Ch. 691..700
Chapter 691
Chapter 691
Only then did he understand how lonely it was to wait for someone who would never come home.
How many nights did Rachel Wood wait in silence like him right now?
As he thought about it, he realized he was unforgivably mean to Rachel in the past.
He was heartless. He was a bastard.
Irritation spiked Sebastian Brenand as he reminded himself how terrible he was. He got up and lit a cigarette, taking quick drags on it grumpily.
He had been smoking really uncontrollably these days.
He used to take a couple of cigarettes a day. However, a pack of cigarettes was simply not enough for him to survive a day now.
Sebastian was breathless with guilt and exasperation even after he puffed at a few cigarettes.
At last, he crushed the butt of the cigarette with his heels and grabbed his phone, calling his assistant, Jean Hanson, sulkily. "Jean, you don't have to come to work anymore starting tomorrow..."
His words startled the sleepy Jean over the other end of the phone. Instantly, he rolled over and crawled out of bed, flustered. He was stunned to the spot as he stuttered in fright, "Master Sebastian, I'm sorry.. I... I was wrong... Please give me another chance..."
"How many days has it been? Where the hell is Rachel? I've given you many chances already."
"Please give me more time... Please... I promise that I'll work harder."
Sebastian frowned impatiently. He lit another cigarette and took a long drag on it. "Three more days. Get lost if you fail to find her within these three days."
***
The next morning, Xyla Quest woke up to a warm message from Alex.
He wished her good luck.
And he said that he would see her in the finals.
Xyla smiled at the message. She replied with an 'OK' emoji and wished him all the best for the finals too.
Up until now, the novelty of yesterday's experience still thrilled and excited her.
Never in her life had she imagined that she would become a professional gamer and play in a tournament.
After going through all the training and experiencing last night's stirring match, Xyla could finally understand the charm of e-sports.
Its charm lay in its uncertainty.
The game's outcome was unknown until the very last moment as you never knew what would happen in the next second. Just like how everyone predicted that both the teams had a fifty-fifty chance of winning before the game started yesterday. Many people guessed that the score would be 3:2.
It was either the opposing team won the game by a nose or vice versa.
Surprisingly, in the end, Team QPG swept to victory with an astonishing 3:0.
On top of that, they had brought the audience one of the most exciting games ever.
Suddenly, someone gripped Xyla's shoulder and turned her body around.
Xyla fell into a warm embrace in the very next second.
She slowly lifted her head and gazed at the beautiful scenery in front of her. "Good morning, hubby."
Waking up to sunshine and finding your beloved lying right to you was undoubtedly the happiest thing in life.
Stanley Batton dotingly ruffled her hair. "Morning, dear. What were you doing just now?"
"Nothing. I was just replying to Alex's message."
"Alex? Why did he text you early in the morning?"
"To wish me good luck for the finals."
"Are you sure he doesn't have any other bad intentions?" Stanley asked cautiously.
Xyla rolled her eyes at him. "Do you feel threatened by those kids? Seriously? Are you that lame?"
"It's not my fault to be so suspicious, alright?"
"Whose fault is it then?"
"You. It's your fault for being too pretty..."
The man's abrupt compliment had left Xyla speechless.
"By the way, what did you say just now?" The man's eyes gradually became distant.
Questions were swimming in Xyla's head. "What? What do you mean?"
"You asked me, am I that lame?"
Chapter 692
Chapter 692
Xyla Quest's cheeks turned pink instantaneously. "Gosh, it's not what you're thinking. I didn't mean you're lame in that way..." "What do you mean then?"
"It's just not what you're thinking..."
"Well... I'll let you know if I'm lame or not, right now."
Xyla was on the verge of tears.
She had just recovered from the exhaustion from last night, but her limbs were drained of all energy again now.
She weakly lifted her head and caught a glimpse of the clock. It was almost noon.
He was a real pain in the neck!!!
"Stanley Batton... I warn you not to do this anymore." Xyla got up from the bed while complaining.
Stanley grinned mischievously and sat up. Extending his arm, he pulled her into his embrace once more and gently kissed her forehead. "Okay, I'll control myself next time."
Upon hearing that, Xyla knew that he was trying to brush her off again!
Xyla glanced at him, coldly before putting on a white camisole dress and heading to the bathroom.
