"What does it have to do with you?" Blake Morgan was the first to reply.
"Grandpa is right. What does it have to do with you?" Alice also replied in the group.
Seeing their responses, Mason Morgan was speechless and could only send a series of question marks in the group to express his astonishment.
"Dad, although you have the final say in Alice's matters, and I trust your judgment, I should at least know what kind of man my daughter is going to marry, right? I'll find time to go over and take a look after a while. There are too many things going on here in Metropolis City at the moment. @Blake Morgan," after a long time, Mason Morgan sent another lengthy message.
"Do as you wish. It's not like you can change anything anyway," Blake Morgan said rather domineeringly.
"Dad, you're overthinking. It's only just beginning now!" Alice was obviously a bit exasperated too.
After replying, Alice put down her phone.
"Why aren't you eating yet?" At this moment, Joseph also came out from the kitchen. He placed the last dish on the table.
"Ah? I was waiting for you! I thought about it and felt it wasn't quite right to start eating alone," Alice was slightly stunned, then answered.
"Try it. No need to be so formal," Joseph picked up a piece of cheese steak for Alice, making her feel a sense of bliss.
"Thank you," Alice expressed her gratitude, then took a bite.
However, after just one bite, her expression changed, and she instantly froze.
"Um, how is it? Not tasty?" Joseph noticed Alice's unusual expression and asked.
However, Alice didn't answer. Instead, she picked up two more pieces and started eating.
"If it's not tasty, don't force yourself. Try something else?" Joseph blinked and suggested.
"Joseph, what are you saying? What do you mean by not tasty? It's too delicious! How can it be so delicious? This is the most delicious cheese steak I've ever eaten. It's simply too good."
"I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going to eat first. It's too delicious," Alice couldn't wait to start eating. She was already a bit hungry, and with such delicacies in front of her, she found it even harder to control herself.
"This is delicious!"
"Oh, this is delicious too."
"This one, this one, even more delicious."
"Wow, this is the most delicious. It's too good."
As she ate, Alice kept praising Joseph endlessly.
Hearing this, Joseph felt a bit unreal. Was it really that delicious?
"Isn't this just an ordinary home-cooked meal? Is it really that delicious?" Joseph smiled awkwardly. Was this girl just teasing him?
"Joseph, you're being too humble. Whew, even the top chefs in my family can't make dishes as delicious as yours."
"Joseph, be more confident. You're really amazing and awesome," Alice continued to praise him while not stopping her hands from eating.
Joseph smiled and started eating too.
Alice ate more dishes, while Joseph ate more rice. Since childhood, Joseph had always had a huge appetite.
After about an hour, Alice was finally full. Although Joseph had a large appetite, he was already full at this point.
"If it's not enough, I can make more for you," Joseph noticed Alice's lingering desire for more.
"Ah? No, no. I can't eat anymore. Really can't eat anymore," Alice quickly responded.
She seemed to have been eating a bit like a wolf just now, not very ladylike. Would Joseph dislike her?
Thinking about this, Alice felt a bit uneasy.
"That's good then," Joseph smiled.
"Joseph, I don't usually eat so unladylike. Do you prefer gentler girls?" Alice asked tentatively.
"You just need to be the way you like. It doesn't matter what kind of girls I like," Joseph chuckled.
"How can that be? That's too casual," Alice shook her head.
"Then let me put it another way. I like all your ways," Joseph said with a smile.
"Ah? Are you serious?" When Joseph said this, Alice's pretty face instantly turned red. She turned around and fled back to her room.
Joseph watched Alice's departing figure and just laughed. She was already eighteen years old, yet still like a child.
After Alice left, Joseph began to clean up.
Back in her room, it took a long time for Alice's burning heart to cool down.
"So, Joseph likes me too. Does that mean we have mutual feelings?" Alice lay on the bed, hugging her big plush doll, talking to herself.
Suddenly, she thought of something, grabbed her phone, dialed Blake Morgan's number, and called.
Before long, the call was answered.
"Hello, Alice. How is it going? Have you arranged everything?" Blake Morgan's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Of course. It's not a difficult task. I've settled Joseph in," Alice replied.
