Destined Entwining: Capturing My Devoted Beau

Chapter 281: Chapter 156: Courtesy Demands Reciprocity

Kenneth Osborne lowered his head, a hint of melancholy in his eyes, and said softly, ”...If I can’t be with you, what’s a million worth? I can afford to lose two million.”

”...Kenneth, that’s a million!” Lawrence Winters exclaimed urgently, ”Aren’t you sure to lose then?”

Kenneth Osborne: ”...”

A sudden unbearable pain filled his heart.

Even money wasn’t working anymore?

What else could he do?

Kenneth Osborne slowly lifted his gaze, staring into Lawrence Winters’ eyes.

Her eyes were dark and pure, resembling an endless night sky, as if filled to the brim with stars, yet also empty and boundless.

Just like the feeling she gave him, sometimes it seemed she understood everything, and other times, nothing at all.

Like a toddler learning to walk, stubbornly breaking all the treasures placed in her hands, with a kind of pure yet innocent cruelty.

Lawrence Winters also looked into Kenneth Osborne’s eyes.

His gaze was gentle and lingering, intimately locking with hers.

No longer hiding.

But the warmth in his gaze was gradually cooling, like the morning of the first chill, dewdrops frozen on the grass, or like a traveler who has journeyed thousands of miles, discovering an empty house upon returning home.

The rushing desolation and loneliness made Lawrence Winters tremble slightly.

Something unbearable was approaching, and she was at a loss, not knowing how to face it.

This was something she had never learned in her twenty years of life.

Not even those romantic, entangled novels could touch that chord.

Yet deep down, she felt a pang of panic and fear.

She didn’t know where this feeling came from, but she could sense it wasn’t the first time she felt such panic and fear.

And every time this panic and fear arose, it had something to do with the man before her.

What did that signify?

She couldn’t quite figure it out, but instinctively knew she couldn’t let go.

It was quiet yet also bustling in the community.

She could hear the buzzing of insects rising and falling in the early autumn night, as if they were having the last feast of their lives.

Due to her sharp senses, these sounds were amplified in her eardrums, almost filling her thoughts.

She felt unable to think, yet it seemed her mind was racing, pondering the most important questions in life.

Kenneth Osborne pressed his lips together, slowly reached out, took Lawrence Winters’ hand, and said softly yet determinedly, ”Nora, if... if I promise you, even if we break up later, I won’t leave you and continue being your good friend, would you consider me?”

When Kenneth Osborne said this, his head was slightly turned, and his beautiful silhouette appeared like a deity carved in jade under the moonlight, exuding a lavish allure that urged people to worship.

Lawrence Winters was captivated by his expression and voice, subconsciously saying, ”...Consider what?”

”Consider... being with me? Becoming my girlfriend?” Kenneth Osborne tightened his grip on her hand.

Her hand was soft as if boneless, her palm was warm, the kind of warmth that felt hot.

It seemed that she wasn’t without feelings either, right?

Kenneth Osborne was also nervous, but he didn’t retreat; he couldn’t retreat, determined to put everything on the line.

Lawrence Winters’ palm wasn’t just warm; her mind was as heated as a pot of porridge, ready to emit steam if the lid was lifted.

She also felt a bit of pain in her head, not a sharp pain, but like the finest needles pricking her nerves from within.

She gritted her teeth, enduring for a while, and soon the discomfort faded, even enjoying the sour, sweet yet pleasurable sensation spreading through her nervous system.

She gripped Kenneth Osborne’s hand back, as if enchanted: ”...Even if we break up, we can still remain good friends? Didn’t you say that’s impossible before?”

”...Yes, it was impossible before, but because it’s you, it’s possible now.” Kenneth Osborne tried hard to stay calm, yet the tips of his ears secretly reddened.

Lawrence Winters closed her eyes.

The starlight before her vanished as if closing a world.

Upon opening her eyes again, it was like opening a new world.

She smiled and said, ”Let me think about it, okay? Kenneth, you know, what I least want to lose is your friendship. I want to be good friends with you, forever in that never-parting way.”

Kenneth Osborne also smiled, ”Alright, think about it. When you’ve figured it out, just let me know.”

He didn’t want to push her too hard.

Her willingness to loosen her stance today and express her intent to consider was already quite unexpected, even leaving him a bit ”overwhelmed.”

He had enough patience to wait for her to open her heart to him, because he had already seen a crack in the wall around her heart.

Though it was thick, it was not impenetrable.

Kenneth Osborne was filled with excitement and couldn’t help but pull her into his arms for a hug, then quickly released her, pushing her away, saying, ”Sorry, I was impolite.”

Lawrence Winters wanted to laugh, but felt awkward about it, so he maintained a cool demeanor and said, ”...No need to say sorry. If I didn’t want you to hold me, given my skills, you’d never get a centimeter close to me.”

Kenneth Osborne: ”...”

Is this girl missing a wire somewhere?

Shouldn’t she be all sweet and coy in his arms at this moment?

What’s the point of bragging about her skills?

