Chapter 353

Chapter 353: Chapter 352

This just goes to show how shamelessly playful Joanna Kennedy could be. Seeing 166 get so angry it went into a shell, she just snickered. “Beg me,” she said. “If you beg me, I’ll let you play with it.”

166 played dead, refusing to even look at her.

Joanna Kennedy continued teasing it for a while longer, only getting up reluctantly when her legs grew sore from squatting. She finally let the poor little kitty, 166, off the hook.

She was bursting with energy and had nowhere to channel it. Simon Lockwood was in the kitchen preparing the dumpling filling and had no time for her, so Joanna Kennedy drifted around, first touching the Spring Festival couplets, then poking at the paper window decorations. When that wasn’t enough, she picked up her phone and started taking pictures.

She had to get the stuffed doll in the frame, and the window decorations, too. The little trinkets Simon Lockwood had bought, plus the nuts and fruits—they all had to be in the shot. Finally, she arrived at the kitchen doorway, flipped the camera around for a selfie, and made sure to capture the man inside, wearing an apron and mixing the dumpling filling.

Tap. Upload to social media. Caption: “Happy New Year’s Eve!~”

Not even a minute after she posted, the likes and comments were already in the thousands. Joanna Kennedy was in a great mood and was about to reply to a few, but she fell silent the moment she opened them. The comment section was in chaos.

“A man! There’s a man! Babe, who is that man behind you?!?!”

“OMG, our girl finally posted! We even get pictures and a selfie for New Year’s Eve this year! Wait a minute… something’s not right. Jojo, who’s that mystery man behind you?!?!?!”

“WAAAH, I’m at home working my butt off to support you, and you go and find some other man behind my back! Joey, I’ve decided I’m ignoring you tonight. No matter how you try to appease me, it won’t work! Waaah…”

She scrolled down, and they were all similar comments. Joanna Kennedy: “…”

‘Are all my fans such drama queens?’ Joanna Kennedy blushed as she kept scrolling, finally spotting some “normal” comments.

“AHHHH, SHE POSTED! FIRST! GETTING IN ON THE FIRST PAGE!”

“Jojo, you’re finally back! Waaaah, have you been off mining in the mountains or something? I feel like you look a little tanner…”

“Is it just me, or does she look thinner again? Don’t lose weight! Don’t lose weight!”

Her fans had sharp eyes, noticing the change in her at a glance. Joanna Kennedy had worried she might lose some of the fans who were only there for her looks, but in reality, the vast majority of them thought she was still exceptionally beautiful this way.

Night fell. The red lanterns and festive lights of Sinclair Gardens switched on, their glow spilling into the living room through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Downstairs, adults and children were setting off fireworks.

Joanna Kennedy and Simon Lockwood were gathered in the kitchen, wrapping dumplings. They could faintly hear the POP of fireworks and the happy laughter of children from downstairs.

It was the first time for both of them, and their movements were clumsy. Surprisingly, Joanna Kennedy, who had never been a good cook, learned remarkably fast. Before long, her dumplings started to look quite respectable.

In contrast, Simon Lockwood, whose cooking talent was supposedly maxed out, was producing a lopsided, misshapen mess.

Joanna Kennedy was insufferably smug, relentlessly teasing Simon Lockwood for being clumsy. But teasing him wasn’t enough; she even arranged their finished products side-by-side for a comprehensive photoshoot.

“Ah, what can I say? My ability to learn is just off the charts,” Joanna Kennedy said, beaming with delight. “I’m going to post these ugly things you made on social media and let everyone see what I have to put up with all day.”

Simon Lockwood: “…”

Simon Lockwood tried to hold it in, but failed. While Joanna Kennedy was still busy with her photoshoot, he leaned over and gave her a sharp nip on the cheek. He heard the girl’s crisp yelp of “Owow!” and, just as he’d hoped, felt much better.

Joanna Kennedy clutched her cheek, cursing him in annoyance. “Simon Lockwood, are you a dog?!”

“No.”