Stanley simply wrapped a towel around his waist and quickly caught up with her. Domineering and without warning, he scooped her knees and lifted her up.
Xyla's heart instantly raced frantically. "What... Are you doing it now?"
She was now slightly afraid of him.
A chuckle escaped from the man's lips. "Doing it? Do you want me to do it again?"
Xyla rolled her eyes. "Of course not."
"Alright then, I shall not 'do it' again."
It was undeniable; the English language had an extensive vocabulary with double entendres.
Once again, the man had made her blush and her heart flutter.
Xyla immediately looked away from him and frowned impatiently. "Put me down. I want to wash up."
"I'll help you."
"I don't need your help."
However, the man ignored her and carried her to the bathroom. Putting her down in front of the sink, he proceeded to squeeze the toothpaste for her and placed a cup of water beside the sink. "It'd have been nice if you're so considerate in bed too," Xyla complained.
Stanley studied her expression for a few seconds before squeezing more toothpaste on his toothbrush. "I'm just trying to make you happy. Isn't that thoughtful?"
"You call that thoughtful?" Xyla brushed her teeth with resentment written all over her face.
"Well, I'm 'physically' making my wife happy... Is that not considerate enough?"
Xyla rolled her eyes at him once more. She had no energy to continue arguing with him on this matter.
After brushing her teeth, she turned on the tap and washed her face carefully.
"What do you want to eat for breakfast?" The man, who had just finished washing his face, asked while wiping his face.
"Are you sure we're having breakfast?" Why did she think that they had long missed breakfast?
"My bad. What do you want to eat for lunch?"
"Anything that's not too greasy will be fine. I don't have much appetite now," said Xyla.
"Shall I cook some noodles for you?"
"Okay..."
"Beef noodles?"
"Seafood noodles. I don't feel like having meat..." Xyla added.
"Sure. I'll prepare our lunch now. You can put on makeup first." Then, the man strode out of the room.
Chapter 693
Chapter 693
She did not know when it started, but Stanley Batton would always be the one preparing the meals as long as they were at home.
He would also wash the dishes after they had their meals and did all the other household chores.
Everything was contrary to what they had agreed to when they first moved into this house.
In the past, both of them would divide the chores equally.
However, the situation had changed as time crept by. He was now in charge of all the heavy work.
The man seemed to be accustomed to their current lifestyle too. He would automatically settle everything for his girl, spoiling her like a little princess.
Xyla Quest had also gotten used to it.
She was used to being pampered by him every day.
She was used to having her man to take charge of all the household chores.
No matter how tough the real world was, she would always be his baby girl in this house.
Whenever she returned to their home, he would welcome her with his warm embrace.
Likewise, no matter how ruthless and cold the man was when he was outside, he would always reveal his most gentle side when he set foot into this house.
He could put on a suit and tie and turn into the fiercest leopard in the jungle, wandering around the cruel business world with ease.
Conversely, he could also take off his suit and put on an apron for her, patiently brewing her favorite soup in the kitchen.
He had always been an indifferent and cruel man to the outsiders.
Nevertheless, he saved the warmest side of him for her.
After washing her face, Xyla put on some light makeup.
She chose a pale-cherry lipstick color to give her lips a healthy glow before changing into a clean and tidy business girl outfit.
She matched her white blouse with a light pink high-waisted slim cut skirt. Her light pink suit was rather well-fitting, perfectly accentuating her figure and her tiny waist.
The hem of her pink skirt lay between her thighs and her knees, showing off her skinny and straight legs effortlessly.
Putting on a pair of matching pink high heels and tying her hair into a neat high ponytail, Xyla went downstairs refreshed.
At this moment, Stanley was setting up the cutlery in front of the dining table.
There were two bowls of steaming seafood noodles, two cups of orange milkshake, and a small plate of salad on the table.
It was a simple meal, but his presence had made it extra special.
Steak and king crab were nothing compared to the bowl of fine noodles he made.
Xyla's legs were undeniably sexy. There was no fat on them. They swayed appealingly as her soles moved upon the glossy tiles. When Stanley lifted his head, the first thing that caught his sight was her legs, followed by her slender waist, and her fairy-like face.
A strong desire surged within the man when he thought of the images of them just now.
