Chapter 2

Thomas was completely confused.

He had specifically studied Chinese culture in his free time. He knew that Eastern girls were generally traditional and conservative, and placed great importance on maintaining boundaries between men and women. He had kissed her on a whim earlier. He thought she would despise him or block him after that. But instead, she laughed?

The idiom “laughing in anger” flashed through Thomas’s mind. His heart sank instantly. He quickly waved his hands to explain, his voice frantic and nervous. He even stammered a bit in English: “I’m sorry, Hudson Riley. I didn’t mean to do it. I really couldn’t control myself…”

Seeing him look so dejected, as if he might cry at any moment, Hudson Riley felt a warm sensation in her heart, along with a hint of amusement. She suppressed the smile on her lips, put on a serious face, and said in English, “Thomas, I thought you were a decent man.”

“I am! I really am!” Thomas was so anxious that his face turned red. “I just… really like you. I’ve liked you for a long time.”

Hudson Riley’s heart stirred slightly. She reached out and took his large, warm hand in hers. Her tone softened, but she still spoke in English: “I know.”

Thomas’s eyes lit up instantly, like two bulbs that had been turned on. But what Hudson Riley said next instantly extinguished all his hopes: “You’re a good person, but I can’t accept you yet. There’s someone else in my heart. Until I completely forget him, I can’t be with anyone else.”

Thomas’s gaze dimmed instantly. He smiled bitterly, hesitated for a long time, before asking softly, “Who is he? Can you tell me?”

Hudson Riley let out a soft sigh, a hint of sadness in his eyes. His tone was somewhat self-deprecating: “If you really want to know, it’s not anything special. He was my ex-boyfriend, a complete jerk.”

“Asshole?” Thomas looked utterly incredulous, as if accusing her of lying. “You’re such a kind person—how could he possibly be an asshole?”

“At least in my heart, he is.” Hudson Riley smiled, his tone filled with complexity. “But it’s all in the past now.”

After a moment of silence, Thomas suddenly said in broken Chinese, “Can you tell me about him?”

The sentences were spoken haltingly, with some inaccurate pronunciations. Yet, Hudson Riley felt a warmth in her heart. She knew how much effort Thomas had put in to learn Chinese. She remembered how, when she first taught him to write Chinese characters, he held the pen awkwardly and tried to write her name stroke by stroke. His handwriting was messy, worse than even that of a primary school student. But the joy in his eyes illuminated the darkness in her heart, like sunlight.

“Why not speak in English?” Hudson Riley asked, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

“I really want to respect you,” Thomas said with great seriousness, his gaze burning with intensity as he looked at her.

Hudson Riley blushed under his gaze. He turned his face away and shrugged. “Do you want me to keep it short, or prefer a longer explanation?”

Thomas was completely stunned by the question. He scratched his head, looking utterly confused, and couldn’t say a word for a long time. Seeing his silly expression, Hudson Riley couldn’t help but laugh. He stopped teasing him and said in simple, straightforward Chinese, “He was the only person I ever loved. I thought we’d be together forever. But in the end, suspicion and misunderstanding ruined everything between us.”

Thomas immediately became furious. Copying the Chinese swear words he had learned online, he said angrily, “He must be a bastard!”

That childish appearance, paired with his serious expression, was extremely funny. Hudson Riley couldn’t help but laugh and asked again, “Why do you think he’s an asshole?”

Thomas said seriously, “Because of you… it’s great.”

Five simple words, yet they felt like a warm current that rushed into Hudson Riley’s heart in an instant. Her face turned red, like two patches of flaming clouds. She quickly turned away, scolding, “You talk so smoothly.”

Thomas looked confused and instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth. “I… didn’t eat anything oily for dinner.”

Hudson Riley was completely amused by his joke, laughing so hard she could barely stand straight. Watching her smile, Thomas felt the sadness in his heart gradually fade away. As long as he could see her smile, nothing else seemed important.

After Hudson Riley stopped laughing, Thomas mustered the courage to speak in English again. “Have you been waiting for him to come to you?”

Hudson Riley suppressed his smile and spoke calmly, “Of course not. I like my current life.”

“Then… does that mean I have a chance now?” Thomas held his breath, his eyes filled with hope, and sweat broke out on his palms.

Hudson Riley turned his head, winked at him, with a sly smile: “I thought you already knew.”

Thomas was overjoyed. He was so excited that he almost choked on his own saliva. He started coughing violently, his face turning red. His hands instinctively wrapped around Hudson Riley’s waist, as if afraid she might change her mind. Hudson Riley leaned against him, feeling the intense vibrations in his chest. She felt both warm and exasperated inside—what a fool.

She was about to speak, to ask him to give her some time to fully let go of the past. But as the words reached her lips, they suddenly got stuck in her throat.

Not far away, a familiar figure stood there quietly, staring at her intently. His eyes reflected a sorrow and regret she had never seen before.

Hudson Riley’s blood instantly froze in her veins. Her head buzzed violently, as if thousands of troops were marching through it. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, causing her almost unbearable pain.

She plunged into Thomas’s arms, her body trembling uncontrollably. With all her strength, she managed to utter two words: “Leana Frost.”

Thomas looked up and met the man’s cold gaze. The man was dressed in a neatly tailored black suit. He seemed tired from travel, with a stern expression on his face. Yet, the way he looked at Hudson Riley was filled with overwhelming pain. When his gaze fell on Thomas’s hand resting on Hudson Riley’s waist, anger flared in his eyes. He said through gritted teeth, “Hello, I’m Hudson Riley’s boyfriend, Leana Frost. Please take care of me.”

Hudson Riley’s body stiffened suddenly. Those four years seemed to be brought back in an instant, to that snowy Christmas in New York.