With the mindset that “as long as it won’t poison anyone, it’s fine,” she picked up a knife and began hacking away at the winter melon.
Upstairs, Livinus could hear the incessant “thud, thud, thud” of her chopping from the kitchen below.
Unable to bear it any longer, he stormed into the kitchen and snatched the knife from her hand.
“What’s wrong? I can handle this,” Sophia said.
“Sure, you can handle it!” Livinus replied with a frown and an annoyed expression. “But anyone hearing this noise might think a murder is taking place in our house. Let me remind you: vegetables are meant to be sliced, not hacked apart. And that’s a winter melon in your hand, not a bone!”
With that, he took the knife and began slicing the winter melon with practiced precision.
Livinus was a perfectionist. This was evident in how neatly he arranged the vegetables. Each slice of winter melon was uniform, the broccoli looked as though it had been cut with a mold, and even the spring onions were chopped to identical sizes—his level of perfectionism was almost pathological.
Sophia was impressed. He did everything so well—much better than she could.
That evening, the two sat on the bed reading. Lying down, Livinus suddenly asked nonchalantly, “Do you have an Instagram account?”
Sophia shook her head, definitely not admitting that she had a small, secret Instagram account for arguing with Olivia.
Livinus said nothing, but after a while, he asked again, “Haven’t you been online recently?”
Sophia finally put down her book, exasperated. “President, what exactly are you trying to ask?”
With a gloomy expression, Livinus stared at her for a while but ultimately said nothing.
The next day, Joanna heard about it and laughed uncontrollably. “How did I not realize our president was so awkward? But Dr. Sophia, you’re quite something! You can’t even see through the President’s feelings?”
Sophia was speechless. She had never been in a relationship before—how was she supposed to know these things? “What do you mean?”
“Let me ask you: are you aware of the President’s scandal?”
“Do you mean the one with Walker Riley ?”
“You know?” Joanna hadn’t expected her to admit it so openly.
“Of course I know. Many of my patients have been talking about it.”
“And you don’t feel anything about it? Like jealousy or something?”
“Jealousy?” Sophia was momentarily stunned and remained silent for a while.
Although she refused to admit it, she could feel her mood dampening. But the problem was, she and Livinus were merely housemates. Neither of them was the type to dwell on things. She had always believed that if they could be together, they’d stay together; if not, they’d part ways. She had never thought she had the right to feel jealous.
For her, this was a novel experience.
Although they didn’t argue, their awkwardness lingered until New Year’s Eve.
Livinus spent New Year’s lunch with his family at the Scott residence, though he remained in low spirits. The old patriarch, noticing the scandal circulating online, asked him what was going on. Livinus gave a simple explanation, and the patriarch didn’t press further. Since Andrea had recently undergone major surgery, the first branch of the family seemed dispirited, looking rather worn out.
However, with all the sons and grandsons gathered, the house bustled with dozens of people, and the old patriarch seemed in good spirits.
“Uncle,” Ella called out with a smile. “You just got an Instagram account, didn’t you? Add me! Add me!”
She pulled out her phone to show him. “See, I already added you. Hurry up and add me back!”
To her surprise, Livinus coldly replied, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t want to.” His concise answer was classic Livinus.
Ella pouted and grumbled unhappily. Some of their peers laughed good-naturedly, “Uncle’s first Instagram follow is probably reserved for his future wife. You don’t stand a chance.”
“What? Uncle used to treat me the best, and now…”
“Now you’re yesterday’s news. How can you compare to his future wife?”
Olivia overheard and smiled. “Could the rumors about Uncle and Walker Riley be true?”
Ella glanced at her and sneered, “What do you think?”
Olivia, who had always clashed with Ella, forced a dry laugh. “How would I know? The rumors are spreading wildly, and many say Walker Riley is about to marry into the Scott family. But I clearly remember Uncle already has a girlfriend.”
Ella, who disliked Olivia, sneered, “Relax! My Uncle’s taste is much better than Scott Henry’s!”
Scott Henry frowned and snapped, “Watch your mouth!”
Ella rolled her eyes and showed no fear. “I’m just telling the truth. My Uncle would never go for someone like Walker Riley. I’m confident in that—right, Uncle?”
Livinus loosened his tie and responded indifferently with a faint “Mm.”
Olivia clenched her teeth in frustration. Ella, though born of the second branch’s mistress, had been fortunate enough to earn Livinus’s favor. He often kept her by his side, which elevated her status significantly. Otherwise, as the illegitimate child of a mistress, she wouldn’t have been qualified to join the Scott family’s New Year dinner. Even Scott Henry and Olivia had to show her some respect.