"So, what's the matter? Calling grandpa so late?" Blake Morgan asked again.
"There's nothing in particular. I just wanted to tell you that Joseph's cooking skills are really good, much better than those top chefs in our family," Alice couldn't stop praising Joseph's culinary skills.
"Hahaha... Is that so? Now I want to taste it even more."
"However, I can't fully trust your opinion on it being delicious because, in the eyes of someone you love, even their flaws are virtues," Blake Morgan couldn't help but tease.
"What do you mean by 'someone you love'? My relationship with Joseph is not certain yet!" Alice said this, but her heart was happy.
"I remember three years ago, when Joseph married into the Cooper family, someone in our family hid and cried for a day and night, with swollen eyes."
"She even said Joseph Wilson had promised to marry her and that Joseph wasn't a man of his word," Blake Morgan teased again.
"Grandpa, you... Always teasing people. I won't talk to you anymore," Alice's pretty face turned slightly red, unable to keep a straight face. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Blake Morgan, she hung up the phone.
After hanging up, Alice opened F******k and found that her update had exploded with 99 comments.
Moreover, when she opened it, she saw that all 99 comments on the update were from the food photos she had just posted, mostly from boys.
"Alice, who is this man? He's not your boyfriend, is he?"
"Alice, are you in a relationship? Which family's young master is this?"
"Joseph? Who is Joseph?"
"Fuck, if he becomes your boyfriend, I'll kill him..."
"Hehe... Don't let me see this guy in Nova City. Every time I see him, I'll beat him up twice..."
Alice read the comments for a while. They were all a mess.
Due to the overwhelming number of messy comments, Alice couldn't read them one by one. More importantly, there was no need to do so.With her pure and beautiful appearance and good family background, naturally, many people pursued her at school. The wealthy young masters of Nova City's affluent families, without exception, were all her ardent admirers.However, in her eyes, these were all just frivolous playboys. From a young age, her heart had only been filled with her Joseph. Her entire youth was occupied by beautiful memories related to Joseph.Alice opened her phone, thinking of replying in the comment section to clarify her relationship with Joseph to avoid any misunderstandings. But after thinking about it, she stopped and deleted the entire line of text she had typed.Why should she clarify? If she deliberately clarified, would Joseph be unhappy? But if she didn't clarify, many people would be displeased, right?However, what did other people's displeasure have to do with her?
"Hello? Brother-in-law? Is that you, brother-in-law?" Upon discovering that the call had connected, Heidi's anxious voice came from the other end."Um... Heidi, it's me, Joseph," Joseph calmly replied."Brother-in-law, what are you doing? Such a grown man, not answering calls, not replying to messages, disappearing for an entire day. Do you know how worried I was about you?""I called many neighbors and relatives, and they all said they hadn't seen you. I was so anxious that I was about to call the police.""Do you have any idea how concerned I was that you might have jumped into the river in despair?""..."Without letting Joseph say much, Heidi started scolding him.Hearing all this, Joseph could only smile helplessly.After thoroughly reprimanding Joseph, Heidi finally stopped, feeling much more at ease."Are you done?" Joseph asked with a smile."I'm done. Don't do this again next time. And I'm serious, don't think of doing anything rash," Heidi continued."I just didn't have my p
"Brother-in-law, say what you just said again," Heidi couldn't believe her ears."Not an elementary school teacher, a teacher at Nova University," Joseph repeated his words once more."No, brother-in-law, you're not joking, are you? Nova University is the nation's top institution. The teachers and professors here must at least have a doctoral degree or something. Even the cleaning aunties have bachelor's degrees.""Brother-in-law, your friend must be messing with you, right?" Heidi found it hard to believe."It's definitely not a joke. At first, I also felt that I might not be qualified to be a teacher at Nova University, but in the past couple of days, I've remembered some things.""It seems my educational background is quite high," Joseph said with a smile, calmly."No, brother-in-law, what is your educational background?""You've even forgotten your own educational background. I give up.""However, you're only twenty-five years old this year. You got married to my sister when you w
