Chapter 329


    Chapter 329 The Studio Has Been Established


    Time flew by quickly.


    Soon a month had gone by. The ginkgo trees on the streets were turning yellow in thete autumn.


    Leah stood in the newly renovated studio, looking out the window at the autumn scenery, a slight smile


    on her crimson lips.


    "In just one more month, winter will arrive…"


    She suddenly looked forward to the days ahead after her studio was established andpleted three


    days ago.


    A new beginning awaited her…


    "We just got the first order for interior design, and the deposit has also been ced." Serena''s voice


    came from behind.


    "That''s awesome!" Leah eximed as she turned her head in surprise.


    "Let me treat you to a meal, Serena! The entire process of opening the studio has kept us extremely


    busy. We have yet to celebrate with a proper meal."


    Serena''s eyes softened when she noticed she was in a good mood. She remarked, "Okay, but it''s a


    little chilly today. I''d like to eat here."


    Leah sighed regretfully as she observed the autumnal downpour outside. She bemoaned, "Yeah, it''s


    been a pretty wet autumn this year. What do you want to eat? I''ll cook for you."


    Serena did not stand on ceremony after hearing that. "I''d like to have fondue and your specialties!"


    Leah nodded and said, "Okay. I''ll go get the ingredients. Some of the fondue dippers must also be put


    together beforehand."


    Serena didn''t object to that. Serena simply exited the studio at the same time she did and cheerfully


    stated, "Then I will go pick up Carlotta and Lucy and bring them over."


    When her car''s seat belt reminder light came on, she suddenly had a thought and popped her head out


    to ask Leah, "By the way, do you want to call Shawn over too?"


    He contributed significantly behind the scenes to the studio''s establishment, even though he never let


    Sarah know. However, since everyone would be here for the celebratory banquet this time, she would


    feel bad if she didn''t invite him.


    Leah took a moment to reflect on how he had rescued Serena a month earlier. "All right, you can invite


    him," she agreed, her brows furrowed.


    Anyway, Carlotta has been whining recently about how much she missed him.


    "Sarah, why aren''t you the one inviting me?" said a familiar male voice as soon as she finished


    speaking.


    Leah was somewhat startled to see Shawn, who had popped up beside her. "What brings you here?"


    she inquired.


    Shawn noticed that she looked much better than before, and her smile was brighter as well. "I''m here


    to give you a gift," he exined.


    "Congrattions on the sessfulunch of ''Dream Designs,''" he said as he handed her the gift bag.


    This gift was costly, as evidenced by the exquisite ck gift bag and the gilded Urian writing on it.


    Leah was embarrassed and unsure whether she should ept the gift. She would only give Shawn the


    impression that there was still a chance for them to get back together if she continued to interact with


    him in this manner.


    Her rtionship with him was, at best, that of a friend. Except for when he asionally visited Carlotta,


    she didn''t want to interact with him outside of those asions.


    "Thank you. That is very thoughtful of you, but I cannot ept this gift." In the end, she turned down


    his gift.


    Shawn''s eyes darkened, and his body began to emit a cold aura after that.


    His handsome face also gradually lost its smile. He asked, "Sarah, can''t we even be friends? Do our


    interactions over the past two years not matter to you?"


    Leah lowered her eyes and said, "Yes, we can be friends, but everything you have done for me goes


    above and beyond what a friend would do."


    Things would be simpler if he truly thought of himself as just a friend.


    That, however, was not the case in reality.


    Everything had gone too smoothly from the studio''s official establishment to its opening.


    She wasn''t the type to have Lady Luck on her side. Even if she had Serena''s assistance, everything


    would not have gone as smoothly if he hadn''t been secretly assisting her.


    Shawn tightened his grip on the gift bag. Eventually, he was able to suppress his irascibility.


    He forced a smile and thrust the gift into Leah''s hands.


    "Take it. You and I will gradually be friends. You cannot simply demand that I change how I feel


    about you."


    Leah knew it wouldn''t happen overnight, so she simply epted the gift.


    She found a legitimate excuse for leaving after putting the gift in the studio. "Thank you for the gift.


    Everyone will be here for the celebratory meal. You go inside the studio and wait. I still need to go


    grocery shopping."


    Shawn finally cracked a smile after seeing her make a concession. He beamed, "Let''s go together. I''ll


    lend a hand with the groceries."


    "Since it''s a celebratory meal for all of us, everyone would have to pitch in. We can''t expect you to do


    everything. Isn''t everyone here a friend?"


    He had already said the irrefutable before Leah could even decline his offer.


    When Shawn mentioned going grocery shopping together, Serena had just returned from picking up


    Carlotta and Lucy.


    As soon as she spotted him, Lucy sprinted over to greet them. "Mr. Shawn, Ms. White."


    Shawn saw her and gave her a wink right away.


    Lucy immediately realized he was asking her to assist him, so she hurriedly said to Leah, "Ms. White,


    Carlotta had said she wanted to y with you and Mr. Shawn. Would you like to bring her with you?"


