It was the next day. The entire Sapphire City looked as if it were covered by a pure white quilt. Everywhere you looked, white


    was visible. The snow scene was beautiful, creating a sense of tranquility and delight.


    Amidst the quietude, there wasughter and joy at an ice rink in a certain part of Sapphire City. The snow was still falling, and


    due to the heavy snowfall, their originally nned outdoor activities were canceled. In order not to dampen the spirits, Joseph


    took charge and arranged for the group to be at the ice rink. He rented the entire rink for the asion.


    Frank and Ava held hands, gracefully dancing on the ice rink. They circled around again and again, with Frank asionally lifting


    Ava and spinning her around. The youngdyughed freely, embracing Frank''s neck. In the distance, Joseph also smiled when


    he saw them enjoy themselves. George, wearing a pair of mini skates, was a bit timid and did not dare to take a step forward.


    Joseph held his son''s hands, patiently teaching and providing a sense of security. Encouraged by his dad, George gathered the


    courage to slide forward bit by bit. His lower body and upper body were several inches apart from his movement, revealing the


    little guy''s nervousness.


    On the other side of the rink, Christina, wearing ice skates, crouched in a corner collecting information.


    As for Natalie and Trevon, they were somewhat teasing each other affectionately like love birds in public. They yed with fancy


    skating moves, chasing each other, twirling in circles, and even performing a skating dance.


    Quinn, holding a seemingly reluctant Ste, couldn''t move her feet and clung to the edge of the wall, with her buttocks an inch


    away from his upper body just like George, saying, "Quinn, I... I''m afraid."


    "What are you afraid of? I''ll protect you. And why are you two just standing there watching instead of joining the fun?" Quinn


    looked at Leia and Chris, both standing still, separated by one person''s distance, watching the others skate. Both of them had


    ice skates on their feet. Leia couldn''t skate, but Chris could. As for why Chris could skate, thanks to Trevon and the others during


    their college days. They often yed these activities, and with time, they naturally learned some things, like ice skating at the


    moment, which Trevon and Frank enjoyed a lot.


    Chris, in a short ck down jacket, surveyed the surroundings. He realized everyone had already formed groups, even the


    children. Yana was ying with Sophia, Jasper was with Olivia, and George was being taken care of by Joseph. It seemed like it


    was just him and Leia left on the ice rink. He withdrew his gaze, approached the woman who was in one person''s distance from


    him, and asked, "Do you want to y?" Leia naturally noticed this and did not want to dampen the mood. "I can skate a little, but


    | might bump into people.”


    Before Chris could speak, Christina skated over, smiling. "Leia, let my brother teach you. He''s good at skating; he learned from


    Trevon and the others.”


    Upon hearing Christina mention Trevon, Natalie asked, "You used to go skating often?" Trevon''s lips curved into a nice arc as he


    replied, "Just to pass the time before | met you." Natalie was speechless to hear the answer.


    Seeing everyone having fun, Leia did not want to be left out. "Then, | will have to ask for your help, Dr. Yamin." Leia generously


    extended her hand, and Chris hesitated for a second before reaching out. Their hands met, her fingers held by hisrge hand,


    mutually conveying warmth. The heartbeats of the two quickened and synchronized at the same moment. Leia pursed her lips,


    looking down at her feet. Chris reminded her, "Look up." In that fleeting moment of looking up, the two collided unexpectedly.


    Chris''s chin took a hit, and Leia instinctively reached out to see, her fingertips touching his chin. He was momentarily stunned,


    forgetting to speak.


    Christina, from a distance, finally captured a thrilling scene, something to share with her mom. She sent the well-taken photos to


    her mom and then slipped over to Joseph''s side. George still felt a bit seared, but Joseph did not force the child. He had George


    take off his skates and led him to the coffee shop outside.


    With Ste''s howling, along with Sophia''s screams, Leia did not feel as awkward. In matters of emotions, she tended to be more


    reserved and shypared to the straightforwardness of Christina. Perhaps because Leia was sliding too fast, she could not


    stand steadily and stumbled towards the edge. Chris instinctively reached out to grasp her waist. She had a slender waist, even


    through the down jacket, it could be felt. Time stood still at that moment, she looked at him, and he looked at her as if some


    chemistry was between them. After looking for a while, both of them realized theirpse inposure. Leia averted her gaze


    first. "Let me try on my own."


    When Leia withdrew her hand from Chris''s palm, an empty feeling crept into his heart, as if something were missing and the


    feeling was not good. This was an indescribable feeling he had never experienced. Staring at Leia''s retreating figure, he was


    absent-minded for a moment, forgetting to retract his hand, frozen in mid-air.


    Quinn smiled at the scene and leaned against the side, watching Leia approach the wall with a smile that seemed both mocking


    and ambiguous. Leia felt ufortable with this smile and approached to inquire, "What''s with that look of yours?"


    Quinn shrugged and replied, "Just a normal look. | thought | saw a spark. How did you manage to contain it?"


    “What contain? | did not," replied Leia.


