Chapter 15 No, I Love the Current You

• Nicholas was being ridiculous. Our relationship would only last for two months, and he'd be getting married soon after. Despite that, he was still asking me if I loved him.
• In addition, this relationship was just make-believe, and it was his way of showing me mercy while providing compensation.
• I put my arms around his neck and answered with a smile, "I love you. After all, the Felix Family is already strong and powerful on its own, so I chose to marry you out of love back then."
• I had never hidden my love for him.
• Hearing this, Nicholas smiled as he hugged me tightly in his arms and gently rubbed my back. Then, he said in a low voice, "Renee, I love you."
• I was stunned and looked at him in disbelief.
• I quickly got back to my senses. He said he would pretend to love, spoil, obey, and make me feel happy while we were dating.
• Currently, he was just fulfilling his promise.
• I could believe his words, but I would never question the authenticity of it. Deep down inside, I understood that he would only do this to me for two months.
• The Nicholas I knew would keep his promise.
• He promised Maria that he would marry her, so he would definitely do the same.
• It was just like how he said he loved me despite clearly hating me.
• I smiled slightly, put my head on his chest, and said nothing. However, he hugged my body tightly and asked, "When did you fall in love with me?"
• I muttered, "I forgot. It's been too long."
• …
• At night, Nicholas slept with me. He kept his promise and did not have sex with me, and all he did was just gently hug me in his arms.
• It was the first time he had spent the night in my bed.
• I had a sleepless night, so I got up early to take a bath. Then, I took a painkiller before he woke up and put on some makeup.
• It was light makeup, but it was enough to hide the paleness on my face.
• Nicholas woke up as soon as I finished getting ready. He looked at me with tired eyes and slight confusion. After a long time, he recovered and said, "I slept here last night."
• I hummed softly. "You're not used to it, aren't you?"
• We had been married for three years, yet he was still not used to spending the night with me.
• He curled his lips and smiled. "No, it was rather pleasant."
• I asked him curiously, "How so?"
• He didn't answer but got up and said, "I'll make you breakfast. After that, we will go on a date. Where do you want to go?"
• A date…
• I lowered my eyes and said, "I don't know."
• Nicholas stayed silent for a while, then asked, "How about Goldshore?"
• "Where is that?"
• "My mother lives in Goldshore."
• I knew his parents had divorced since he was a child, but I had never seen his mother, nor did she attend our wedding.
• Nicholas had disapproved of the marriage back then, so it was understandable not to notify his mother. Perhaps Chairman Forger wanted to do so, but Nicholas stopped her from attending.
• "Oh, okay. Do I need to bring anything with me?"
• As if sensing that I was at a loss, he gently rubbed my long hair as if he were coaxing a child. "Don't be nervous. My mother is an easy-going woman."
• "Is that so? I'd better get a present for her."
• Still, he understood my nervousness. After breakfast, he took me to the city center to buy some gifts and booked the earliest air ticket online. We dawdled outside for a while before rushing to the airport.
• He was silent on the plane, as one should be. We both preferred silence as we couldn't seem to find any topics to talk about.
• After arriving in Goldshore, he hailed a cab, and we rushed to the town before dusk.
• When we arrived there, it was almost evening.
• The evening town was eerily quiet, and the sun was setting behind the forest with a golden glow. Nicholas asked the driver to park at the entrance of the town before he pulled me out of the car. After walking for about eight minutes, we arrived at his mother's house.
• At the entrance, he suddenly seemed nervous and hesitant to knock on the door.
• I whispered to him, "What's the matter? Didn't you tell your mother that we're visiting her?"
• He nodded and explained, "Nope, I didn't. In fact, ever since she divorced my father, I seldom contact her. I don't blame her for the divorce, but it still affected our relationship. She was overly formal with me every time we chatted over the phone, saying stuff like 'Don't stay up late' or 'take care of your own health'."
• Those words were similar to what an ordinary mother would tell her children.
• "I'm quite envious of you. At least your mother is still alive to nag at you. My parents… I can't find their bodies. The people who participated in the rescue said that the sea was too vast, so they couldn't pinpoint where the plane had fallen. They rescued the lucky few who landed on a nearby island but didn't mention the others. However, I know my parents became food for sharks because the area where they landed was where sharks gathered."
• After evoking my blue past, Nicholas apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to remind you of those sad memories."
• I smiled and said, "It's okay. I have already gotten over it."
• Nicholas paused and suddenly called my name, "Renee."
• I looked at him puzzled, "What?"
• He said knowingly, "You always give out a false smile. You do the same thing every time, and I hate that."
• The sunset in the distance was slowly fading as I squinted at the non-dazzling light. I asked, "What about now? Do you still hate me?"
• He said sweetly, "No, I love the current you."
• His love is nothing but an act.
• I smiled and said, "Let's go in."
• Nicholas reached out and knocked on the door, and a woman in her mid-forties opened it. She had wrinkles on her face, but she had a refined temperament. She was stunned when she saw him, then immediately laughed and said, "Oh my, that's sudden! Why didn't you give me a call before coming over? Is this my daughter-in-law?"
• He gave a light hum and explained, "It was a rushed decision. I just wanted to bring Renee to meet you. How have you been?"
• She greeted us and welcomed us in. "I'm good. Your elder brother visited me two days ago and left last night. Now, it's your turn. It's getting lively here. What do you want to eat for dinner?"
• I was surprised. Does Nicholas have an elder brother?!