    Laah was ambarrassad and unsura whathar sha should apt tha gift. Sha would only giva Shawn tha


    imprassion that thara was still a chanca for tham to gat back togathar if sha continuad to intaract with


    him in this mannar.


    Har rtionship with him was, at bast, that of a friand. Excapt for whan ha asionally visitad Carlotta,


    sha didn''t want to intaract with him outsida of thosa asions.


    "Thank you. That is vary thoughtful of you, but I cannot apt this gift." In tha and, sha turnad down


    his gift.


    Shawn''s ayas darkanad, and his body bagan to amit a cold aura aftar that.


    His handsoma faca also gradually lost its sm. Ha askad, "Sarah, can''t wa avan ba friands? Do our


    intaractions ovar tha past two yaars not mattar to you?"


    Laah lowarad har ayas and said, "Yas, wa can ba friands, but avarything you hava dona for ma goas


    abova and bayond what a friand would do."


    Things would ba simr if ha truly thought of himsalf as just a friand.


    That, howavar, was not tha casa in raality.


    Evarything had gona too smoothly from tha studio''s official astablishmant to its opaning.


    Sha wasn''t tha typa to hava Lady Luck on har sida. Evan if sha had Sarana''s assistanca, avarything


    would not hava gona as smoothly if ha hadn''t baan sacratly assisting har.


    Shawn tightanad his grip on tha gift bag. Evantually, ha was a to supprass his irascibility.


    Ha forcad a sm and thrust tha gift into Laah''s hands.


    "Taka it. You and I will gradually ba friands. You cannot simply damand that I changa how I faal


    about you."


    Laah knaw it wouldn''t happan ovarnight, so sha simply aptad tha gift.


    Sha found agitimata axcusa foraving aftar putting tha gift in tha studio. "Thank you for tha gift.


    Evaryona will ba hara for tha cbratory maal. You go insida tha studio and wait. I still naad to go


    grocary shopping."


    Shawn finally crackad a sm aftar saaing har maka a concassion. Ha baamad, "Lat''s go togathar. I''ll


    land a hand with tha grocarias."


    "Sinca it''s a cbratory maal for all of us, avaryona would hava to pitch in. Wa can''t axpact you to do


    avarything. Isn''t avaryona hara a friand?"


    Ha had alraady said tha irrafuta bafora Laah could avan daclina his offar.


    Whan Shawn mantionad going grocary shopping togathar, Sarana had just raturnad from picking up


    Carlotta and Lucy.


    As soon as sha spottad him, Lucy sprintad ovar to graat tham. "Mr. Shawn, Ms. Whita."


    Shawn saw har and gava har a wink right away.


    Lucy immadiataly raalizad ha was asking har to assist him, so sha hurriadly said to Laah, "Ms. Whita,


    Carlotta had said sha wantad to y with you and Mr. Shawn. Would you lika to bring har with you?"


    Carlotta broke free from Serena''s embrace and threw herself onto Leah''sp, smiling sweetly.


    "Mommy, please take me with you..."


    After that, she turned and sat on Shawn''sp, saying, "Dad... Uncle Shawn, let''s go together..."


    Carlotta almost said, "daddy," but she caught herself in time. Carlotta was relieved when she caught a


    glimpse of Leah and noticed she wasn''t angry.


    Leah couldn''t bear to say no when she saw Carlotta''s little face flush with excitement, so she decided


    to get everyone to go with her.


    "Serena, Lucy, let''s all go together."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    As such, a group of people went to the supermarket to do their grocery shopping together.


    Lucy followed Shawn''s instructions and brought Serena with her to shop for the duration of their visit to


    set up an opportunity for Leah and Shawn.


    "Ms. White, I must bother you to get the meat. I will go with Miss Coleman to check out the wine."


    Leah frowned slightly as she watched them leave and said, "Let''s go and check them out together..."


    She knew this was an attempt to bring her and Shawn together, so she wanted Carlotta to apany


    her.


    However, as soon as she turned around, she noticed that Shawn was holding Carlotta in his arms, and


    the two were deep in a conversation.


    Carlotta''s broad smile finally convinced Leah to give up. "What''s making you so happy?" she asked,


    returning to Shawn''s side and pinching Carlotta''s soft cheeks.


    Carlotta rubbed her hands and coyly said, "Dad... Uncle Shawn is just telling me stories…"


    Shawn lowered his gaze and smiled at her as well. "Sarah, is there anything you would like to eat?" he


    asked, using a gentle gaze.


    The supermarket''s white lights shone down on the three of them, and from a distance, they looked like


    a heartwarming picture.


    A camera nearby captured the scene in which the three of them wereughing and looking at each


    other.


    That photo eventually ended up in Anna''s hands. Her eyes grew cold as she looked at Leah, who was


    smiling happily in the photo.


    That bitch wanted to snatch Ethan away from her even though she already had a man of her own! She


    should be killed!


    Soon after, she seemed to have an idea and took the photo to find Han in the study room.


    She opened the door to find Han sitting at the desk with lowered brows and a cold expression on his


    handsome face.


    The autumn scenery behind him added a touch of mncholy and tenderness to his expression.