After sending the message, Heidi stretched her arms and took off her clothes, revealing her stunning figure, and walked into the bathroom.At this moment, Joseph had just finished showering, his upper body still bare. Over the years, he had persisted in exercising every day. Although the amount of exercise was not very large, his regular lifestyle and scientific training had given him an excellent physique. With eight-pack abs and an inverted triangle-shaped body, his build was of the lean and muscular type, making it difficult to tell he had such a great figure when clothed.He wiped his hair and was about to return to his room. However, at this moment, a sudden flash of light came from the direction of Alice's room, accompanied by a "click!" sound of a camera shutter.Joseph instinctively turned his head and saw Alice shrink back into her room like a rabbit and immediately close the door. Joseph chuckled helplessly. Was this girl foolish? She even forgot to turn off the camera flash
"Ahem, don't joke around. You're taking a bath. What video call? Don't mess around," Joseph choked badly. Although he knew Heidi was just teasing him, he still felt a bit embarrassed."What's there to be afraid of? I'm soaking in the bathtub. You won't see anything. Even if you do see something, so what? Brother-in-law is not an outsider," Heidi directly sent a voice message, sounding completely nonchalant."Ahem, that's still not okay. Men and women are different," upon hearing Heidi's bold words, Joseph instantly felt awkward. This girl's way of thinking was too bizarre.Does this matter even differentiate between insiders and outsiders? Even if she's not an outsider, he can't just look casually. Joseph is a person with very traditional values.However, just as Joseph was at a loss for words, Heidi directly made a video call. Joseph was in a dilemma. Should he hang up or not? In the end, after an inner struggle and under strong moral constraints, he chose to hang up."Don't mess aro
"I... I was just using a metaphor. I'm your second uncle. Is this how you talk to me?" Hugh Cooper was stunned for a moment, unable to respond."If you don't know anything, just shut up, okay?" Fiona was quite disdainful."Fiona, my father is your second uncle, after all. You're talking to him like this. With such disrespect for your elders, I guess you don't respect Grandma in your heart either," Ryan Cooper spoke up."I don't want to waste my breath on you. If you want to investigate my character, you can do it in private.""Grandma, I just want to ask you one thing. Did you call me here to investigate my character too?" Fiona looked at the old lady and asked."Hugh, and you too, Ryan Cooper, did I let you speak? You're so eager to talk. Do you have any good solutions to solve the family's current predicament? If so, I'll let you talk all you want," the old lady tapped her cane on the ground, her expression very serious.Hearing this, Hugh Cooper and Ryan Cooper opened their mouths
When the two entered a room, a doctor had just finished examining the old master's body."Dr. Morales, is there anything wrong with the old man's body today?" the old lady asked casually."Old Madam, Old Mr. Cooper's body is still the same. His bodily functions are as active as usual, but he just won't wake up.""Based on his physical condition, he shouldn't be in a coma, but he has been maintaining this state, which makes me feel helpless.""In my thirty years of practicing medicine, I have never seen such a situation," Dr. Morales said with a wry smile."Thank you, Dr. Morales. You can go and rest. My granddaughter is here to see the old man," the old lady had already gotten used to the doctor's words.Hearing this, Dr. Morales bid farewell and left with his assistant."Grandma, I want to talk to Grandpa alone for a bit," after the doctor left, Fiona said to the old lady."Alright.""You all can leave too. It's enough to have the young miss here," the old lady looked at the servants
"Ahem... You girl, don't be like this to others. You've grown up, not a little girl anymore. Men and women are different," Joseph's face turned red, feeling a bit embarrassed. Alice was already eighteen years old. Although slightly inexperienced, she had developed in all the right places. He didn't expect her figure to be so sexy."Of course. I'm not stupid. I'm only like this to Joseph. Joseph is not an outsider. What do I have that I can't show Joseph?" Alice chuckled. Seeing Joseph's awkward appearance, she found it a bit amusing."Didn't you say it was at noon before? Why did the time change?" Joseph purposely changed the subject. He was worried that if they continued talking, something he couldn't control might happen between them."Ah? That's because Principal Geoffrey Harris is going to receive a returnee with a doctorate. I heard that the returnee has many research achievements and has published many papers in famous international journals.""Nova University has always placed
