"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Lucian. But I really don't need it." He was her ex-husband and she
knew that if they became close to each other, society would judge them harshly. And if they did become
close, what would happen to Shelly? Being the second wife, did that make her the third party?
Lucian's disappointment pushed him back to his cold persona that she had not seen for a long time.
His gentle and handsome face had melted away to his familiar detached composure. He still looked
handsome but anyone who knew him for a long time would see the subtle differences in his
countenance. He was not aware that it took all of her strength of will to maintain a certain distance
between them; resisting all of his charms that made her weak. It was even harder than the time when
she had to write the divorce agreement; something that she had to do because she had no other
choice left.
Lucian was a man who never believed in love nor marriage. He ignored women who admired him and
treated them with indifference before he met Amelia. But after he fell in love with her, he started to
change himself little by little. He didn't want his usual cold and withdrawn self to hurt her in any way.
The crisis that shook the Zhan Group left him feeling guilty with what happened to Amelia. It made him
think that he was a failure as a husband. He couldn't even keep their marriage. When he found out that
Amelia was pregnant, he felt that God gave him another chance to make up for his failures. He
therefore promised himself that he would never allow Amelia and her baby to suffer because of his
losses.
Lucian never wanted forcing Amelia to accept his decisions. He was determined to find another way to
convince her to accept his offer.
The aged landlady had to be confined to the hospital as ordered by the doctor. Thus, Amelia still lived
in the courtyard. She made sure to go to the hospital to deliver her meal on time every day.
It had been a week since they last saw each other so Amelia decided to call Courtney. Courtney told
her that she was at the store during daytime and went back to the Lin family in the evening after the
store had closed.
After the incident that evening, Amelia thought that it would be a good idea for Courtney to move back
with the Lin family. But it was a long way and it was tiring to walk all that way every day.
When the landlady was discharged from the hospital, Amelia decided to visit the shop early that
afternoon.
When Amelia was close to the store, she was surprised to see that the door of the shop was closed.
Her pace quickened until she reached the front of the store. There was a sign that hung in front of the
store. The sign said that the shop would be closed for a week.
Amelia was shocked to read the sign. She suddenly felt worried for her friend. She took out her cell
phone and immediately called Courtney to ask her what happened and if she was alright.
Her call got connected and Courtney's phone rang. It rang for a long time but no one answered. She
decided to call one more time but no one answered. She gave up the call and slipped her phone back
into her shoulder bag. She decided to open the door of the shop. So she took out her key and unlocked
the door. A strong musty odor greeted her when she opened the door. She concluded that the shop
had been closed for some time now.
She opened the door of the store widely and cleaned every corner that should be cleaned with clean
water mixed with a mild cleaner. When she finished cleaning, it was already three o'clock in the
afternoon and a lazy wind was playing with the leaves of the trees that lined the street.
The sun shone brightly outside the store. The rays of light created slanted columns through the canopy
of bonsai trees. It wasn't a very hot day and the weather was very good.
The cool breeze that blew into the freshly cleaned shop made her feel relaxed. This was the kind of
afternoon that was perfect for taking a nap.
Amelia picked some easy-listening music and had them on a playlist that played inside the shop. She
then took out her notebook and reviewed the steps for making the drinks. When the first few guests
started to come in, she took a deep breath, flashed her knockout smile and started taking orders.
"Wow, your milk tea is so delicious! The sign on the door said that you'd be closed for a week! I am
glad that you decided to come back earlier!" a girl remarked happily. She sat in front of the bar counter
and was rocking her head to the songs that played in the shop.
For most people working in the service sector, getting a compliment from a customer was worth more
than receiving an award. Their daily lives revolved around their customers and in making them happy.
"Thank you for your kind remark. Please take this free cake as a sign of our appreciation," Amelia said
with a sweet smile. She bowed slightly to the kind customer and proceeded to work on the other
orders.
"Thank you!" The girl was surprised and became even happier with the free cake. She patted her chest
and said, "I will invite my friends to come over and buy drinks here!"
Amelia was in high spirits. She glanced back at the sweet girl in front and she smiled. The girl reminded
her of Courtney who also had the habit of pounding her chest when she was just a student.
Several groups of customers came and left. They were all surprised with how good the milk tea was.
They all left the store with smiles on their faces and a solemn vow to return. A few hours later, more
people noticed that the store was open again. The people that entered the store increased steadily and
Amelia started to feel fatigued. But her high spirits pushed her on. Like a race car that pushed itself
further beyond its limits as it approached the finish line. She treated each customer with the same
enthusiasm and care as with the first customer that she served that day.
She kept glancing at the door each time it opened and hoped that Courtney would show up. With the
number of customers steadily increasing, she felt that she'd need a hand very soon.
"Hi, have you finished my Vanilla Milk Cup yet? I've been waiting for it for more than ten minutes
already," one of the girls asked impatiently.
"Almost done! I'll be right there!" Amelia replied back in a hurried voice. She was too busy preparing
the order to even turn her head. She took the order slip and double-checked the order when a familiar
husky voice spoke up.
"Let me help you with that." The voice blended perfectly with the music that played inside the store and
it rang several melodious strings in Amelia's heart that made her briefly freeze in place.
She looked up at the tall figure who stood in front of the bar. It was none other than Lucian.
She almost jumped out of her skin and accidentally rubbed some of the milky tea cup on her hand. She
instinctively pulled the hand towel from the front pocket of her apron and wiped her hand with it. She
continued with her work without replying back to the tall guy.
Lucian placed the drinks on the center of a serving tray and took the order slips with him. He served the
pending orders one by one, checking the order slips as he served the drinks. Most of the ladies in the
shop received their drinks without speaking a word. They never took their eyes off of Lucian long after
he had passed them by to deliver the next order on another table.