• I looked at him in confusion. However, he didn't change his expression and answered his mother, "You're not willing to move to Bryxton to live with me as you prefer to live alone. Meanwhile, my brother is busy flying around and doesn't have time to take care of you. Please rethink my proposal. Don't stay here anymore; it's too lonesome."
• Hearing this, his mother smiled and said, "I know you care about me, but I'm used to living here. I am friends with my neighbors, so I'm not lonely."
• Nicholas sighed. "That's what I'm most afraid of."
• "Don't worry about it. If I'm lonely, I will call you and your brother. What do you want to eat? I'll buy the ingredients to make dinner for you soon."
• In fact, the mother and son got along harmoniously, which was unlike what he had claimed earlier.
• He was actually concerned about his mother.
• "Anything's fine. You don't have to make it fancy, so keep it simple."
• "Alright. You should rest there with your wife now. I'll go to the market to buy some ingredients." She thought for a while and suddenly asked, "Nick, how should I address your wife?"
• Nicholas answered, "Father calls her Ree."
• "I'll do the same, then. Ree, please place some warm water for Cabbage at the door."
• After that, his mother left in a hurry.
• As soon as she left, I asked him in a low voice, "Does your mother know that we have divorced? By the way, who is Cabbage?"
• "I haven't told her about the divorce." He stood in the courtyard and shouted, "Cabbage!" Soon, a German Shepherd jumped out from there, so I instinctively stepped back and tried to run. He grabbed my wrist, stroked the dog's head, and explained, "It's dangerous for my mother to live alone, so I got her a German Shepherd from the police to protect her. He is very protective of his master."
• I asked nervously, "He doesn't bite, does he?"
• He smiled and said, "He won't bite his friends."
• "But it's his first time meeting me."
• "Yeah, but my scent is on you."
• I turned speechless upon hearing his words.
• I had forgotten about his elder brother after this exchange. It was not until when we were done with the dinner and took Cabbage for a walk outside that I finally remembered about him. I asked Nicholas out of curiosity, and he answered honestly, "Yeah, I have an elder brother named Christopher. He has lived with my mother since he was a child."
• "After the divorce, your parents took a child each. Your father took you, and your mother took him. However, why haven't I heard your father mention him for years?"
• "My brother is aloof, so he rarely returns to Bryxton. Gradually, he cut off contact with my father. In fact, he despises the Forger Family, so my father ignored him out of his dignity."
• The brothers are two peas in a pod since Nicholas is also cold and aloof.
• His expression was fading, so I decided to not ask any more questions.
• After taking a walk around the town, it began to snow. He raised his hand and touched my face. As his warm fingers caressed my cold cheeks, I involuntarily trembled. He frowned and asked, "Are you cold?"
• I shook my head and answered, "Not really."
• Under the dark sky, he suddenly let go of the leash in his hand and hugged me in his arms. I was stunned for a moment, staring at the distant moon with a bewildered gaze.
• He asked in a deep voice, "You wear so few clothes. Are you sure you're not cold?"
• I blinked and suppressed the emotions in my heart. Then, I placed my head on his shoulder, smiled lightly, and said, "I will never feel cold when I am with you."
• Hearing that, Nicholas was paralyzed. He never stopped hugging me, and Cabbage didn't run away. I stared at the falling snowflakes and felt a burst of excitement in my heart.
• How nice it would be if he really loved me?
• Humans were too greedy, and they always wanted more.
• I silently sighed, and he abruptly carried me in his arms. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, and he carried me back to our room with his slender legs.
• Cabbage was very obedient and followed us into the room to lie beside the bed. Nicholas placed me down, reached out, and patted my head. Recently, he kept doing such intimate actions.
• "I've been here many times, but it's my first time encountering snow. You're on time, and I reckon the silver snow will coat the town after tonight."
• I lay on the bed and stretched out my hand to hold his palm. I said gently, "Really? I'm so lucky. Bryxton is so humid that it rains all year. I'm tired of seeing rain, and I haven't seen an old town blanketed with snow. Promise me that you'll build a snowman with me tomorrow?"
• He patted my head and replied in a deep voice, "Of course. Rest early. I'll boil some water to wash your feet. Do you want to remove your makeup?"
• I shook my head and refused. "I don't want to remove it."
• "Okay."
• Once he left the room, I reached out to touch my face. There were a few ugly scars on my face, and I was reluctant to let him see them.
• Perhaps it was because I didn't have much time left, so I kept harming myself. It didn't matter, for I would die in a few months. However, it didn't help as I still felt sadness in my heart.
• I sat up as I looked at the snowflakes outside. I couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't forced me to abort my child, I would have left a footprint in this world.
• At least, I would still have my biological child.
• Suddenly, I felt ashamed before my parents and the Felix Family. After all, I had given the family to a man who was unrelated to us.
• In the end, the Felix Family didn't even have an heir.
• Thinking of this, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. I am sad for the Felix Family and myself.
• Twenty minutes later, Nicholas took his shower and returned to the room. He also had a pot of warm water in his hand to wash my feet before hugging me to sleep.
• When I woke up in the morning, the snow didn't pile up, so I couldn't build a snowman. I was disappointed, but Nicholas reassured me that we should stay here for a while.
• Over the next few days, the snow failed to pile up. He was surprisingly gentle as he took good care of me, though, and promised not to disobey me. I thought this peaceful life would continue… until Maria gave him a call.
• At that time, we were huddling in the room and watching a crime movie while discussing its plot. On the other end of the phone, Maria cried desperately and said, "Nicholas, I miss you."
• As soon as the words fell, Nicholas got up and left the room.
• I turned away and stared at the snow outside.
• The snow will finally build up today, right?