Chapter 47

Ethan had been following her all afternoon and indeed hadn't eaten anything until now. Thinking about the scene he had just witnessed at the bar, he felt another wave of frustration rising in him. He lightly cleared his throat and said casually, "What's so fascinating about a kid who hasn't even grown a beard? Did you really want to exchange SnapChat with him?" His gaze burned into her, his expression tense, and there was a hint of accusation in his deep, blue eyes, coupled with his words. Somehow, inexplicably, Stella was reminded of the conversation they had about black cats and white cats last time. Pausing for a moment, she tugged at his sleeve. Then, standing on tiptoe, she tried to plant a kiss on his cheek. Ethan stiffened, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly before he drawled, "Don't think that kissing me once will make everything okay." He hadn't forgotten how she had scrutinized the guy who approached her last time. "Ethan," she called softly. Ethan lowered his gaze to her. "Just smile," Stella continued in a gentle tone, "I just thought his teeth look a lot like yours, but you always have this stern expression on your face and hardly ever smile." Ethan had good-looking teeth, and when he smiled, it was quite charming. But even back in high school, he had been cool and rarely smiled. "You look very handsome when you smile," Stella continued. Ethan glanced down at her, then after a moment's pause, he generously flashed her a faint smile. Then, the man lazily spoke up, "What, am I to blame for looking too good when I smile and leaving you speechless?" Seeing her speechless, he added casually, "Trying to take advantage of me, huh? No need to beat around the bush, you have that privilege." Stella remained silent. When it came to shamelessness, she couldn't compete with him. Taking a breath, she changed the subject, "Aren't you hungry? Do you want to go to the restaurant and grab something to eat?" "I'm starving now. Can you give me some of the cookies you brought?" The man lounged on the sofa in the living room. Stella then went upstairs to the bedroom, took out two packs of cookies from her suitcase, and handed them to him when she came back downstairs. Ethan leisurely tore open the packaging, took a few bites, and then as if remembering something, he raised his gaze to look at her. "Come here," he said, pointing to the spot beside him. "What's up?" Stella sat down beside him and asked. The man glanced at her and then said, "Can we hold hands now?" Ethan's gaze rested on her hand. Stella instantly understood that he was still holding a grudge from before when she didn't let him hold her hand. She sighed and reached out her hand. He smiled as he held her hand, interlocking their fingers, their matching wedding rings harmoniously overlapping. In the next moment, the man took out his phone, aimed the camera at their clasped hands, took a picture, and then posted it on his social media with a heart shape: ❤ Stella looked at it dumbfounded, unable to say anything. Although she found his actions somewhat cheeky, she strangely found herself amused by his antics. Before long, under the post, there were several likes from Jason, and a few comments. Jason: "No one's cooler than you." Mark: "He's slick." Nick: "Slick." Luke: "Slick." Stella remained silent. Ethan looked at her without changing his expression and then casually spoke, "Are we officially together now?" Stella hesitated slightly and nodded. "Well," the man glanced at her, "what about you?" Stella looked puzzled, obviously not understanding his meaning. Ethan smiled faintly, "What, are you afraid of your so-called backups seeing it?" Stella suddenly understood. He actually wanted her to post on social media like he did. Not only that, but he also made another accusation about her potential suitors. She sighed in relief and explained, "No, after returning to the Carlson family, I haven't had much contact with Shane, and besides, he's already married." The man's deep gaze stared straight at her, as if saying, "So what's holding you back?" The questioning posture made her feel like she had some secret she couldn't reveal. "I just feel, it's kind of awkward," she sighed, paused, and added, "And you haven't heard? It's not good to flaunt relationships too much." As she finished speaking, she met his somewhat dim gaze. She hesitated for a moment and then said softly, "But maybe posting once should be okay?" "Yeah," Ethan raised an eyebrow, responding in a nonchalant tone. Stella sighed and reluctantly took out her phone.