However, even so, Xyla was still worried about his safety. She quickly approached the security guards guarding the stage and ordered, "Follow Josh Batton. Keep an eye on him." Hearing the order, the security guards ran out of the stadium at once.
Stanley Batton stepped forward, slowly sliding his hand into hers. "Don't worry. There are bodyguards outside. They'll protect him."
Only then did Xyla get the load off her mind and nodded obediently.
Stanley did not speak again. He gazed thoughtfully in the direction where Josh had left, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Wilson Batton sighed helplessly. "It must be really tiring to be a celebrity..."
"Fame and fortune go hand in hand with exhaustion," Sharon Lindt agreed.
On the other hand, Catherine ignored their conversation about Josh and hugged Xyla's arm intimately. "My sister-in-law, you looked so cool just now... Damn cool."
"Nah, it's mainly because my teammates and I have excellent team work," Xyla replied humbly.
"What? Your operation really was brilliant..." Sharon interrupted.
"That's right. Xyla, I'm happy for you. Let's go to celebrate Team QPG's victory tonight. It's on my treat!" Wilson suggested.
"Can I invite my teammates too?" Xyla asked.
"Of course," Wilson agreed without hesitation.
Xyla cracked into a smile instantaneously.
"Xyla, we'll wait for you in the car. Join us at the parking lot later, okay?" Wilson added.
Xyla nodded in response.
They did not notice it, but all eyes fell on them as they were busy chattering.
This was especially true for the girls, who had not left the scene. They were glued to the chairs, unwilling to take their eyes off Stanley. All of them were silently fangirling over the charming man. "That guy is so handsome... Is he Xyla Quest's husband? I think he's hotter than Josh Batton. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, I agree with you. He's cold yet elegant, like an unreachable flower on the mountain."
"Ahhhh... Why are all the good-looking men taken already? Look at the way he stares at Xyla..."
The stadium was so noisy that Xyla could not hear their whisperings at all.
After sending the Batton family away, Xyla went backstage alone.
There were many interviews waiting for her backstage.
After she finished the interviews with her teammates, she led the everyone in Team QPG, including the players, the management team, the coaching team, and the analysis team to the parking lot. The group of people met up with the Batton family at the parking lot. Together, they went to a nearby high-end barbecue restaurant and asked for the largest private room.
There were two tables in the private room.
The tables were all taken as soon as they entered the room.
Xyla, the management and coaching team, sat together with the Batton family. Whereas the players and the analysis team sat at another table.
Once everyone was seated, they took the menu from the waiters and started ordering their dinner.
Then, they chatted harmonically while playing their phones.
The Batton family did not reveal their true identity, Therefore, everyone was able to get along with them easily. None of the members felt distanced from them.
Exhaustion overtook Xyla while they were waiting for the food. She leaned on Stanley's shoulder like a kitten, looking at her phone without saying a word.
Chapter 689
Chapter 689
Stanley Batton wrapped his arm around her shoulder and sat quietly. He would gently stroke her hair from time to time.
The gorgeous couple was acting all lovey-dovey.
Everyone in the room was looking enviously at them.
Xyla Quest logged onto her Weibo account to take a look at the trending list today.
Five out of the first ten hot topics were about the game tonight.
#Josh Batton Watching The Game#
#Xyla Quest Splendid Operation#
#Doting Gazes From Xyla Quest's Husband#
#Team QPG Victory#
#Team QPG 3:0#
Xyla tapped on the first hot topic. The first thing that came into her sight was a netizen's screenshot of the live stream just now.
In the screenshot, Josh Batton watched Xyla on the stage from afar, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Josh's fans went crazy instantaneously.
"I must've gone mad! I should've gone to the stadium today. Why didn't I go to watch the match? Ugh, I regret it."
"I didn't know Xyla and Josh are so close. His schedule is really tight, but he's willing to find time to support her personally."
"Are you guys sure that he doesn't like Xyla at all? I've never seen Josh paying so much attention to a girl."
"What are you talking about? Xyla is married. They're just friends."
"I'm so jealous of her. I've been dreaming of meeting Josh my whole life. Why can she see him anytime she wants?"
Xyla briefly scrolled through the comment section before reading the other hot topics.
The other hot topics were basically praising her gaming skills, her operation, and her dear husband, Stanley.
