The gift was already expensive enough, but L hadn''t prepared anything in return, leaving her feeling a bit flustered.
Bryce got up and said, "Just keep it. On the first day of New Year, the Clemence family will visit us. You can prepare a gift for her then."
L nodded and passed the gift to Carol, who helped her put it upstairs. It was almost the New Year. Many guests came one after another. However, L still didn''t like such an atmosphere.
"L," Bryce said.
With a smile, Jasmine teased, "Shouldn''t you change the way you address her?"
L quickly waved her hands. "No need. We''re used to this. I''ll find it strange if he calls me differently now."
The few elders chuckled. They didn''t really care about it. Bryce also smiled and said, "If you''re tired, you can take a rest upstairs. It has been a long time since west met. Could you tell me how you''ve been for thest six months?"
L nodded. She didn''t notice Kieran''s gaze. After she went upstairs, she didn''t really talk a lot. Seeing that she was tired, Bryce told her to take a rest in her room.
Ly on the bed but felt restless. She couldn''t fall asleep. Shey on the bed for a while before getting up and standing next to the window. She looked at the gazebo in the backyard. Ruby was sitting there.
There was someone else who was blocked by the pir. L recognized that the hem of the clothes belonged to Kieran''s light sweater that he had just changed into.
As if Ruby could sense L''s gaze, she raised her head and looked at the window. L hurriedly closed the curtain andy on the bed again.
During dinner, Ruby was nowhere to be seen at the dining table. Since L didn''t have a good sleep, she didn''t have a good appetite. Nevertheless, she didn''t want to let anyone down. She just ate slowly. She only put down her cutleries when everyone had finished eating.
Everyone sat in a circle, but L got up. "I ate too much just now. I''m going to take a walk in the courtyard."
Bryce got up and gave her a jacket. "It''s cold in the courtyard. You should dress warmly. Don''t catch a cold."
Kieran, who had gotten up one stepter, began to reflect again. When he saw that L seemed down, he smiled. He got up and grabbed the jacket before helping her wear it.
"I''ll go with you."
Thankfully, L didn''t refuse. The two walked out the door together. When they arrived outside, she raised her head and looked at the night sky. "Uncle Kieran, look. There are stars."
Light pollution was severe in the city.
With the New Year approaching,
many households were already
setting off fireworks and
firecrackers, further reducing visibility. Being able to see the stars was truly unexpected.
Kieran gazed at L from the side. She had her head raised. Her eyes looked clear and bright under the streetlight, and they seemed to shine brighter than the stars.
L spoke up again. "Uncle Kieran, don''t worry about me. I just didn''t have a good nap in the afternoon, so I didn''t have a good appetite for dinner."
She tilted her head and smiled. "Now that I''m out to get some fresh air, although it''s a bit cold, it does clear my mind quite a bit."
Even though she said that, her left hand hidden in her pocket was clenched. She looked at Kieran''s prominent features. His bone structure was defined and he had wless skin. Even under such a
close distance, there wasn''t a single w to be found.
L''s heart stirred, and reckless thoughts quickly took hold in the quiet moment.
She had alreadye to terms with everything, so why was she still troubled by
it?
"I''m really happy that there''s a gathering today." L chuckled, deliberately squeezing Kieran''s hand.
"When the weather gets warmer, let''s go up the mountain and stargaze."
Upon hearing Kieran''s voice, L looked at him in surprise. Before she could respond, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a car pull into the back entrance. A tall and burly man with a mask circled to the side of the house from the other direction.