"Wow... the noodles look delicious," Xyla cheerfully walked up to him and said.
As soon as she finished her sentence, Stanley hugged her tightly from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. He was constantly rubbing her earlobe with the tip of his nose while gritting his teeth. “I wouldn't have let you step out of this house today without 'doing it' if not for the fact that you're tired."
Xyla smelled danger the moment he said that. Immediately, she pushed him away somewhat coldly though the rosiness on her cheeks gave her away. She sat down sheepishly. "Get yourself together, Stanley Batton. Be a man, Stanley Batton."
A flicker of a smile played across Stanley's face as he sank into the chair next to her. Tenderness overflowed his eyes like a fountain. "Xyla..."
Xyla raised her head and met his eyes.
For a second, she felt like she was about to drown in his eyes.
"Hmm?"
"Do you love me?"
Xyla's face grew redder and redder. "What about you? Do you love me?"
Stanley rarely told her that he loved her.
However, he had expressed his love for her through actions.
Sometimes, it was not necessary for us to tell someone how much we loved them.
To understand a man, one should look at what he had done for them instead of listening to what he said. Actions always spoke louder than words.
Chapter 694
Chapter 694
"Yes... I love you to death, Xyla..." Stanley Batton answered truthfully. His eyes were brimmed with strong possessiveness as he spoke.
They were like dangerous cheetahs locking upon their prey.
"I only had an armor back then, and I'm not afraid of anything. However, your appearance has given me a soft spot..." Stanley held her hand with a serious expression etched on his face.
His one short sentence had touched Xyla Quest's heart. She could feel a prickly feeling at the tip of her nose as she met his eyes.
"In the past, many people tried to attack me, but they didn't know how to do it. Now that I have you, it's not going to be the same anymore. If they take you away from me, I will risk my life to snatch you back," Stanley continued.
Xyla's eyes were rimmed red upon hearing his sincere confession.
To Stanley, she was more important than his life.
"I love you very, very, very much too..." Xyla sobbed.
"I know. Let's eat. The noodles are getting cold." Stanley pinched her cheeks and gazed at her fondly as if he was comforting a five-year-old kid.
Xyla picked up the fork. She slurped the noodles while wiping her tears. "Bastard. I've just woken up, and you're making me cry already."
Stanley smiled and picked out all the shrimps from his bowl, putting them into Xyla's bowl one by one.
Once again, his little action had warmed her heart.
"Have some shrimp. Don't give it all to me..." Xyla nagged.
"It's okay. You can have them."
He knew that Xyla loved shrimps. Every time they had noodles together, he would pick out her favorite shrimps from his bowl and give them all to her. "Speaking of which, I've arranged our two families to meet tonight. Remember to get off from work earlier later," Stanley reminded her.
Xyla found that the man was more concerned about this matter than her.
"Okay." Xyla nodded in response.
"I'll drive you to work today, and I'll pick you up in the evening. Let's go to find our families together," he added.
"Sure. By the way, has Sebastian Brenand contacted you recently?" Xyla asked.
"No," he answered.
"Is he okay?"
"Not really."
"It seems that he has really fallen in love with Rachel Wood this time. Has he found Rachel yet?" Xyla asked curiously.
"No."
"Aren't you going to help him?"
"Well, I guess I should lend him a hand."
***
At eight o'clock sharp, Xyla and Stanley walked into one of the large, luxurious private rooms at Victoria Hotel.
Jeremy Quest and May Conner were already sitting in the private room, waiting for them. Apparently, the Batton family had not arrived yet.
Before the pair could even greet the two elders, Wilson Batton strode into the room with Josh Batton, Catherine Batton, and Sharon Lindt following closely behind him.
Both of their parents and family members were properly dressed up.
All of them looked pretty decent.
Jeremy and May stopped dead in their tracks the moment they saw Josh.
Josh Batton, one of the most notable celebrities today, was Stanley's brother?
No wonder they often thought that Josh and Stanley bore a resemblance with each other.
The Batton family was very polite. As soon as they saw Jeremy and Quest, they took the initiative to walk up to them and introduce themselves courteously.
The two families warmly exchanged pleasantries before taking their seats.