One of the girls in a group nudged her friend and asked, "Look at him. He's even more handsome than
the young actors in TV dramas!"
"You're right, his face looks like it was sculpted by the gods themselves. He is very exquisite even when
he is merely serving water to the other customers!" another girl remarked.
"I don't know if he is married or not. I will go and ask for his phone number!" The other girls giggled in
excitement as their friend got up and approached Lucian. She went in front of Lucian and spoke in a
timid but gentle voice, "Excuse me, could you give me your phone number please?"
Lucian was almost caught off guard by the girl who positioned herself in Lucian's way. The tray in
Lucian's hand almost fell as he avoided colliding with the girl. Amelia heard the girl's words and she
looked up and stared at Lucian and the girl.
"I am the most beautiful girl in school and a lot of men are chasing me but I am not interested in any of
them. But I felt my heart beat faster when I saw you. I am doing this because of you. This is your fault."
The girl's face immediately turned red. She grasped the bowknot at her neck and unknowingly played it
in a nervous manner. She uneasily stared at Lucian's eyes with the stare of someone who was badly
smitten with love.
"The only thing that you need to focus on right now is studying hard. Every student like you should
keep that in mind. Besides, I'm old enough to be your uncle."
"But it's common for girls to fall in love with an older man!" she replied back at Lucian. She fought hard
against her shyness and said what was on her mind. She understood that she had to do her best to win
him.
Lucian looked away unintentionally and accidentally saw Amelia. She watched them with pouty lips and
a sulking look of disapproval.
"It's not possible. I am already married." Lucian suddenly felt impatient. He frowned and stared at the
tray that he carried irritatingly.
"So, who is your wife? Is she the shopkeeper?" the girl asked as she pointed at Amelia behind the
counter. She wanted to know who Lucian's wife was and compare his wife with her.
Amelia suddenly looked nervous when she saw the girl pointing at her. She knew Lucian very well. If he
agreed with the girl, she could end up with a lot of enemies. She knew that majority of her customers
were these students.
"Yes, you are right. It's her," Lucian replied with a confident tone of voice. He turned to look at Amelia
and he smiled slightly. There was love visibly reflected in his eyes.
All the customers who listened to the conversation turned and looked at Amelia. She suddenly felt the
weight of everyone's stare and was at a loss with how to react to all the attention.
Some of the customers suddenly felt jealous of her. And Lucian was obviously the one to blame.
Amelia suddenly felt worried that students might stop coming to the store.
"I won't...,"
"Honey, these kids won't stop coming here just because you are my wife." Before Amelia could react,
Lucian moved to the counter and stood next to Amelia.
Amelia's face immediately turned red. She was at a loss with what to say, both to Lucian and to the
students in the shop about what was happening. Before she could speak, the group of female students
all spoke in a chorus, "He is right. You have a very good service and you have such a handsome
husband. We will surely come here each day!"
"Thank you," Lucian replied with a sincere smile.
Lucian's presence quickly drew girls to the shop but Amelia didn't really care. These girls sat at the
table with one hand supporting their heads as they swooned over Lucian. They stayed inside the shop
for a long time staring at Lucian wherever he went and whatever he did.
"I came here to offer my help to you out of kindness, but why do you look unhappy?" Lucian asked in a
low voice as he stood in front of Amelia. He was confused and didn't know what to make of the
situation.
Amelia said nothing and pretended not to hear anything as she cleaned the cups quietly.
Lucian gently grabbed a cup from her and then said, "Let me do this."
Amelia frowned. She quickly glimpsed at the customer area and saw that a group of girls were
watching them. She swallowed the anger that she felt and spoke in a light voice, "Don't break any of
the cups."
She became worried when she remembered what happened the last time Lucian washed the dishes.
But Lucian remembered that event clearly as well. He clearly recalled the soapy suds in the sink, the
sound of flowing water, the scattered pieces of the broken porcelain on the floor and everything that
happened after. "I'm good at washing dishes," he replied back lightly.
Amelia didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She came out from the back of the counter and started to
serve desserts for the group of girls. She was surprised with what they told her, "Thank you for letting
us enjoy looking at the handsome man for free. We will definitely visit again tomorrow!"
The milk tea shop wasn't big and Lucian heard what the girls said. When they left, he complained to
Amelia, "So I am nothing but an exhibit."
Although he felt depressed and a little tired, a sly smile crossed his lips. He looked straight at Amelia
and made a peculiar face that seemed to boast in front of her. She thought to herself that his face was
silently telling her, 'Yes, I am the most handsome man in the world. Stare at me and enjoy it!'
"What are you thinking now?" Lucian asked as he stared at Amelia. She remained motionless as if a
spell paralyzed her entire body. Lucian slowly walked towards her and waved a hand in front of her
eyes.
Amelia then seemed to spring back to consciousness and stared at him. She suddenly felt
embarrassed.
"Nothing important. Thank you for all your help..." She knew that if Lucian didn't came and helped out,
she would've been so exhausted. She also doubted that she would've been able to provide a very good
service to the customers if she became exhausted early.
Lucian's face suddenly darkened with disappointment. He was not happy with the way that Amelia was
too polite to him.
"I suggest that you close the shop early. You should not stay up late since you're a pregnant woman,"
Lucian suggested strongly but with an obvious tone of concern.
"There are still more than three hours before the scheduled closing hour of the shop," Amelia replied in
a slightly stubborn and childish tone.
Lucian didn't say anything. He was slightly frustrated that he couldn't make her do anything. He took
out his phone and made a phone call to Eric. A short time later, Eric arrived with a package with him
when he entered the shop. "Mrs. Amelia, Mr. Lucian asked me to prepare food for you. Please eat
them right away while they're still hot."
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