    “Leia, if you could put the boldness you have in your career into your love life, you wouldn''t still be single," Quinn continued.


    "| haven''t found the right one," Leia replied.


    Quinn asked, "What about now?"


    Leia remained silent. During their time running together in Athana, they had shared many conversations, gaining a certain


    understanding of each other. Leia could sense subtle changes within herself. Upon seeing the mark on Chris''s neck and


    considering his family background, she sobered up instantly. "He has a girlfriend.”


    Quinn squinted at Chris, looking incredulous. "Wait a minute. Christina''s brother has a girlfriend? Are you kidding me? Her mom


    even ced the Bible at her brother''s bedside, threatening that if he did not get a girlfriend soon, she would force him to be


    a priest and practice celibacy for a lifetime."


    Leia, still resting against the wall, was astonished at what she had heard. "Is it that outrageous? It can''t be.”


    Impatient by nature, Quinn did not like beating around the bush. Otherwise, she would not have divorced so decisively and left


    with a clean te. She shouted to Chris in the distance, "Hey, Dr. Charming. Do you have a girlfriend?"


    Leia, with her back to Chris, kept signaling to Quinn with her eyes as if asking, "What are you doing? The girlfriend is just one


    reason; family background is another."


    Quinn spread her hands,forting her. "Don''t be nervous. What''s wrong with asking? It''s not illegal.”


    Ste leaned against the wall and approached, panting heavily. "My brother is single. A fucking real bachelor."


    Chris from a distance did not know how to react but thought to himself, ‘There was really no need to exin this.’


    Quinn raised an eyebrow at Leia as if to say, "See?". Leia was speechless, ring at Quinn, but her heart had eased.


    Trevon and Natalie were tired from skating, and Frank and Ava also leaned against the wall to rest. Olivia had already sat ona


    bench, taking off her skates. Seeing this, Natalie asked, "Olivia, don''t you want to y anymore?" Jasper replied, "It''s been a


    little long for her to skate." Trevon instructed his son, "Then take a break. Take your sister to the café outside to find Joseph, and


    we''ll be there shortly." Jasper nodded. "Okay, got it." Frank and Ava followed the two children outside, each holding a child''s


    hand.


    Meanwhile, Sophia seemed to have no intention of stopping. She signaled to Yana to let go, iming she could do it on her own.


    Yana, nervous, did not dare let go. If anything happened, she would not be able to bear the consequences.


    Ste had already learned a little and sneaked up to Sophia. With a single-minded focus on skating by herself, Sophia quickly


    removed her grasp while Yana wasn''t paying attention and swiftly glided away. Sophia proved to be quite adept at skating,


    consistently demonstrating good learning abilities in such activities. Yana was extremely nervous. Natalie nodded at Yana from a


    distance,forting her, indicating that everything was fine, and they were keeping an eye on Sophia. With Natalie''s signal,


    Yana''s heart finally settled.


    Sophia skated freely on the ice rink, feeling like she could master the sport. Proudly, she elerated, and in the distance, Trevon


    reminded his daughter with a furrowed brow, "Sophia, slow down." His words were like nothing to Sophia, and she was too


    excited and refused to listen. At the turning point, Ste moved like a snail, and Sophia, in an out-of-control state, rushed past.


    Ste was thinking about how to avoid her in her mind. Everyone held their breath. Chris and Trevon glided towards the two at


    the same time, at the fastest speed.


    Ste had a quick idea and spread her legs wide. After Sophia fell, she slid through Ste''s legs and covered a short distance.


    Trevon swiftly picked up his daughter, while Ste, still in shock, maintained the open-legged position with trembling legs. Chris


    went over to help his sister close her legs, saying, "Bring them together, the posture isn''t that appealing.”


    Everyone gathered around Sophia. Chris crouched down to check. After confirming there were no issues, Sophia, seeing


    everyone''s stern faces, twisted her waist and hips, assuring them she was fine. It did not hurt at all and it was not a big deal. She


    had fallen much more seriously when practicing martial arts. Seeing Sophia was fine, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Without


    waiting for his daughter to say anything, Trevon changed her skates into shoes and took her out of the ice rink. Even if Sophia


    did not want to, she dared not speak, as her mom''s stern gaze was deadly.


    After the others left, Ste, still in shock, patted her chest. Leia asked if she was okay, and Chris stood on the side, watching.


    Ata table with six adults and four children, Ava and Natalie ordered a milkshake, while the three children had juice and George


    had milk. Separated by the ss window, they could see the panoramic view of the ice rink. Inside, Chris was talking with three


    women. Trevon looked on with a strong sense of disdain,menting, "He wastes too much time to pick up a girl." Frank smiled


    faintly and teased, "In terms of time, you have the least say." Trevon could not retort as he knew it was the truth.


    Ava took a sip of her milkshake, propped her cheek up, and asked, "Does Leia really like Chris?" Frank coldly nced at Chris


    inside the skating rink and said, "Stop calling him with that affectionate tone."


