Chapter 35

It was already too late in the night. After sending the messages, Stella waited for 20 minutes but didn't receive any replies from Natalie or Layla. Feeling restless, she lay in bed, holding her phone, but eventually couldn't bear it and fell into a deep sleep with her troubled thoughts. The next day, Stella woke up very early. After a night of reflection, she had to admit the fact that she had been attracted to Ethan, but she was determined to restrain herself. At least until she got his permission, she wouldn't cross any boundaries again. Thinking about Ethan being hungover last night, Stella went downstairs after freshening up and made him a bowl of hangover tea with kumquats. When she came out of the kitchen, Ethan, dressed in loose and comfortable T-shirt and sweatpants, was coming down from the second floor with slow steps. It seemed like he had just showered, with his short hair still wet and glistening in the morning sunlight. Without the usual dignified aura from his business attire, he appeared more relaxed and youthful, with a touch of freshness to his lean and fit figure. Looking at his handsome face, Stella's guilt of being attracted to him eased slightly. As he approached, she pursed her lips and said, "I made you a cup of hangover tea, you should have it first." Ethan nodded lightly, picked up the cup of hangover tea from the table, and finished it in one gulp, then casually said, "I got drunk last night, hope I didn't cause you any trouble." With his eyelids lowered and almost no expression on his face, he seemed to ask casually. Stella felt a pang of guilt and hurriedly replied, "No, not at all." Ethan just made a soft sound of agreement, put down the cup, and took a seat. Leaning back slightly in his chair, he glanced at her with lowered eyelids and calmly asked, "So, did I do anything?" "You were so drunk, what could you possibly do?" Thinking about how he looked last night, drunkenly gazing at her, Stella couldn't help but smile. Ethan raised an eyebrow, meeting her probing gaze, "Why do I feel like you're quite disappointed?" Stella paused, lowering her eyelids. "What could I be disappointed about..." She quietly served breakfast, which consisted of simple toast with scrambled eggs and millet porridge. Ethan's gaze shifted slightly, then he withdrew his eyes and picked up the bowl of porridge she had placed in front of him, without asking further. The two of them silently began to eat breakfast, and the dining room fell quiet. Perhaps still feeling guilty about something, Stella ate very slowly during this breakfast. Ethan finished his breakfast on his own, reached for a tissue, and leisurely wiped his mouth. After a moment, he casually spoke up, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I installed a camera in the master bedroom." As soon as he said this, Stella, holding a piece of toast, froze instantly, then abruptly raised her gaze. "You installed a camera in the house and didn't tell me?" If he installed a camera in the master bedroom, did he check the footage from last night after waking up? Although strictly speaking she hadn't done anything wrong, with Ethan's meticulous and serious personality, if he discovered what happened last night, he might demand an explanation. She silently pondered remedial measures in her mind, while Ethan continued to explain in his relaxed tone, "Don't worry, it's only in the bedroom and study, it won't affect you. Last time, you mentioned that the safe in the study could be an easy target for thieves, so this is my reasonable way of protecting my assets." Last time when Ethan found out about her mentioning the vulnerability of the safe in the study, Stella casually suggested he strengthen security measures to prevent thieves from targeting it. But she never expected him to install a camera in the bedroom as well. Could it be that there's something valuable in his room? "Even if it doesn't directly affect me, you should still have informed me," Stella said, carrying a hint of uneasiness in her conscience. It did affect her! If she had known there was a camera in the master bedroom, she probably would have restrained her impulses last night. But she couldn't tell him that. Ethan chuckled playfully, saying, "You're so concerned, could it be that... you did something to me last night?" There seemed to be a hint of wisdom hidden in the man's blue eyes as he glanced over. The atmosphere was somewhat eerie. Stella's fingertips twitched slightly, then she furrowed her brows and shook her head. "Impossible!" "Oh? Really?" "No." Ethan silently scrutinized her for a moment, then gave up on further questioning, smiling. "Well, just kidding. There's no camera in my room." Stella almost fell for his trick. "Oh, by the way, I bought you a coat while I was out shopping yesterday." Stella smoothly changed the subject. "I wasn't sure about your size, so I guessed. Try it on, and if it doesn't fit, I'll exchange it this afternoon." She had plans to meet with Natalie and Layla at a café near the commercial street in the afternoon, which was close to Riverfront Plaza, so she could go exchange it then. Ethan glanced at the shopping bag in the living room, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her. "You don't know my size?" How would Stella know his size? Confused, she raised her gaze, only to hear him lazily speak up, "Didn't you hold me in your arms not long ago?" "I..." Stella's heart fluttered under his gaze. She sighed. "When did I do that?" Last night, she managed to regain her composure before embracing him. Even if she had some ulterior motives, she would restrain herself until he agreed. Observing her silently, Ethan raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, lightly tapping his slender fingers. "It was last time, when you were crying in the living room." So he was referring to the night her grandfather passed away. "Oh, didn't notice back then," Stella breathed a sigh of relief, but then she remembered the words Ethan had said to comfort her that day. Thinking about it, Ethan was actually somewhat close to her, so she shouldn't have no chance at all. Ethan observed her subtle expression, a faint curve appearing at his lips, his eyes unreadable. After a moment, he casually got up. "Alright, I'll go try it on." As it turned out, Stella's eye for picking clothes was pretty good. The coat fit very well and complemented Ethan's demeanor. So there was naturally no need to exchange it. In the afternoon, Stella arrived at the coffee shop where she