Though May's presence had irritated Sharon, she did not show her true feelings as she did not want to give Jeremy a hard time. She hoped that the two families could have dinner harmoniously, too. Seeing that everyone had settled down at the round table, Jeremy reached for the long brocade box placed on the windowsill next to him and handed it to Wilson.
Wilson's eyes were full of curiosity. "What is this?"
Judging from the size of the box, could it be a painting?
Chapter 695
Chapter 695
"It's Tang Bohu's painting. Xyla told me that you love to collect antique calligraphy and paintings, especially Tang Bohu's artworks." Jeremy Quest responded. A smile blossomed on Wilson Batton's face when he heard his favorite painter's name. Without further ado, he unfolded the handscroll in front of everyone. This beautiful painting was a collection that he had longed for.
Unfortunately, he was late to the auction last time. As a result, someone else had taken away this painting for twenty million dollars.
He could not believe that Jeremy was actually that 'someone else'.
"Aye! Thank you so much, Jeremy!" Wilson held the painting joyfully and admired it with all his heart.
He looked very much like a little girl encountering her beloved idol in real life.
Xyla Quest understood why her father was willing to give Wilson his favorite painting of all time.
The Batton family had given her family many valuable gifts. Hence, he wanted to return something of the same value to show his gratitude.
On top of that, he hoped that his decent gift could more or less grace her daughter in front of her in-laws.
As Xyla pondered about it, the corner of her soft lips subconsciously curved upward into a shallow arc.
Her father always had her best interests at heart.
"Isn't this the painting you've been longing for? You've finally found it. You must be really happy, aren't you?" Sharon Lindt glanced at the painting and asked.
"Are you interested in the painting too?" Upon hearing that, Jeremy could not help but grin in satisfaction.
Wilson nodded. "Yeah. I love it..."
Looking at the painting in Wilson's hand, May Conner's heart was shattered into a million pieces.
She did not agree with Jeremy to give such a priceless gift to the Batton family.
This painting was worth more than twenty million dollars.
It would not be a problem if they wanted to resell it at the price of thirty million dollars.
Tang Bohu's artwork was one of the rarest antiques on the market.
However, May had no right to stop Jeremy as he had already made up his mind. Furthermore, she had learned an important lesson from her previous mistake, that was, to play nice in front of Jeremy. It was safer and better for her to keep quiet.
Devastated at the loss of the painting, May decided to change the subject. "Josh Batton, my daughter, Emily Quest, is very fond of you. I totally didn't expect you to be part of our family. My daughter would be overjoyed if she knew about this."
Emily Quest. Josh Batton did remember this name.
The nasty woman who often went against Xyla.
Josh managed a faint smile. "Is that so?"
"Yes... Of course..." May replied.
As she spoke, she snuck a sneaky text message to Emily when nobody was looking at her, sharing the good news with her daughter.
As soon as Catherine Batton heard Emily's name, she could not help but roll her eyes at May, her face as dark as night.
Sharon had told her all the filthy things that the two of them had done to Xyla.
Two vicious women. This was her impression of May and Emily.
"Catherine... What a sweet little girl! Sharon, Wilson, you've done a wonderful job in raising your kids," May continued.
Catherine did not even bother to listen to her sheer bunk. Without paying any heed to her, Catherine lowered her head and kept eating, occasionally forcing a smile out of politeness. Halfway through the meal, Emily pushed open the door and walked into the private room.
She had rushed here as soon as she saw May's message.
This shameless woman had dropped a bombshell in the room. Xyla, as well as the Batton family, were stunned by her arrival. Their utter dismay was reflected in their eyes.
None of them had invited Emily...
Why was she here?
On the other hand, Emily was flabbergasted with joy when she caught sight of her favorite idol. Nevertheless, she tried to suppress her excitement as she was still a severely depressed patient in the public. Trying as she might, she hid her smile and nodded politely to everyone before sitting on the empty seat next to Josh.
"Hello everyone... I'm Emily Quest..." Emily mumbled.
Xyla glared at her, speechless. How could she be so shameless?
What a brazen unbidden guest...
Chapter 696
Chapter 696
The elders of the Batton family managed to mostly maintain a serene and courteous front despite their shock. They returned Emily Quest a polite nod. Nonetheless, the rest of them remained indifferent toward her arrival.
The same was true for Josh Batton, who was usually friendly and humble.
Emily did not care what the others thought about her.