    "Well, alright." Ava obediently responded, continuing to drink her milkshake.


    Natalie looked at the ice rink, rested her cheek on one side, and spected, saying, "I think both of them have mutual feelings.


    As Ste said, during the days when Leia returned to Sapphire City, Chris went for a run every day until Ste told him that Leia


    had gone back to Athana. Only then did he stop morning runs. But | see a hint of concern in her eyes."


    Joseph nodded in agreement. "Your analysis is correct. Chris has likely already sorted out his thoughts, and Leia also possesses


    a considerable level of emotional intelligence; she may have rified her feelings long ago. It''s just that she is concerned about


    Chris''s family background." Meanwhile, he thought, ‘And Chris might not know how to bring up his feelings to Leia.’


    Ava chimed in, "Oh, | see. Even though Leia''s family background may be average, your parents are both very easygoing. Chris


    would not mind these things, right? Christina."


    Christina replied, "My mom simply wants Chris to find a girl and get married, let alone such an excellent one."


    Frank chuckled, with a malicious smile, saying, "That criterion is quite low." Trevon also had a sly smile on his face, as if he was


    about to enjoy a good show.


    At night, everyone gathered in the


    yard to apany the children in


    setting off fireworks. Trevon and


    Frank held lighters to ignite them.


    After what happenedst night,


    Trevon and Frank were yeluctaat td!


    | the chiller Nile the lighters.


    e children ran in circles in the yard


    with their fireworks. Ava and Ste


    joined them, behaving like two


    grown-up children running behind the


    kids. Jasper, on the other hand, took


    on the role of an adult, taking care of


    his younger siblings and reminding


    them to be careful with their clothes


    from time to time. Sophia''s fireworks


    went out. She took a new one from


    her mom''s hand and lit it against her


    sister Olivia''s firework,pletely


    independent and without needing any


    help from her dad. Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.


    In the living room, Emma and Daniel


    each held a child in their arms.


    Christina and Joseph were


    comforting Angie. Chris, on the other


    hand, leaned bored against the


    doorway, his phone turning ictas\v)


    repeats NSC the image


    ofice skating with Leia earlier today.


    All of a sudden, his shoulder was


    bumped, and Frank approached with


    both hands around his chest, teasing


    Chris, "What''s up, feeling frisky?"


    Trevon joined in after seeing it, his


    gaze fixed on Sophia, saying, "Are you


    that horny?" Frankughed as he


    continued, "Oh, you can''t even


    imagine." Chris put away his phone in


    his pocket, looking annoyed. "Fuck


    off and mind your own business.


    Stop messing around." Please read


    the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    Frank and Trevon could not stand Chris''s dilly-dallying, looking pitiful. Trevon slightly licked the corner of his lips and asked, "You


    haven''t got her number yet?" Frank chimed in right away, "Can''t you tell from his face? He looks fucking upset. What do you


    expect?"


    "What''s wrong with you two? | don''t have it and what''s the big deal?" Chris retorted and pondered, ‘I could not just ask for her


    contact information right away, and besides, | don''t even know what she thinks of me.’


    Trevon offered advice, saying, "Just reveal your nature as a simple man, and directly ask for her number." At his words, Frank''s


    smile gradually widened, and talked in a mocking tone, "Or, how about | prepare a forteller to help you choose a lucky day to


    ask for her number?"


    Chris just wanted to disappear at this moment. The two teasing friends were sharp-tongued. Finally, he could not bear it and


    said, "Can you two stay away from me?"


    Frank patted Chris on the shoulder


    with a meaningful look in his eyes. It


    was as if Chris was going to die in


    the next second. Then, Frank sh d


    at Ste in the distanee| Station


    Seaitaaurhed her head, not having


    been called by her nickname for a


    long time, holding a still-burning


    firework, she came over. "Call me one


    more time with that nickname, and I''ll


    burn you." As she spoke, she moved


    the firework closer to Frank''s clothes.


    Frank dodged. Ste continued her


    attack, saying, "Watch out. | might


    burn you to death." Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.


    "Why did you call me over anyway?" After fooling around for a while, Ste asked Frank, "If you have something to say, spill it


    out right away. I''m busy."


    "Give me your phone." With that, Frank turned to Chris and continued, "And yours too." Chris did not know what Frank was up


    to, but the two siblings, driven by curiosity, ced their unlocked phones in Frank''s hands.


    One minuteter. Frank handed their phones back to them. Both of them lowered their heads to look at their phones. Ste was


    excited, while Chris was puzzled. This was because Frank had directly used Chris''s phone to send a greeting message to Leia.


    Frank said kindly, "I''m shortening your time as a bachelor. You don''t have to thank me. With your speed, I''m not sure when are


    you going to get a girlfriend.”


    Chris had not expected Frank to do this. He had not figured out what to say to Leia yet, but he was curious and looking forward


    to whether it would be sessful to receive a reply from Leia.


    Standing on the side, Trevonmented, "I''m afraid you won''t be able to sleep tonight."


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