Alright, he shouldn’t ”push his luck.”

Stay calm, stay calm, take a deep breath, take a deep breath.

Kenneth Osborne was mentally preparing himself, when unexpectedly, Lawrence Winters leaned in, wrapped her arms around him, and said with a cheeky smile, ”...It’s only polite to reciprocate. You hugged me, so I hugged you too. That’s fair.”

Kenneth Osborne couldn’t help but laugh, pinching her peachy cheek, ”Does this need to be fair too?”

”Yes, gender equality, right... Did I do something wrong?” Lawrence tilted her head, her radiant smile floated like an ethereal being under the moonlight, her eyes flowing with charm that was captivating.

Sometimes she was beautiful in an otherworldly way, and sometimes dazzlingly radiant.

This blend of ethereal and radiant qualities had an unparalleled allure to men.

Kenneth Osborne had grown up with her, he too had exceptional qualities, yet he was inevitably drawn to her, eventually unable to resist.

He leaned down, swiftly kissed her cheek, and said, ”You did right.”

Then he turned his cheek to Lawrence, smiling, ”Go on, gender equality.”

Lawrence Winters chuckled, but stood on tiptoe and kissed Kenneth Osborne’s cheek, praising, ”You’re quick to learn, Kenneth!”

Kenneth Osborne held her left hand as they walked towards the building where they lived, saying, ”You can’t be ’gender equal’ with other men in the future, only with me, got it?”

”Hey hey hey? Kenneth, you’re not being fair... Trying to trap me... I haven’t agreed yet... I only said I’d think about it...” Lawrence laughed cheekily, even brushing her face with her fingers to tease him, ”Am I that easy to trap?”

”...Agree to be with me, and I’ll make you delicious food.” Kenneth laughed and said, ”If you’re good, the food I make will taste great. If you’re not good, the food I make probably won’t taste so good.”

”Hey! Kenneth, don’t treat me like a naive girl! Do you think I’ll believe you?—You’re quite the charming rogue!” Lawrence fisted her right hand and playfully punched Kenneth’s shoulder, teasing, ”Do you think I’m an easy-going person?”

”Aren’t you?”

”How am I? Accuse me, but show me the evidence!”

Kenneth thought for a moment and posed a challenging question, ”What if Lucas Harlow wanted to be ’gender equal’ with you, would you refuse him?”

Lawrence imagined for a moment, then turned her head with a sigh, saying, ”Oh, if I weren’t Lucas’s manager, I might not be able to refuse being ’gender equal’ with him.”

”Unfortunately, I am his manager now. How could I ’underhand’ him? Even rabbits don’t eat the grass next to their burrow... There are fresh talents everywhere, why take action on one’s own people?” Lawrence shook her head, ”Such a shame.”

”You seem quite regretful,” Kenneth teased, ”how about I swap places with Lucas?”

Lawrence tightened her grip on his hand, rested her head on his shoulder, and refused, saying, ”No need. Kenneth, if you traded places with Lucas, I might have to forsake professional ethics and ’underhand’ you.—Then how could I maintain a respectable leadership?”

Kenneth’s tension and discomfort all night long were soothed by this sentence.

He opened his arms to her, smiling, ”Feel free to make a move.”

Lawrence stepped back two paces, bending over with laughter, ”Hahaha... Kenneth, you’re quite the flirt... Even if it wasn’t me but others, like Passion Sister or Billionaire Sister, they’d all fall for your sugar-coated bullets!”

Kenneth laughed at himself a bit, ”Since you haven’t fallen yet, it means my sugar-coated bullets aren’t enough. I’ll keep trying!”

”Mm! Go Kenneth!” Lawrence said with a smile, naturally holding his hand as they headed upstairs.

They separated only after entering the house.

In the living room, the old Daoist and Nick Zeller were sitting on the corner sofa watching TV.

Gabrielle Winters wasn’t in the living room, she was probably in her own room reading or doing her own thing.

Lawrence greeted the two cheerfully, ”Uncle, Grandmaster, are you still watching TV? I’m going to sleep first.”

Kenneth also said, ”Uncle Nick, old immortal, I have to go to work early tomorrow morning, you both should get some early sleep too.”

After saying goodnight, they each headed to their rooms.

Even though nothing seemed different from usual, there was an unmistakable change in the air.

Nick sniffed, muttering, ”...I smell the sour stench of love.”

The old Daoist glared at him nervously, ”Don’t talk nonsense! They haven’t taken that first step yet!”

Nick spread his palms, laughing, ”At least tonight you lost, they surely agreed on the terms, you owe me fifty.”

”It’s nonsense! I don’t believe it! Show me evidence!” The old Daoist muttered defiantly, but nevertheless pulled out a bill and placed it firmly into Nick’s palm—a fifty dollar note fell into his hand.

The old Daoist stormed back to his room to sleep.

He originally intended to sleep on the top bunk, but out of anger with Nick, he ended up sleeping on the bottom bunk.

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This is the second update, an extra for Grace Cold Iron Silver League, third update at seven tonight.

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Group kisses!