She only cared about her beloved idol's reaction.
From the second she opened the door, her eyes were able to perfectly capture all the subtle changes in Josh's expression.
He resented her.
She clearly knew that it was because of Xyla Quest.
Initially, she thought that Josh liked Xyla.
Only today she had learned that Josh was one of the sons of the Batton family. He was Stanley Batton's sixth brother.
All the tenderness and intimacy that Josh had for Xyla were simply because they were family.
However, even so, she was still jealous of Xyla.
"Can I have your autograph later? I'm a big fan of yours..." Emily asked nervously.
"My company has forbidden us from giving autographs to random fans." Josh maintained a polite yet distant smile.
It was rare to find such an apathetic look on Josh.
Emily had been one of his biggest fans since a long time ago, and his affability had left a lasting impression on her. She could barely remember seeing such an expression on his face because it was only shown to someone he particularly hated...
Never in life had she imagined that Josh would hate her to such an extent because of Xyla.
Moreover, he had just turned her down in front of everyone.
"Your colleagues aren't here. No one will know if you secretly give me your autograph..." Emily said again.
She did not want to give up.
She had waited for her whole life to meet Josh and had dinner with him. How could she give up so easily?
Josh smiled. "I have my principle."
Though Emily was not resigned to his rejection, she knew that she would only put herself in a difficult situation if she pursued the matter. Having no other choice, she shut her mouth and looked away from him. Little did he know, his apparent disinterest did not affect her fondness for him at all.
Emily had started to fangirl over Josh ever since his debut role in a drama.
Up until now, she still could not forget the amazement Josh had brought her in that summer. Josh was the most stunning male lead she had ever seen.
What a dashing young man he was in that drama.
It was that one character that made her fall in love with Josh, and her love was uncontrollable.
Her beloved idol had become her kryptonite from that day onward, causing her to go on a spending spree. She would buy all the products he endorsed and all the magazines he was featured in. Besides, she would watch all the TV series and movies with him in it.
Her adoration for him was like a scorching flame. Despite Josh's deep antipathy toward her, there was no way she could just put out the fire in her heart.
It was all because Josh was the treasure that she once guarded with all her heart.
Nevertheless, she could not deny her idol was really hurting her at this moment.
One's heart could be divided into many parts.
Most of her heart was given to Tom Sullivan, and she had given the remaining small part to her beloved idol as well as the men she had one night stand with. Her love for them was not contradictory to each other.
Although she loved Tom very much, it was impossible for her to stop fangirling over her beloved idol, nor finding those men...
Her love for all of them was clear and distinct.
"Waiter, bring my daughter a set of cutlery..." May Conner broke the deadlock and looked at Emily. "Emily, you haven't had dinner, right? Let's eat together." Emily nodded in response.
"Sister-in-law, do you want to have some red wine?" The coolness exuded by Josh had disappeared instantaneously. His eyes only expressed sincerity as he stared at Xyla.
Stanley glowered at him coldly before taking the bottle of red wine on the table and poured it for Xyla himself.
No doubt, Xyla was the main character at this table tonight.
As for Emily, she was just a sidekick as usual.
Chapter 697
Chapter 697
As long as Xyla Quest was there, Emily Quest would definitely be the forgotten one.
Xyla was a diamond shining in the dark. She was dazzling enough to overshadow the people around her, and this included Emily.
Even when they were kids, she had always lived in Xyla's shadow. She was fed up with it.
Seeing that Stanley had already poured the wine for Xyla, Josh Batton did not say anything else and continued eating. From time to time, he would reach over to refill Catherine's plate.
Catherine kept her head down the whole time, focusing on her dinner. She did not even bother to look at Emily.
"Wilson, Sharon, Xyla told me that you have four other children besides Stan, Josh, and Catherine. Is that true?" May Conner tried to switch the subject again to keep Emily from being embarrassed. "Yes." Sharon Lindt was not interested in talking with May.
"I'll introduce them to you next time. The four of them are currently abroad. They're pretty busy, so they rarely come back," Wilson Batton explained.
"Sure. I'm looking forward to meeting them. I believe that they're all brilliant kids," May said again.
"It must be really tiring to keep flying around the world, right?" Emily asked as she turned to Josh.
"Yeah."
