CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER 10: THE WEALTHY PATRON

Within a few minutes, the car drove into the neighborhood.

"You should be quite familiar with the area. I have a dinner tonight, so you’ll have to handle your meal by yourself." Shane led her upstairs, left the suitcase in the foyer, didn’t even step inside the door, looking as if he was in a rush to leave.

His actions were far from what Audrey Sutton expected, so she felt a bit disappointed.

Besides, he could have taken her to the dinner. Everyone knows they’re married now. Shouldn’t a newlywed show off his wife? Or is he afraid she’ll embarrass him?

"Did you hear me?"

She replied gloomily, "Oh."

"Is it enough?"

Audrey was puzzled about what "enough" meant until she looked up and saw the two hundred bucks he handed her.

Before she had a chance to speak, he silently pulled an extra hundred from his wallet and placed it on the foyer cabinet, commanding, "Clean up your room before I return."

"Oh."

He stood there for a couple of seconds, seeming to want to say something else but chose not to. He closed the door and left.

Audrey looked at the closed door, then reached out to take the three hundred bucks, chuckling a bit.

Though he has a bad temper, he’s quite generous with money.

Her family has some money, but her parents never spoil her and her siblings, especially when it comes to money; they’re strict.

The main issue is her annoying brother Six because they’re close in age, and he always insists on competing with her.

Whenever her dad wanted to give her more allowance, Six would demand the same amount.

It directly affected her parents’ idea of "raising boys poor, girls rich," causing Audrey to also be raised "poor."

However, privately her dad would secretly give her a bit more, sometimes she could squeeze a little out from her other brothers, and now she had another financial backer. Her small savings would soon become a golden mountain.

She couldn’t help but chuckle secretly.

The house gave her the impression of a suite in a five-star hotel, well-decorated and clean, but lacking a bit of lived-in feel—clearly, he didn’t often stay here.

She glanced at her room and was quite satisfied.

The windows were big, the bed was big, bright and spacious.

But clearly, he hadn’t decorated it, because the bed was covered with a pink quilt with ruffles and bows.

Definitely not his taste, but it suited her well.

After hanging her clothes in the wardrobe, she shouted in the dorm group chat and went out happily with Shane’s money to treat her girlfriends to hotpot.

In the end, she added an extra two hundred of her own money.

Fortunately, the movie they watched at night wasn’t bad.

They had so much fun that they lost track of time and when they left the cinema, it was already after ten.

Someone as busy as him was probably not home yet.

Audrey took a cab back, then wandered around the neighborhood for a while before finding Block C.

As she fumbled for her keys by the door, it opened from the inside.

"You... you’re back?" Audrey suddenly felt guilty seeing Shane standing by the door.

He was wearing a dark blue silk robe, the V-neck a bit loose, looking lazily elegant with a silent hint of allure.

While swooning, she also realized he must have been home for a while and had already showered.

Shane just glanced at her twice without saying anything, and stepped aside to let her in.

Audrey carefully slipped inside, looking for slippers at the shoe cabinet while sneaking a few glances at him, thinking about what to say.

"Um... have you eaten?"

"Look at what time it is." His voice was cold and indifferent, without emotion, yet it gave a sense of his displeasure.

Audrey gulped and whispered, "It’s only ten, quite early. My friends and I often hang out until eleven or twelve before returning to dorms."

But he said to her in an uncompromising tone, "I don’t care how it was before. Starting tomorrow, you must be home by nine at night."

Audrey frowned, displeased: "You said we wouldn’t live together, so why care what time I come home?"

He turned, walking towards the living room, "Your parents entrusted you to me, so I’m responsible for your safety."

Realizing he was concerned about her, Audrey didn’t argue further and slipped into her room.