CHAPTER 92: TALL AND HANDSOME

"Dear Bruce, knock knock!"

When Bruce came out of the bathroom, he saw Margaret poke her head around the crack of the door.

Bruce walked toward her and tried to push her away. Margaret looked up, only to see Bruce’s poker face. She quickly put on a friendly and cute smile.

"Why don’t you go back to your room?"

Bruce’s cold voice sent chills down Margaret’s spine. She chuckled, "Someone asked me to have a deep conversation with you. I wonder if you are interested, Bruce?"

Bruce rolled his eyes at her and pushed her away, "No!"

Margaret was easily thrown out of the door like an abandoned kitten.

She leaned against the door and blinked pitifully. "Bruce, please listen to me."

"If you don’t behave normally, I’ll throw you out of the house."

"Hilla was worried that you and Riya would get back together, so she asked me to come over and figure it out."

When Margaret met Bruce’s gaze, she thought she was done for. She nervously took a swallow, "I’m just asking. I don’t think you still like Riya."

Bruce glanced at her hand on the door. "Let go!"

"Oh, it’s getting late. Bruce, wish you a good rest and a sweet dream..."

The door was closed in front of Margaret. She pursed her lips and secretly whispered, "Cold-blooded."

Hilla stayed in the living room for a long time. She fell asleep on the sofa.

In her dream, she felt she was picked up tenderly by someone.

Hilla suddenly came back to her senses. When she opened her eyes, Bruce was just inches away from her. All her sleepiness had gone.

"Why did you..."

"It’s so late. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold if you sleep here?"

Bruce’s breath fanned her cheek. She was startled and blushed immediately. She looked down and whispered, "I fell asleep accidentally. Let me down, I can walk by myself."

She tried to free herself from his arms. Hugged by Bruce, she felt like stepping on the clouds.

Bruce held her tighter and put on a smile, "It doesn’t matter. I can hug you all the time."

Was he saying sweet words to her?

Hilla’s heart was thumping with excitement. She felt nervous and at a loss.

She stayed in Bruce’s arms in a daze, not knowing what to do.

It wasn’t until he carried her onto the bed that Hilla grabbed the quilt tightly and pulled herself to the corner of the bed.

"You’re not taking a bath?"

Bruce turned around and looked at her with a half-smile.

Hilla was very confused. She wrapped herself tightly with the quilt. "I took a bath this afternoon."

Bruce did not call her bluff. He climbed onto the bed, lay down sideways, and turned to look at Hilla, "Before you, I’ve only been in a relationship once. I’m not good at getting along with women. I just know you like to collect lipsticks and wear beautiful clothes."

"Every girl likes them, okay?"

She thought, "Was Bruce criticizing that I am a vulgar woman? Although I’ve lived a carefree life since I was young, couldn’t I have some ordinary interests?"

Noticing her nervousness, Bruce reached out and pulled her quilt.

"Isn’t it hot to cover yourself like this?"

"Spring hasn’t come yet. How can it be hot?"

Hilla snorted coldly. She had found a perfect excuse for herself.

"The heating in the room is very strong. If you cover yourself like this, you may get sick."

Bruce freed her face from the quilt. He whispered, "I had very little contact with Rita when we were dating, and we broke up not long after. So I don’t know much about how to maintain a relationship. I should care more about you."

Is Bruce drunk today? Why does he say such things to me? His words are confusing but touching.

Could it be that a man would act weird once a month?

Hilla frowned as she looked at Bruce beside her. After a long while, she pursed her lips and whispered uncertainly, "Bruce, what’s the matter with you?"

He was not the Bruce she knew.

He looked the same, spoke the same, but his eyes were filled with affection, his voice was too gentle, and his words were too considerate.

She didn’t believe him. Maybe he wanted to trick her and punish her.

"Aren’t you worried that Riya and I will get back together? I promise this wouldn’t

happen!"

Bruce lowered his head. His voice swept past her ears and his breath fanned her hair. She felt her heart beating fast.

Bruce’s words struck a deep chord in her heart. "Who, who said I am worried? I’m not worried at all."

Hilla tried to deny it and run away, but Bruce turned over and put her down with a big smile.

"Margaret told me that. She must have talked nonsense with you. But I could explain. You are my wife now. If you don’t like Riya, I won’t see her again."

"It’s not what I mean. You make it sound like I’m very petty."

Hilla rubbed the quilt with her fingertips twisting back and forth. Her voice was tender and shy.

Bruce raised his eyebrows and looked at the two-faced girl beneath him. He put on a light smile.

Was she not petty enough? She had been throwing a tantrum for nearly a year because of Riya. If he didn’t explain it properly, she might leave him.

"Of course not. I am worried that you will get me wrong and leave me. So I have to tell you the truth."

As the saying went, "Surrender yourself, you’re safe."

"Why are you worried that I will get angry with you?" Hilla asked.

"Because I care about you!"

Bruce acted very strangely today. He spoke those honeyed words so smoothly. What should she do? She felt she was falling into his hands!

Hilla’s heart was beating wildly. She shrank herself into the quilt and looked at Bruce innocently with her dark eyes. She blushed and said in a low voice, "Bruce, you’re really annoying!"