often met with her best friends, enduring their thoroughly shocked questioning. "Stella, when did you start falling for Ethan?!" Layla couldn't wrap her head around it, puzzled by why Stella suddenly developed feelings for Ethan overnight. Stella felt a bit embarrassed herself as she held her coffee cup, gently furrowing her brow. "I don't know either. I just suddenly realized that my attitude towards him changed when I faced him." Initially, she just wanted to get along politely with Ethan, but now, it seemed like she wasn't satisfied with just getting along anymore. Unconsciously, she had let her guard down around him. Then she realized she was actually attracted to someone based on their appearance. This feeling was unfamiliar to her as well. Upon hearing this, Layla looked puzzled. "So, you don't get angry at Ethan's bad temper anymore?" "I still do," Stella nodded with a smile, then added, "But amidst the anger, I occasionally find him quite cute." She had once thought she had feelings for Aaron, liked him, but never considered actively pursuing him, not even becoming more polite in their interactions after dating. Both of them maintained their dignified manners, never blushing or becoming flustered, their interactions devoid of intense waves. But Ethan was different. Stella felt their interactions were natural and lively. There were times she was infuriated by him, forced to drop her reserve and banter with him, but there were also moments when she noticed his good points. Every time she recalled those moments, she really wanted to continue being with him like this. Thinking of this, Stella sighed in relief. "Though he's arrogant, he also respects me. Even when he gets serious sometimes, he never crosses my boundaries." Seeing Stella's expression, Layla shook her head repeatedly. "Oh no, oh no, I don't think you'll be able to leave this marriage. Do you remember at the fashion show last time, Jessica said Ethan would keep you as his wife forever? He probably won't initiate a divorce." Seeing her friend already lured away by Ethan, Layla had to face the fact of being alone. After listening to Stella's account, Natalie smiled and spoke up, "As long as you're happy, nothing else matters. It's fine to keep going like this." She used to think Stella must really like Aaron because of all she did for him. But Stella never hesitated for Aaron, and now she was hesitating with Ethan. It was quite rare. Natalie understood Stella's mindset. Truly accepting someone meant not just accepting them as a lover, but also as a lifelong companion. "Yeah, that's how I feel too," Stella nodded lightly. "I used to think neither Ethan nor I had any family around, so just treating each other like family was fine. But now..." "Now what?" Layla pressed. Stella smiled and shrugged. "Looks like I unintentionally developed feelings for him just based on his appearance." Layla sighed and then gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's alright, Stella. With someone as attractive as Ethan, we've got nothing to lose. If you're interested in him, give it a shot." "But what if it doesn't work out? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Stella still had reservations. After a brief moment of thought, Layla raised her eyebrows and offered a smile. "Then just dip your toes in the water first." In the private room of the Golden Brilliance, music filled the air. After several attempts, Jason finally managed to persuade Ethan to come out while Stella was away. "Why are you sitting so far away?" Jason had just finished singing a song and turned around to see Ethan, who had been sitting next to him, now seated alone at the end of the couch, silently scrolling through his phone. Upon hearing Jason's words, Ethan furrowed his brow slightly and looked at him with a hint of disdain. "You reek of smoke." Seeing this, Mark couldn't bear it and set down the microphone, complaining, "Just because you're married doesn't mean you can force us all to quit smoking." Mark and Nick were both Ethan's roommates from college. Along with Luke, the four of them spent three years under the same roof. Initially, Ethan's foul temper was unbearable for anyone. But over time, they also discovered his unspoken sense of righteousness, which smoothed out their relationship considerably. After graduation, Mark and Nick jointly established a leading artificial intelligence technology company. Over the years, it had developed quite well, and Ethan had also invested in it. Jason was a shareholder of Horizon Group, while Luke was Horizon Group's external legal advisor. At least these two could see Ethan on the pretext of work. But it was different for Mark and Nick. Since Ethan got married, they had hardly seen each other. Suddenly, this guy got married and started cherishing his wife like a treasure. He even posted photos of their meals on social media all the time, showing off their love. Who could stand that? Mark felt that with Ethan's lovey-dovey behavior, Jason must have been having a miserable time lately. Perhaps feeling supported by someone else, Jason, who had been feeling squeezed for a long time, suddenly felt more confident and smiled as he set down his glass. "What's wrong with the smell of smoke? I told you to bring your wife along, but you didn't. If you ever bring her along, then I'll quit smoking with you one day," he said. Every time he said this, Ethan would come up with some excuses to avoid it, so Jason felt emboldened. After delivering his ultimatum, he expected to be rejected again, but to his surprise, Ethan just nodded slightly and casually replied, "Um, maybe, soon." Jason was taken aback. "What do you mean, maybe soon?" Ethan didn't respond, as if he remembered something, and furrowed his brows. "Do you think gifts that have been waiting for so long should be opened sooner or later?" "Of course, sooner is better. Why keep good things waiting?" Jason replied. "What if opening it too soon scares someone away?" Jason furrowed his brows and scratched his head lightly. "I don't quite understand what you're saying." "Can't understand?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, speaking casually. "I'm just afraid someone will feel sorry for me." With that said, his gaze silently moved downward, landing near Jason's legs. Then, his brows furrowed unhappily, and he pushed Jason lightly. "Ethan, why did you push me?" Jason asked. Ethan pointed to the crease on the side of his coat with his slender fingers, saying, "Can't you see? You've creased it."