Nova City, Whispering Pines Villas Blake Morgan was already seated at the dining table, a composed figure emanating an aura of authority. Standing behind him was a woman in her mid-thirties, elegant and strikingly beautiful despite her age. Her figure was nothing short of enviable—long legs encased in black stockings, high heels accentuating her stature, and a tightly-fitted business suit that perfectly complemented her curves. Her outfit exuded both sophistication and sensuality, blending the allure of mature femininity with the sharpness of a professional woman. The name badge pinned to her chest added a touch of corporate precision, giving her the air of a commanding presence in the workplace. "Molly, my dear assistant, why don’t you sit down and join us for dinner? Today, my future grandson-in-law personally cooked for us. My granddaughter can’t stop praising his culinary skills," Blake said with a slight smile, glancing back at his assistant. "This... might not be appropriate

"No, I was just following your train of thought." Joseph’s face fell, his inner thoughts a chaotic tangle. How had the conversation circled back to marriage again? It was giving him a headache. "Once you’re married, the two of you can always be together—even while you sleep. That’s the only way to ensure her safety forever." Blake’s tone was matter-of-fact. "I’ll think about it." Joseph quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. "Let’s talk about me instead, shall we?" "Fine. Go ahead. But remember, as long as you agree to marriage, everything is negotiable." Blake’s tone was magnanimous, as though any issue could be resolved as long as Joseph complied. "It’s about my master and his agreement with Old Mr. Cooper. When the time is right, I will awaken him." "Old Mr. Cooper—you must know him, don’t you?" Joseph’s words carried a deeper implication. "Old Mr. Cooper? He’s even older than I am. Of course, I know him. But we were never close. Our only connection was through you

"I attended your lecture the other day and created a workout plan for arm strength based on it. I’ve been following the plan for the past few days." "Mr. Wilson, I’ve attached a photo of the plan. Could you take a look and give me some feedback?" Shortly after, another message arrived: "By the way, you don’t need to return the acupuncture needles. My family has plenty of them. My grandfather loves traditional Chinese medicine and has a large collection. The ones I lent you are just a basic set." The next message was a voice recording, spoken in a pleasant and melodic female voice. Hearing the voice, Joseph immediately remembered—wasn’t this the student who had lent him the acupuncture needles during his substitute lecture? Her name was Lindsay Anderson. "Ah, so it’s Lindsay Anderson! I didn’t add a note when you friended me—sorry about that." "Why didn’t you reach out sooner after adding me?" Joseph replied politely. "I figured Mr. Wilson must be very busy, so I didn’t want t

"Joseph, I’m so silly. I forgot… I’m still on my period. Ugh… I’m sorry, Joseph!"Reading the message, Joseph exhaled a deep breath. Oddly enough, he felt a wave of relief wash over him."Don’t worry about it. Get some rest. There are some things that shouldn’t happen just yet…" Joseph replied.Alice quickly responded."I know you’re thinking about what’s best for me, but knowing you’re holding back feels even harder for me."Joseph stared at her reply for a moment before responding calmly: "It’s fine. Just rest early. Tomorrow morning, we can go for a run together."Alice sent back another message almost instantly."Okay. I’ll read for a bit and work on some assignments, then go to bed. You should rest early too!"This time, it was a voice message. Joseph listened to it, smiled faintly, and replied with a simple "Good." After that, he didn’t continue the conversation.Sunday passed quietly. Neither Joseph nor Alice went anywhere; they stayed home and enjoyed a peaceful day of rest. I

The students’ chatter grew louder as their admiration for Joseph reached new heights.Joseph, however, seemed oblivious to the commotion. As he carefully completed the prescription, he handed it to the student and said, "In addition to taking this formula as directed, you’ll also need to change a few bad habits.""Professor Wilson, what habits? Tell me, and I’ll change them immediately!" the student replied earnestly, his tone filled with unwavering respect."You don’t eat much meat, do you?" Joseph asked, his tone deliberate and pointed."Professor Wilson, you can tell even that? How did you figure it out?" The thin young man stared at Joseph in shock, his face full of disbelief.The surrounding students were equally stunned. How could Joseph deduce someone’s dietary habits just by observing them? They exchanged curious glances, their admiration for him growing by the second."And if I’m not mistaken," Joseph continued, maintaining his air of mystery, "this morning, you had vegetable