"Can't your company let you rest once in a while?" It seemed so unreal to sit beside his favorite idol. For a second, Emily felt as if she was suffocating.
Many celebrities looked better on screen than they do in real life, but Josh was an exception.
His skin was fair and soft like the morning dew. No matter how close one got to him, they would not find a single enlarged pore on it.
Tenderness was shimmering in his eyes.
There seemed to be a crystal clear stream flowing from his eyes, penetrating her and filling her empty heart.
Most of the girls would prefer Stanley Batton over Josh. However, Josh was the perfect man on earth to her.
His temperament alone was enough to make her heart melt.
Generally, the hot guys would exude an aggressive and oppressive aura despite having appealing looks.
Nonetheless, Josh had never given her this kind of feeling.
People admired him for his amiability as much as his good sense. Though he was a superstar, one would not feel distanced from him because he was friendly to everyone. Josh was just like a sunny senior one met in passing in university, wearing a snow-white shirt, riding a bicycle.
Many celebrities relied on makeup and dress-up.
Josh did not need any of those.
A simple white dress shirt was enough to set off his charm. Even if he did not put on any makeup, he could still make all his fans faint.
"That's not necessary."
"What about dramas? Do you have any upcoming drama?"
"It's confidential."
"I've been a big fan of yours for many years..." she added.
Emily had never talked this much since she started pretending as a depressive patient.
"Thanks." Josh remained detached from her.
Unable to find any topics to keep their conversation going, Emily decided to shut her mouth once again.
At this time, a waiter approached her and placed a set of new cutlery in front of her.
She began to eat with her head down.
She did not need to pretend to be depressed anymore.
Josh's indifference had already broken her heart. Would she look any better with a broken heart?
Nevertheless, it was her pleasure to sit with Josh, no matter how upset he made her feel.
***
After dinner, Emily logged onto her dating app on her phone and texted a young man.
Then, the two of them went to a nearby hotel.
Tom Sullivan had not touched her for months. Whenever she felt lonely, she would log onto the dating app to look for some good-looking guys. Sometimes she would also look for those handsome models at the nightclub.
Emily had a severe addiction to sex.
It had gotten worse since Tom decided not to touch her anymore.
Chapter 698
Chapter 698
To prevent the Sullivan family from getting suspicious of her, Emily Quest would make sure that she was home by eleven o'clock when she met up with the other men at night.
She would then lie to the Sullivan family that she had a bad day, so she wanted to go for a walk.
They did not care about her, anyway. None of them care about how she felt or where she went.
If she hung out with the other men during the daytime, she would tell them she wanted to go shopping, or she needed to take medicine from the hospital. In short, there were a bunch of excuses that she could
use.
She usually would have fun longer during the daytime. There were times when she constantly pestered them for the whole afternoon.
Occasionally, she would also hang out with two or three men at once.
Initially, Emily did not plan to find any men tonight, but her heart was burning again after seeing Josh.
She had to find a place to vent.
***
While Emily was entangled with a young man in bed, Xyla Quest was duo-queuing with Team QPG's Support in the study room. She had been playing the game since she came home from dinner. Emily was having a fierce battle, and the same was true for her sister.
After Stanley Batton came out from the bathroom, he sat on the bed and unlocked his phone, going through the correspondence between his company and the partnerships in earnest.
It was already midnight when he finished reading all the documents.
Stanley took off his gold-rimmed glasses and massaged his forehead. Feeling much better, he opened his eyes and scanned the bedroom.
She had not come back.
It was unsurprising. His wife would always give her all to achieve her goal whenever she started doing something.
This was also what he liked most about her.
She always did her very best in whatever she did.
Nevertheless, her determination had its disadvantage too.
This was not the first time Stanley felt like she neglected him because of that stupid video game.
Sometimes, he texted her in the afternoon, but she did not reply to him. He had to wait for hours for her to get back to him, explaining how she missed the message because she had training at the base.
Even after she had finished all her work, she would grab her laptop and play the game for a while before going to bed.
When Stanley walked into the study room, Xyla was frantically attacking the enemy's inhibitor with her Support.
She was just a few clicks away from destroying the inhibitor.
Stanley strode across the room and stopped beside her, his hand running down her body naughtily.
Xyla shivered at the tingling sensation traveling across her skin.
At this time, the opposing team's Top Solo respawned.
