Chapter 233

The next day, the morning light shone through the window onto the silver cutlery on the dining table.

Theodore's knife and fork lightly tapped the porcelain plate, producing a crisp but faint sound. He only took a couple of bites of the foie gras and truffle stew that filled the table; these young noblemen didn't eat much.

She became increasingly distracted, her chopsticks moving a beat slower than usual, until Theodore's gaze fell casually on the top of her head, snapping her back to reality and hastily swallowing the food in her mouth.

This meal felt like torture; the subtle, almost imperceptible gazes that lingered on me were more unsettling than the pepper in the dishes.

Once they finally put down their cutlery, Jiang You almost immediately got up and hurried towards the stairwell.

Sure enough, Theodore's low laughter came from behind, tinged with a hint of mockery: "Miss Jiang You, isn't it a bit impolite of you not even to have some after-dinner tea?"

She didn't stop walking, firmly shutting out that teasing remark. Anyway, whenever she hid like this, he would only joke about it verbally and would never actually punish her. The moment she pushed open the door, she breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the door panel, even her fingertips still stiff from the tension.

...........

The hunger strike may be over, but it turns out this place is a quagmire. Even if she doesn't move, she will sink in. And even if she doesn't sink in, they will always find a way to make her sink in.

On an ordinary day, they suddenly said, "Miss Jiang."

He spoke with such an air of aristocratic refinement: "We are merchants, we don't do business at a loss. You need to pay for the food you eat here."

She knew they would do what they said they would do.

How should I pay? She has no money.

Ever since their first kiss, Theodore has been like a cat that has found its favorite toy, always clinging to her.

Every time it ended, he would flee in a panic, his face flushed, only to reappear around mealtime, where he would stare intently at her, over and over again.

After gradually getting used to it, he no longer ran away like a madman while kissing her. He learned very quickly, and after only a few times, she couldn't handle it anymore.

Later, Theodore was not satisfied with just kissing; he wanted to take it a step further.

He was fine when he touched her skin, but when she touched him, it was like a stress response, even stronger than when they kissed. Once, she even had a nosebleed.

Later, he was stopped by his brother Lindbergh Theodore, which greatly affected his work.

Lindbergh Theo is different from Theodore; he rarely appears, and when he does, it often lasts for a day or two.

Each time he woke up, Lindbergh Theodore was not there; instead, Theodore was the one he saw.

She didn't know how long he had been standing there, his gaze fixed on her with a terrifying intensity, his golden eyes brimming with eager excitement.

.........

Lindbergh Theodore carried her while he worked. Theodore went into the study, silently came to the desk, leaned back, rested his elbows on the table, and propped his cheeks up with his hands, looking at her.

His eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, and his eyelashes were thick and long, fluttering like butterfly wings when he blinked: "Why are you crying? Is your brother not good to you?"

Theodore's long red hair was cut short, making his androgynous face even more striking. His extremely bright golden eyes, with their penetrating and aggressive quality, fell on her tear-reddened eyes across the desk.

She turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Brother, time's almost up," he reminded him.

As his voice fell, Jiang You lowered his head, biting his lip tightly.