How could an innocent girl face the teasing of a mature man?

...

Bruce touched his own face and frowned in thought.

He had learned it from her favorite novels. When she read them for him, she was so excited. She said she wanted to be the female lead. Did he recite the wrong lines?

"Aren’t you touched?" Bruce asked.

"You’ve frightened me, Bruce. Can you stop?"

Hilla blinked and looked at Bruce. She wondered whether he was the Bruce she knew. Maybe he had changed into another person.

All of a sudden, he said so many honeyed words to her. It was frightening.

She blushed, and her hands were covered in a cold sweat. She was afraid that if Bruce continued, she would be in danger.

Seeing Hilla’s nervousness, Bruce put his hand on her forehead, only to feel a handful of cold sweat.

"Are you hot?"

Hilla shook her head. "No."

She was frightened.

Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. After adjusting the temperature of the air conditioner for her, he lay down beside her.

"Riya..."

"I knew. I’ve got you wrong. I’m sleepy, Bruce, let’s leave it for tomorrow."

She didn’t want to talk about Riya. She was afraid that Bruce would say more honeyed words to her.

Although she had read a lot of novels, Bruce was the only man who had spoken honeyed words to her.

She used to think she would be touched by this kind of sweet talk. Now she found it a little creepy.

She felt chills down her spine. It was really terrifying.

Hilla turned around with her hands clutching the quilt. She should go to bed now.

Once she fell asleep, she wouldn’t think of these things.

Thinking about this, Hilla had fallen asleep.

The next day, Bruce got up earlier than Hilla. She just realized Bruce had the habit of running in the morning.

He was tall and straight. When he ran past her window, she felt refreshed.

Bruce had always been lying on the bed, so she couldn’t imagine how he would look when he stood up and walked by himself.

She had never seen the way he ran.

"Why are you drooling at Bruce so early in the morning?"

Margaret came in to have breakfast with Hilla. She found Hilla leaning on the balcony railing, looking at Bruce downstairs in obsession. Margaret shook her head.

Bruce was handsome, but he always wore a straight face. How could Hilla look at him all the time and be not sick of it?

Margaret couldn’t understand a young girl in love.

"Don’t you think Bruce is tall?"

Margaret rolled her eyes and smiled. "Of course. He is almost 3 inches tall."

"Then don’t you think Bruce looks very handsome and sunny when he runs?"

"Handsome? Kind of. But sunny ... The sun had just come out."

Hilla turned around and rolled her eyes at Margaret with dissatisfaction. She said, "You don’t understand!"

"Well, I don’t understand. Bruce is coming back from running. Could you please wash your face and go downstairs to eat? He said he would take you to the company today."

Margaret knew what was on Bruce’s mind. He’d like to take Hilla to the company, because he wanted to be with her all the time.

These newlyweds loved to show off in front of single persons like Margaret.

"I’m supposed to go back to work tomorrow. There must be lots of work for me to do."

Hilla explained to Margaret and ran to the bathroom to freshen up.

Margaret rolled her eyes and stretched her neck to look downstairs. On the lawn, Horton and Bruce met head-on.

Horton’s eyes under glasses flashed as he saw Bruce. He smiled, "I heard that you have brought Hilla back. How is it? There shouldn’t be any obstacle between you this time."

Bruce frowned and said in a cold voice, "She said she was afraid."

Horton’s eyes lit up. Bruce was so close to success.

Horton was curious about things between Bruce and Hilla. "If she is afraid, you should comfort her. I gave you so many books to learn from. But you’ve let me down."

At the mention of Hilla, Bruce screwed up his face. He turned to look at Horton with disdain.

"She felt scared because of those sweet words."

Bruce had done as Horton told. But he seemed to have frightened Hilla.

Horton was surprised, but then he nodded. "She must have been seduced by you!"

What?

Bruce turned his head and slowed down his pace. He and Horton were walking slowly.

Horton said, "Maybe I should find more books for you to learn from."

Bruce frowned, "Forget it, she is too young."

"Young? Hilla is twenty years old. If you don’t make a move now, she could fall in love with others in the future."

An idea popped into Horton’s head. "I’ve read a novel. The male lead raised the female lead for eighteen years. At first, he thought she was too young. In the end, she fell for another man and wanted to elope with him.

"Don’t you think the male lead is miserable?"

Bruce was lost in thought. Horton raised his eyebrows and put on a smile, "Hilla must have a lot of pursuers now!"

When he mentioned pursuers, Bruce put on a straight face.

Hilla’s pursuers were almost as many as a soccer team.

"Anyway, Bruce, I have reminded you. You should know how attractive Hilla is. And don’t forget, you are ten years older than her. There’s a huge generation gap between you two!"

This could be a gap for a lifetime!

Bruce fell silent. Horton patted Bruce’s shoulder and said earnestly, "Don’t worry. I will help you."

This time, Bruce turned around and looked at Horton seriously. He said indifferently, "I’ll handle it myself!"

Horton always offered him bad ideas. They didn’t work on Hilla at all.