The Top Solo immediately killed Xyla and her Support while she was distracted by Stanley.
Xyla was totally speechless.
One more click. One more click, and the enemy's inhibitor would have been destroyed.
She now had to play another round to end the game because of Stanley.
Xyla turned to glare at him in dissatisfaction. "What's wrong with you? Can't you see I'm in a match right now?"
"I know. Do what you're supposed to do..." Stanley's hand continued to move around her body. "... and I'll do what I'm supposed to do."
Right at that moment, Xyla's other three teammates teleported to the enemy's inhibitor together.
After an intense fight between the two teams, her teammates finally destroyed the enemy's inhibitor.
Victory.
Stanley snuck a peek at the screen. "You won."
Without waiting for Xyla's response, he leaned forward and kissed her passionately.
He forced her onto the desk.
His body on top of hers and his hands on either side of her tiny body, burying her under his shadow.
Xyla parted their lips exasperatedly. "Stanley Batton... Don't ever disturb me when I'm playing games."
"Okay, I'll control myself next time."
"I'm serious..."
"Yes, I know."
"I'm tired... Can we not... today... ummm..."
Was she given a chance to say no?
Stanley pulled her in and claimed her mouth again...
The next day, it was already noon when Xyla opened her eyes.
The noises of her vibrating phone woke her up.
Chapter 699
Chapter 699
She could have slept through the entire day if it was not for the call.
She and Stanley Batton had just fallen asleep at dawn.
Exhaustion pulsed through her veins the moment she opened her eyes. Her sleep-deprived brain was going in circles, and her limbs were all numb.
Using her last bit of energy, she reached for her phone on the bedside table and stole a glance at the time before answering the call.
"Boss? I thought we were going to have lunch together at the base before training? Why aren't you here yet? The food is ready, and we're all waiting for you." Team QPG's president, Michael Gabriel's voice rang in her right ear, shaking her out of her drowsiness.
Only then did Xyla Quest remember that she had indeed promised her team members that she would go over for lunch with them before starting the training this afternoon.
In the end, because of Stanley....
She turned around and glowered at the culprit, who was currently sleeping with his back to her.
Furious with his inconsideration, she rolled her eyes at him and gave his calf a harsh kick.
Her kick awakened the man. Immediately, he rolled over and hugged Xyla from behind. "Good girl... Let me sleep for a while more... Give me a hug... hmm?”
The cold aura that usually surrounded the man had all faded away. He was simply a gentle, mild guy at the moment.
He sounded languid and sleepy.
His tenderness pierced through her like a sharp blade, overwhelming every bit of her.
Xyla's right hand trembled slightly, almost dropping her phone. Embarrassment crept up from the pit of her stomach.
She was on the phone!
Could this guy please get a hold of himself?
"Shhhh!" Xyla glared at him.
"Boss... Erm... Are you busy right now? How about we have training on another day?" Michael had grasped the situation instantaneously. He finally understood why Xyla had not come over yet though it had long past lunchtime.
"Sorry, I think I'm going to skip lunch today. You guys go ahead and eat. I'll go to training later."
Xyla directly hung up the phone without waiting for Michal's reply. Then, she pushed the man away and turned to him with a serious face. "Stanley Batton, can't you see I was on my phone just now?"
"I know..."
"You know? Why did you try to flirt with me then?"
"Yes..."
His eyes shut tightly, but his hand could not stop touching her.
"Don't do that again," warned Xyla.
"Okay, I'll control myself next time."
"You say that every single time! Tell me. What the hell did you try to control? Why can't you get yourself together? Are you that lame?" Xyla complained discontentedly.
Oh no. As soon as she finished the last sentence, she regretted it.
She was playing with fire...
As expected, the man soon began to do something nonsensical again. "I'll let you know right now... if I'm lame or not..."
"Nooo..."
Sadly, would he ever listen to her?
Another hour had passed.
The man finally released her.
Xyla pushed him away resentfully. Without saying a word, she crawled out of bed and went straight to the bathroom.
On the other hand, the man looked as refreshed as usual.
He was in no hurry to get up. Slowly and indolently, he sat up and leaned against the bedhead, lighting a cigarette and puffing at it.
The scratches on his neck, chest, arms, and back were particularly enchanting in the midst of the smoke.
