Chapter 73


    “Awesome, thanks, Uncle Oliver!”


    “The highlight of the auction this time is the annual top ten most anticipated novel IPs. A lot of film


    productionpanies will be there vying for them. It’s gonna be pretty intense. You sure you don’t


    wanna think it over?”


    “No.”


    Hopefully, everyone else would be too busy fighting over those top ten IPs, and no one would bother


    competing with her for Realm of Illusions!


    When Xanthea got home, she found her family already seated around the long dining table, and there


    were Matthew and Miranda.


    They were back from their trip already? They came back two whole days early. It seemed they really


    wanted to avoid any fuss.


    Seeing her, Matthew immediately ran over.


    “Xan, you’re back? Mrs. Nightshade told me you left early this moming. Where did you go? By the way,


    how’s your thesis revision going? Did you pass? Also, did you like the photos from the exhibit I sent


    you?”


    He bombarded her with questions right off the bat, giving Xanthea no chance to answer, and she


    wasn’t nning to.


    “Matt, I’m kind of hungry after a long day, let’s talk over dinner, okay?”


    “Of course, my bad!”


    Matthew eagerly pulled out her chair andid a napkin on herp, then took a pink gift box from his


    pocket and ced it in front of her, “Xan, I brought this souvenir especially for you from Willowdale.


    Hope you like it.”


    Xanthea nced at it briefly without opening it, I love it, anything from you, Matt”


    “Aren’t you gonna open it?”


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    The unusual interaction between the two didn’t go unnoticed by the Nightshade family.


    Usually, Xan was the one doting on Matthew, going out of her way to please him. Lately, it seemed the


    roles had reversed, with Matthew bing increasingly attentive. Meanwhile, Xan’s responses were


    lukewarm and perfunctory as if she didn’t really care.


    Ethan and Samuel observed Xanthea’s expression closely. After not seeing Matthew for a few days,


    there wasn’t even a hint of longing or surprise in her eyes. Even receiving a gift from Matthew didn’t


    seem to spark her interest in opening it.


    Knowing Xan for years, they concluded she must have lost interest. Could it be that Xan no longer liked


    Matthew?


    Though hard to believe, considering how fervently Xan had chased after Matthew for years, if she was


    indeed over him, they had to persuade her to break up soon. Hesitating couldplicate things,


    especially with the engagement party looming.


    Under his hopeful gaze, Xanthea finally opened the gift box, revealing a pink butterfly hair clip.


    As expected, she barely smiled.


    Ever since she had rescued a butterfly in the garden as a child and told him about her fondness for


    them, every gift from him had been butterfly–themed: butterfly dresses, butterfly jewelry, and butterfly


    specimens, etc.


    In the past life, she would have been blinded by his affection, and felt overwhelmingly touched, thinking


    he cherished her words. Now, it seemed like a convenient gesture, hardly effortful, especially


    considering that even Orion, whom she barely knew, remembered her favorite iris flowers and brought


    them when visiting graves.


    “Wait, why is she thinking about Orion?” She thought to herself, “Is it because they had bumped into


    each other more often recently?” He did seem to know her quite well though, aware of her love for


    irises and sparkly diamonds, and her dislike for onions in meals. “So, what do you think? Xan, do you


    like it?” Noticing her distracted look and mistaking it for approval, Matthew couldn’t help but smile, “I


    spent quite a sum and had it custom–made by a local designer. A lot of thought went into it.”