Simon Lockwood’s expression was impassive, the very picture of a cold, untouchable beauty. If the sting on her cheek hadn’t still been there, Joanna Kennedy might have thought she’d dreamed it all.

‘How can anyone be such an animal!’

Joanna Kennedy clutched her face and glared daggers at Simon Lockwood, looking for all the world like she was trying to figure out which part of him would be best to bite back.

The doorbell rang at that very moment, interrupting Joanna Kennedy’s impending counter-bite.

‘Everyone should be at home having their reunion dinner right now. Who would be coming over?’ she wondered. ‘Could it be Mindy Morgan? Or Howard Thorne?’

‘Or maybe… someone from the Sinclair Family?’

Their gazes met, and they both saw the same guess in each other’s eyes. Simon Lockwood frowned. “I’ll get the door.”

Joanna Kennedy nodded, her gaze following Simon Lockwood as he left the kitchen. She pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath. She heard the door open and quieted her breathing even further, straining to hear something.

One second, two seconds… but there was no sound of voices.

‘Weird. Why isn’t anyone talking? Who is it? Don’t tell me Old Master Sinclair came to kidnap Simon?!’

The more Joanna Kennedy thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Forgetting the bite mark on her cheek, she hurried out. When she saw who was standing at the door, Joanna Kennedy froze in place, completely stunned.

「Ten minutes later.」

The living room was silent—so silent it was almost eerie.

Liam Valentine calmly swept his gaze over his surroundings. In truth, he didn’t need to look too hard. The moment he’d seen the large “Fortune” character pasted on the door, he knew Simon Lockwood must be living well.

After seeing Simon Lockwood himself, he was even more certain.

Liam Valentine couldn’t quite put a finger on his mood. His relationship with Simon Lockwood wasn’t nearly good enough for him to feel happy for the man.

He still felt Simon Lockwood’s choice had been irrational, but for a fleeting moment just now, he’d thought that perhaps it wasn’t so bad after all.

Liam Valentine chuckled softly. His handsome face was a mask of gentility, and for a disorienting moment, he looked very much like Simon Lockwood. But Joanna Kennedy would never make that mistake again; she only felt a chill creep up her spine.

‘She never would have imagined the visitors would be Liam Valentine and Valentine. How is that possible?! Why is it Liam Valentine?!’

Liam Valentine’s gentle yet cruel words seemed to ring in her ears again, and her face paled.

‘Why did he come to Jornheim? What is he here for? Will he only be satisfied once he’s torn me and Simon apart?!’ Joanna Kennedy felt a rage burn all the way to her temples, incinerating what little reason she had left. She began calculating the odds of successfully silencing Liam Valentine for good.

Joanna Kennedy’s glare was so hostile that it scared the nearby Valentine into silence.

In contrast, Liam Valentine, the target of her stare, remained perfectly composed. A hint of amusement laced his tone as he said, “Miss Kennedy, it’s been such a long time. Why are you still so fond of stealing glances at me?”

“…!!”

To be slapped with such a baseless accusation nearly broke the proud posture Joanna Kennedy had maintained her whole life. She almost coughed up blood in frustration. “Who’s stealing glances at you!”

“Oh? You weren’t looking at me?” Liam Valentine tilted his head, a perfectly-timed hint of apology appearing in his eyes. “My apologies. I must have been mistaken. Perhaps Miss Kennedy’s gaze was merely resting on my face.”

Joanna Kennedy: “…”

Joanna Kennedy: “!!!!”

‘I used to think Liam Valentine was just cunning and secretive,’ she thought. ‘I didn’t realize that in the time we haven’t seen each other, he’s evolved. Evolved into someone this shameless!’

Joanna Kennedy thought Liam Valentine needed to get his eyes checked. Was that “looking” at him?!

The temperature around the man beside her plummeted, and he began radiating a low-pressure aura. A wave of panic washed over Joanna Kennedy. “Simon Lockwood, no, it’s not like that! I wasn’t looking at him!”