The man had regained his calmness within a second or two, looking totally different from just now.
His ice-cold face, and the scratches all over his body, provided a startling contrast in appearance.
He looked cool yet lustful, as if he was going to swallow someone in the next second.
After smoking, he crushed the butt of the cigarette and walked into the bathroom.
After the duo had showered and brushed their teeth, Xyla put on a large white bathrobe and left the bathroom first. She sat down in front of the dressing table and put on some makeup. Her hair was semi-wet as she had no time to dry her hair with a hairdryer.
Stanley stepped out of the bathroom after shaving his mustache. The first thing that came to sight was Xyla when he returned to the bedroom.
He could see her captivating features from the reflection in the mirror.
Without hesitation, he approached her from behind and squeezed her shoulder. He ran his fingers through her wet hair and asked, "Why don't you dry your hair first? Hmm?”
Chapter 700
Chapter 700
Xyla Quest looked in the mirror and rolled her eyes at him once more. "Well, what do you think?"
"What?" Stanley Batton's eyes widened, attentive, and brimming with curiosity.
"Thanks to somebody, I'm in a hurry now, so I don't have time to dry my hair," blurted Xyla grumpily.
"Oh."
"Oh? What do you mean by 'oh'? Isn't this your fault?" The more Xyla thought about it, the angrier she got. She could not stop mumbling, "It's all because of you, bastard."
He had wasted that one hour.
If she had got out of bed one hour earlier, she would have done putting on her makeup, dressing up, and even finishing her lunch right now.
In the mirror, the man's soft lips stretched into a doting smile as he gazed at her.
When Xyla lifted her head, she met his smiling eyes.
A strange tingling sensation ran down her spine instantaneously.
There was only a white towel wrapped around his waist. Water beads were sliding down his chest, over the scratches she left behind, adding a tinge of sexiness to his perfect body.
Some people did not need to do anything to catch one's eyes. Their presence alone was enough to make other's knees give in.
Stanley was definitely one of them.
"My bad." The man looked at her lovingly.
"Have you learned from your mistake?"
Stanley nodded obediently like a devout believer. "Yes."
Nevertheless, even so, Xyla clearly knew that his words were untrustable.
"Tell me what you've learned."
"I've learned that I should 'work harder' next time so that you won't have the energy to nag me anymore." As he spoke, he inched closer and plopped his hands on the dressing table, caging Xyla in his embrace. His delicate chin rested against the top of her hair, and his gentle gaze fixed upon her face with only a layer of essential skincare products on-in the mirror.
Upon hearing that, Xyla's cheeks instantly turned cherry-red.
Her blush seared through her ears, all the way to her neck.
Nice one, Stanley. What a 'sincere' attitude he had when he was admitting his mistakes.
"You're so cheeky, Stanley Batton," Xyla rebuked helplessly.
"That's rude, girl. Call me 'hubby'." His tone was strangely compelling.
"Look, Stanley Batton..."
"Hmm?" The man raised his brows. His gaze gradually became dangerous.
Xyla immediately surrendered. "Hubby."
She was aware that the man would never let her step out of the house today if she continued to argue with him.
It was better for her to give up now.
"Good girl. Hubby will help you to dry your hair."
Following that statement, he took the hairdryer from the dressing table and plugged it in. He carefully untangled the cable before drying her hair earnestly.
Incidentally, he would give her a scalp massage.
He ran his fingers through her black hair, bringing her an unprecedented sense of comfort.
Xyla enjoyed his massage in silence.
She looked in the mirror and paused at the man's tender eyes.
Such a gaze was only shown to her alone.
There was no aggressiveness in them.
Xyla stared at him for quite some time before she came back to her senses. She continued to put on some foundation on her face and carefully tapped on it with a beauty egg that had been wetted in advance. When she had done putting on the base, her hair was completely dry too.
Picking up her eyebrow pencil, she glanced at him in the mirror and said, "Thanks."
"What for? I'm your husband."
"It has to be said."
Stanley remained silent. He took the eyebrow pencil from her hand and studied her face. "Shall I draw it for you?"
Xyla shook her head nervously.
She had no confidence in him at all.
She did not want to waste any more time to redraw her eyebrows, too.
Though, it was really romantic for a husband to help his wife to draw her brows.