Upon hearing Nancy’s question, Jory’s brows furrowed. “Huh? That’s impossible! My dad can’t possibly be in Marsingfill. Even if he is, don’t you think it’s strange if we were to appear at the same event at the same time?”
While Nancy knew that his relationship with the chairman of Alpire Group was strained, she never expected it to be so bad that it would be strange if they were to appear in the same place at the same time.
By then, Jory was already unfastening his seatbelt. “Let’s not talk about him anymore. I’m in a good mood today, so let’s not ruin it…”
“In this world, blood ties are the only bond that can never be severed. If there’s an opportunity, you should keep an open mind and talk to him,” Nancy exhorted without looking at him as she unfastened her seatbelt.
When Jory, who was unfastening his seatbelt, heard that, he lifted his head and glanced at her beside him. The gleam in his eyes at that moment was one even he himself couldn’t decipher.
All annual competitions were as strict as the current one. Every single person who wanted to enter the dojo had to be checked one at a time before they were allowed entrance, as though passing a security check.
It was then midsummer, so it was really scorching. For that reason, it was truly torturous to queue outside the door to pass the security check. Worse still, they had to endure extreme thirst since there wasn’t a single grocery store in sight.
Jory reached out and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Beside him, Nancy wasn’t faring any better. Oh God, it’s just too warm today! Fortunately, I didn’t apply any makeup, or I would’ve ended up with it running down my face now.
She then reached into her bag for a tissue, inwardly lauding herself for having packed everything necessary before leaving the house. Out of the blue, she felt bursts of cool air against the back of her hand, and she suddenly remembered that she had thrown two bottles of mineral water into her bag before leaving.
Most importantly… it’s cold!
In the next second, she brandished a bottle of mineral water in front of Jory as though presenting him with a priceless treasure. However, she then shifted it away before he could snatch it out of her hands. With a smug expression on her face, she declared, “You’ll owe me a favor.”
Meanwhile, Jory felt as though he was in a fiery furnace then. At that moment, he would agree without hesitation even if he were asked to pluck a star from the sky, let alone owe her a favor.
Promptly agreeing, he swiftly snatched the bottle of mineral water from her hand. After guzzling down several mouthfuls and quenching his thirst, he was once again energetic, thus started growing mischievous.
He shifted close to Nancy. Nancy, who was rummaging for the uniform she put into her bag, instinctively blurted, “Stay away from me when it’s so warm now.”
Her tone became very different from usual once she grew serious, so when Jory heard that, he obediently put some distance between them.
He wanted to say something else, but the referee had already blown the whistle to summon all contestants to enter the dojo one by one. Jory’s turn was ahead of Nancy, so he coolly bid her farewell upon hearing the referee’s call. “See you later.”
Unexpectedly, a creamy white hand shot out and clutched the hem of his clothes. In the slightly flowing smock of his white uniform, he actually held a bit of resemblance to an ancient warrior, especially when coupled with his jet-black brows.
“Be careful,” Nancy murmured. “Remember to observe your opponent’s every gesture and movement closely…”
She was still going to nag him further, but Jory chuckled and stretched out a hand to place it on her hair. Gently rubbing his thumb on her forehead, he flashed her a smile that had butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
She couldn’t quite decipher the emotion in his gaze, merely seeing herself reflected clearly in his pupils. “I got it. Thank you.”
Hmm? Hey, he sounds as though he’s mollifying a kid! Jory then stuffed his bottle of mineral water into her hand before leaving. As his figure resembled that of a messenger walking toward the light, a phrase suddenly flashed across her mind though it seemed rather inappropriate to be used here.
Never will I meet another like him.
The soft mineral water bottle in her hand still carried the warmth of his palm, and the touch of his hand on her hair lingered.
