Chapter 9

The New Year’s Eve dinner was so unpleasant that everyone felt uncomfortable eating it.

Hudson Riley remained sullen throughout the meal, his lips pouted as if they could hold two strings of sweetened haws. He didn’t even touch his favorite dish: braised lion’s head. Mrs. Riley, trying to keep her temper, cut the originally planned twenty-six dishes down to sixteen. Still, the meal was quite lavish. But Mr. Riley, holding Ashley Kaler’s go game records in his hands, felt his face burning with embarrassment. He wanted to speak up in Ashley Kaler’s defense, but the moment he met his wife’s sharp gaze, he backed down immediately. He buried his face in his food, venting all his dissatisfaction through eating.

“Uncle, don’t eat too much greasy food. It can raise cholesterol levels.” Leana Frost naturally picked up a forkful of stir-fried potatoes in vinegar and placed it in Mr. Riley’s bowl. Mr. Riley’s lips twitched in frustration. He wanted to eat meat! He didn’t want those stupid potatoes at all!

Immediately afterwards, he turned to Mrs. Riley: “Auntie, please remember to take the blood lipid-lowering medication I brought back on time.”

Mrs. Riley knew full well that the boy was asking her to help coax Hudson Riley along. She glanced at Ashley Kaler, who sat quietly beside him, looking confident and sure of herself. Then, Mrs. Riley spoke slowly, “Liana, I’ve lived most of my life, and I know how to treat problems effectively. Some problems need to be dealt with decisively, just like removing a tumor completely, so that they can be cured quickly. Don’t you think so?”

The hint in her words was unmistakable, yet Ashley Kaler simply smiled faintly and didn’t respond, her calm demeanor being downright infuriating.

Leana Frost sat in the middle, with Hudson Riley on her left and Ashley Kall on her right. She picked up a chicken wing from the bowl and placed it in Hudson Riley’s bowl. Before Hudson Riley could react, Ashley Kall also picked up a chicken wing and put it in her own bowl. The chicken wings in both bowls were exactly the same.

Hudson Riley exploded in anger. All she could think about was: Was Leana Frost trying to reap the benefits of others’ hard work?! Without thinking, she pushed the chicken wings on her plate onto the table with a loud snap, shattering the eerie silence at the dinner table.

Leana Frost’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot in an instant.

“Hudson, stop being silly! This was all arranged by Leana specifically…” Lady Riley tried to intervene, but Hudson Riley cut her off sharply: “I don’t care! If he wants to surround himself with women, I certainly won’t play some kind of ‘heroine’ for him!”

Leana Frost’s face became even more tense, with anger burning in her eyes. She never could have imagined that, in Hudson Riley’s eyes, she was seen in such a light.

No matter how slow to understand, Mr. Riley could see what the problem was. Heartbroken for his daughter, he slammed the table with a loud noise, spun around twice on the spot as if making up his mind. Then he rushed to the living room, grabbed the go game book, and shoved it at Ashley Kaler. “You’re not welcome here! Take your things and leave! Wife, give her back that broken kitchenware too!”

Mrs. Riley rested her hand on her forehead and sighed. One troublemaker wasn’t enough—now here’s another.

Elsie Kaller spoke up at the right moment, her voice soft and plaintive: “Xiao Yu, maybe I should just leave. I can stay in a hotel. Please don’t let me cause trouble for you and your uncles and aunts.”

As soon as these words were spoken, war broke out immediately. Lady Riley exploded in anger: “Miss Ashley Kaler, what do you mean by that? How can this not be Leana’s home? My husband and I have treated him as our own child since he was little. This is his home!”

Leana Frost ignored the argument between the two of them. She simply stared intently at Hudson Riley, her tone cold. “In your eyes, am I really such a greedy person, isn’t that it?”

Hudson Riley bit his lower lip, tears welling in his eyes. After a long while, he managed to say through a sob, “That’s exactly how you act, isn’t it?”

“Very well.” Leana Frost sneered, then turned to Yun’s parents. “Uncle and Auntie, Ashley Kall is right. This isn’t my home anyway. I won’t bother you any longer. I’ll take Ashley Kall to the hotel.”

“Say that again?!” Mr. Riley was so angry that he trembled all over, his face turned red, and he gasped for breath.

Lady Riley and Hudson Riley rushed forward immediately. One helped him sit down, while the other tried to calm him down. Seeing Mr. Riley’s angry expression, Leana Frost’s anger vanished instantly, leaving only regret and worry.

Just as he was about to take a step forward, Ashley Kaller stopped him. “Kohei, let’s leave now. Going over now will only make Uncle angrier. Tomorrow, I’ll go with you to explain things properly.”

Leana Frost hesitated. On one side was her elder who was furious with her, on the other side was Hudson Riley, who seemed upset. There was also Ashley Kaler, who appeared understanding. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.

“You little brat! If you dare to go with this woman today, don’t even think of calling me your uncle!” Mr. Riley’s furious roar rang out once again.

Mrs. Riley helplessly rubbed her forehead. “Enough already, stop acting like you’re in some moral drama. Take a deep breath!”

“Dad, please don’t be angry. It’s all my fault. Liana isn’t to blame at all,” Hudson Riley pleaded, crying, his heart filled with sorrow.

Leana Frost looked at the mess in her home. In the end, she decided to follow Ashley Kall’s advice. “Uncle and Auntie, I’m sorry. It’s my fault today. I’ll take Ashley Kall away to live with me for now. I’ll come back tomorrow to explain everything.”

The moment the door closed, Hudson Riley’s tears finally streamed down. Those hot, salty tears seemed to strike Leana Frost right in the heart. It made him pause for a moment, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and turned away.

The hotel room was on a high floor. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window lay the glittering night view of the city. With the lights off in the room, Lianna Frost stood by the window. Her slender figure appeared elongated by the darkness, exuding a sense of loneliness and coldness.

Elsie Kaller stepped out wearing a yukata. Seeing this, a barely noticeable smile appeared on her lips. She quietly approached and placed her arms around Leana Frost from behind. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have caused you any trouble. But thank you for protecting me.”

Leana Frost instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but she hesitated. During those days in the United States, through countless lonely and cold nights, it was Ashley Kaler who stayed by his side. She seemed to possess the ability to see through people’s hearts. She could always comfort him when he was down and guide him when he was lost. No matter how kind the Yun family members were, or how adorable Hudson Riley was, none of them could dispel the doubts and loneliness deep in his heart. But Ashley Kaler could.

He knew full well that the person he loved was Hudson Riley. Yet, emotionally, he had long become dependent on Ashley Kaler. So, even though he knew the Yun family would oppose it, he never managed to break off his relationship with Ashley Kaler.

“Perhaps, our friendship will never be accepted by others.” Leana Frost’s voice was soft. “Starting today, please be my family member.”

Elsie Kaller tightened her arms around him, her voice gentle enough to make water drip from it: “I’ll listen to you. You’re my brother, and I’m your sister.”

Leana Frost lowered her arm and stared at her, her tone serious. “The person I love is Hudson Riley. There’s only one place for my lover, but you’ll always have a place in my heart as a loved one. Perhaps I’m selfish, but my feelings for you won’t be any less than those for my lover.”

In Ashley Kaler’s smile, there was a hint of barely noticeable bitterness. Yet, she nodded firmly. “I know.”