"Is there anything else that Xyla doesn't know? Oh yeah, has anyone noticed the bracelet on her wrist? It's a limited edition, guys. It costs about one hundred fifty thousand dollars!" "The way her husband looks at her gives me goosebumps! What a loving man he is. How I hope I have a husband like him too."
"Miss Xyla, I swear you're the life winner I envy the most."
"Xyla, you're my daddy! Your operation is awesome!"
"Let's go, Xyla! Love your skills, girl. You're my daddy!"
Stanley could see all the posts and comments Xyla was reading on her phone.
However, he did not move nor make any comments. He remained as calm as the sea.
He continued to hold Xyla's shoulder with his left hand, while his other was constantly sliding the wine glass back and forth as he got lost in his thoughts.
Though he said and did nothing, he was still the brightest star in the room. The powerful aura exuded by him alone was enough to intimidate everyone around the table. "Xyla, please tell Mom and Dad that I'm not joining you all for dinner. I have a photoshoot for the magazine later." Josh texted Xyla on WeChat.
Xyla replied with an 'Ok' emoji.
After that, she asked, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. No worries, I've arrived safely at the studio." Josh reassured her.
Knowing that Josh was doing fine, Xyla did not reply to his message anymore. She shoved her phone back into her pocket.
Next to her, Stanley frowned in silence.
"Mom, Dad, Josh said he's not coming over for dinner. He has work to do, so let's just eat on our own." Xyla glanced at Sharon Lindt and Wilson Batton.
After finishing the meal, Stanley drove Xyla back to their home with his black Bentley Arnage.
As soon as they set foot into the house, Stanley forced Xyla against the wall and buried her under his shadow.
He kissed her without warning, hungry yet passionate.
It happened so quickly that Xyla had no other choice but to surrender to his soft lips...
Chapter 690
Chapter 690
She glared at the chill man resentfully. "Are you even human?"
Stretching his long arms, the man pulled her into his embrace and held her tightly, his chin rubbing her hair repeatedly. "This isn't how you looked just now."
Xyla Quest's blush seared through her cheeks, all the way to her neck. Her heart leaped up as if it was electrocuted.
"Shameless."
"Good girl... I'll be more careful next time."
Be more careful next time? Was he trying to fool a three-year-old kid?
He said that every single time.
But guess what?
He was only getting more aggressive.
"If a man's word can be trusted, I guess the pigs can live on the tree too."
A chuckle escaped the man's lips. "Shall we take a bath?"
"Okay... Carry me. I can't move at all." Xyla wrapped her arms around his neck and pouted.
Stanley Batton placed one arm around her back and scooped the other arm around the bend in her knees, lifting her effortlessly. Then, he made his way to the bathroom.
He filled the bathtub with warm water before the two of them went in.
Mist surrounded them, making the man's emotionless face look exceptionally cool and delicate.
Suddenly, Stanley hugged her from behind. "Stay away from Josh..."
Xyla's eyes widened. "What?"
"In short, don't talk to him except for work..."
"Why are you talking about this all of a sudden?"
"My wife is too pretty. I'm afraid that other men will try to snatch you from me.....”
"We've never really talked about other stuff other than work," reassured Xyla.
***
Meanwhile, Sebastian Brenand was sitting alone on the bed at a luxury villa. He was holding Rachel Wood's favorite perfume, Chanel COCO Mademoiselle, in a daze. He looked indescribably dejected.
The two of them had been separated for days. How was she doing now?
Where on earth was she?
Did she ever miss him?
Would she be as vulnerable as he was late in the night?
His mind was running wild, and his heart was flooded with mixed feelings.
Opening the lid of the perfume, he sprayed it into the air.
Soon, the familiar fragrance spread in the air.
He slowly closed his eyes as he put the perfume aside, quietly enjoying Rachel's smell.
He subconsciously turned sideways and reached out to the spot beside him.
However, the blanket was simply empty and cold.
She was the one waiting for him back in those days.
He did not come here every day as he had to deal with a lot of other women.
Though she did not know whether the man would come back to her, she would always wait for him in the house, leaving a light on for him.
Whenever he came, there would always be a light shining for him, and she would always be there waiting for his return.
No doubt, she did her part as a lover very well.
When he came, she welcomed him. When he left, she never complained.
There were times when he promised her to come back but he went back on his words. Nevertheless, she had never called him to ask for an explanation.
She was as quiet as a kitten.
All she did was stay in this room obediently, waiting for her master.
Nonetheless, everything had changed in just a few days.
He went from the one she was waiting for, to the one who was waiting for her.