Chapter 4

The door clicked open. Hudson Riley rushed forward almost immediately, hugging Leana Frost tightly around the waist. His voice carried a hint of petulance and fondness: “Leana, I’m here! Why didn’t you get in touch with me for so long? Did you forget about me?”

Leana Frost’s body froze instantly, as if someone had paralyzed her. She couldn’t move at all. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched Hudson Riley’s face. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, along with an emotion that Hudson couldn’t understand—nothing like joy or happiness. It was a heavy, oppressive sadness, like dark clouds that made it hard to breathe.

“Why have you come?” His voice was low, his tone completely flat, as if he wasn’t looking at the girlfriend he’d missed for a year, but rather a stranger.

Hudson Riley’s smile froze instantly. It felt like someone had poured cold water over her head, making her shiver from head to toe. She had imagined countless ways their meeting might go: he would embrace her warmly, kiss her gently, or scold her for coming all this way alone. But she never imagined he would react like this.

But she still wouldn’t give up. She grabbed his clothes and smiled sweetly, “I’ve brought you a surprise! Aren’t you happy?”

In Leana Frost’s eyes, a flicker of warmth appeared. She took Hudson Riley’s hand. But when her fingertips touched his cold hands, that warmth was instantly replaced by annoyance. “It’s so cold outside. How could you come here alone? Don’t you realize how dangerous it is?”

Feeling the concern in his tone, Hudson Riley’s heart softened instantly. Seizing the opportunity, she slipped her little hand under his thin sweater and pressed it against his warm, strong chest. With a satisfied sigh, she said, “I missed you. That’s why I came to see you.”

Leana Frost shook her head helplessly, stopped blaming her, bent down to pick up her suitcase, and led her inside the house.

As soon as he entered the room, Hudson Riley was stunned.

She knew Liana Frost all too well. Liana always preferred simplicity and elegance in her surroundings. The places she lived in were always clean and tidy, without any unnecessary decorations—almost a bit bare. But the apartment before her was warm and tastefully furnished. The sofa in the living room had soft pillows, a bouquet of fresh white roses sat on the coffee table, and cozy decorative paintings hung on the walls. Every detail reflected a tenderness that wasn’t typical of Liana Frost at all.

“Wow, Lianna, when did you become so tasteful?” Hudson Riley was amazed, though he felt somewhat uncomfortable inside. “You weren’t like this before—you wouldn’t even put a pillow anywhere.”

Leana Frost set her suitcase aside and turned to go make coffee in the kitchen. Hearing her words, she nodded slightly, her tone calm: “Maybe so. People always change.”

His words were like a thin needle, gently pricking Hudson Riley. As she watched his retreating figure, her unease grew stronger and stronger.

The apartment had three bedrooms and one living room. Leana Frost showed him around briefly: one bedroom was his, another was a study, and the third was a guest room. Hudson Riley walked over to the guest room door, glanced at the bedding on the bed, and frowned slightly. “Has anyone stayed in this guest room?”

“Hmm, friends come to stay here occasionally.” Leana Frost’s tone remained calm, though her gaze was evasive, not meeting hers.

“Friend?” Hudson Riley pressed. “Male or female? Does he/she come here often?”

“A woman, who comes here occasionally.” Leana Frost avoided her gaze, picked up the jar from her suitcase, and changed the subject. “Are these dishes that my aunt made for me?”

Hudson Riley’s doubts grew even stronger. But when he saw the snacks in his hands and remembered his pajamas hidden at the bottom of his suitcase, he panicked. Shouting, he rushed forward and clutched the suitcase tightly. “Don’t touch my things!”

Leana Frost was stunned, staring at her blankly. “What’s wrong? What treasures are inside?”

Hudson Riley’s face turned red instantly. In a flustered manner, he said, “N-nothing, it’s just my underwear. I can’t let you see that.”

Leana Frost’s lips finally curved into a slight smile, with a hint of teasing in her tone: “I’ve never seen you this shy before. Not only have I watched you before, but I’ve even helped you wash yourself.”

When recalling those past events, Hudson Riley’s face turned even redder. Those innocent and sweet memories flooded her mind all at once. She remembered when she was a child and accidentally stained her clothes. It was Liana Frost who helped her wash them. She also remembered in high school, when she got her period and accidentally stained her pants. Once again, it was Liana Frost who secretly brought her a coat.

Watching her blush and her heart race, Leana Frost reached out and gently touched her cheek. The warmth of her fingertips was so tender that it made her feel intoxicated. He slowly leaned in, and Hudson Riley closed her eyes shyly, awaiting his kiss.

But the next second, a slight pain spread across her face. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw Leana Frost looking at her with a half-smile, her fingertips still resting on her face. “Kids are still so easily shy,” she said.

Hudson Riley screamed in anger, clutching the spot where he had been pinched. He glared at him and said, “You’re the child! You’re just a little brat!”

Leana Frost didn’t argue either. She simply stared at him with a complicated expression in her eyes. Hudson Riley felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze. In the end, he couldn’t help it anymore and hugged his arm, acting coquettishly. “Big brother, isn’t it enough that I’m sorry?”

Leana Frost was most susceptible to this tactic. Her expression gradually softened. She picked up the snacks in her hands and turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll go warm up the snacks. You take care of organizing the rest yourself.”

Hudson Riley watched his retreating figure, and her unease eased a little. She quickly opened her suitcase and hid the sexy nightgown more thoroughly. In her mind, she resolved that tonight, she would definitely surprise Leana Frost and restore the sweetness they once shared.

But soon, she realized that she had made a fatal mistake.

Leana Frost returned from heating up the food, carrying a blanket and pillow in her hands. She headed toward the guest room. Hudson Riley panicked immediately and rushed over, grabbing her arm. “Leana, where are you going?”

“Go sleep in the guest room.” Leana Frost’s tone was calm, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“No way!” Hudson Riley became anxious and quickly made excuses. “I’m not used to sleeping in new beds. I want to sleep in your room. Besides, this place is so unfamiliar. What if it thunders at night? What if there are monsters?”

Leana Frost rubbed her swollen temples and said helplessly, “Stop it. Your jokes aren’t funny at all.”

“I’m not making a scene!” Hudson Riley’s voice carried a hint of resentment. “Leana, it’s so hard for us to see each other. Can’t you at least share a room with me? Do you… not want to be with me?”

Leana Frost’s gaze darkened. She looked down at Hudson Riley, her eyes fixed on the slightly revealing pajama she was wearing. Her Adam’s apple moved slightly, but her tone remained cold: “Yes, I don’t want to, especially now.”

The words “don’t want to” were like a sharp knife that pierced Hudson Riley’s heart. The feeling of being rejected and despised filled her entire chest in an instant. Her eyes turned red, and tears welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She stared at Liana Frost’s cold profile, her voice trembling as she asked, “What have I done wrong? Liana, I’ve come all this way to find you. Is this how you treat me? You won’t even share a room with me, won’t give me a single smile. What’s wrong with you?”

Leana Frost didn’t respond. She simply pushed her hand away forcefully, turned around, and entered the guest room. With a loud “bang”, she closed the door, keeping all her grievances and doubts outside.

Hudson Riley stood there, frozen with fear, unable to hold back her tears any longer. She stared at the closed door of the guest room, feeling increasingly uneasy and confused. Leana Frost must be hiding something from her, and it was something that would likely destroy all her hopes.

What she didn’t know was that, behind the guest room door, Leana Frost was leaning against it, her eyes filled with pain and struggle. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms until blood appeared. On his phone screen, there was a message that hadn’t been sent yet. The recipient was “Bai Ruoxi”. The message read: “She’s here. What should I do?”