“You’ll get used to it. I don’t reply to them anyway. You can just ignore or decline them if you want.” Joseph sighed and smiled helplessly. “Let me read some of their messages to you.” “‘Darling, are you free tonight? Can I treat you to dinner?’” “Listen to that—‘darling’? Even I haven’t called you that! How shameless! I’m blocking her.” Alice’s outrage was palpable as she quickly took action. “And this one—I already rejected her at noon, and she’s trying again.” “Her message is still about inviting you to her house to ‘fix her plumbing.’ Seriously? This is too much. I’m not just rejecting her; I’m going to teach her a lesson.” “‘If your pipes are clogged, call a plumber. Mr. Wilson doesn’t fix plumbing!’” Alice muttered indignantly as she typed. “Do whatever you want.” Joseph could only smile wryly—he was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of his former classmates. “And this one—oh my God, this is even more absurd! Joseph, listen to this!” “‘Mr. Wilson, my mom saw your photo
Once inside, Heidi finally let out a sigh of relief. Everything she had done felt sneaky, almost like she was committing a crime. If her sister didn’t harbor such a deep grudge against Joseph, she wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble. Or rather, it wasn’t just Fiona Cooper who resented Joseph. Her parents, and even most of the family, looked down on him. Given the circumstances, Heidi felt she had no choice but to act discreetly. "Miss, are you settled? We’re about to leave," the driver, an old and reliable servant of the Cooper family, asked. Heidi was familiar with him. "All set, Uncle Alvarez," Heidi replied casually. "Very well, Miss," Uncle Alvarez said as he started the car and drove off. Heidi pulled out her phone and found Joseph’s number. She wanted to call him but quickly realized it wasn’t the best idea. After all, Uncle Alvarez worked for the family. Who knew if he would spread the word about her call? After hesitating for a moment, Heidi decided against maki
As the two chatted, they arrived at the place where the Cooper family patriarch was being cared for. The facility was staffed around the clock, with doctors visiting every two days to monitor his condition. The room was brightly lit, its warm glow illuminating the patriarch’s peaceful face. "Grandma, how has Grandpa been lately? What do the doctors say?" Heidi asked as she approached the bedside, her gaze resting on the elderly man lying there. The patriarch appeared healthy, his complexion rosy and his expression calm. It was hard to believe that someone who looked so serene had been in a coma for so long. "The doctors say the same thing they always do—his vital signs are stable, but he still hasn’t woken up," the matriarch replied. Heidi reached out and gently took her grandfather’s hand, examining it closely. When her eyes fell on his fingernails, her expression subtly changed. Just as Joseph had described, her grandfather’s fingernails showed signs of purpling. All five nail
"My brother-in-law’s cooking is absolutely top-notch. I don’t think there’s another man in the world who can match his skills in the kitchen. I could eat his food for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. But now… who knows if I’ll ever get the chance to taste his cooking again," Heidi said, a hint of melancholy creeping into her voice. "It’s clear you were closer to him," the matriarch said, her words carrying a deeper meaning. "Of course. My sister might be able to watch him starve on the streets, but I can’t do something like that. The night he left, I transferred some money to him. While he was living with us, he barely made any money from odd jobs during the day. My mom didn’t even give him grocery money most of the time. Can you believe that?" Heidi’s voice grew angrier as she spoke. "You did the right thing. No matter what, he was once family. If there’s a chance to help him in the future, you should. Your grandfather once told me that Joseph Wilson is an orphan. He
"I may be old, but I’m not so frail that I’ll topple over at the slightest bump. Heidi’s coming over today, and she said she wanted my mapo tofu. That girl was so close to me when she was little, and her favorite dish has always been my tofu," the matriarch said fondly, sitting down after setting the plate in place. "When she was young, Heidi loved clinging to me. Her sister, though, was always closer to the old master. The old master used to say Fiona was gifted, sharp, and destined for great things. I said Heidi was mischievous, but she knew how to charm people. She’d find a good man someday and live a happy life," the matriarch said, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "Grandma, I’m here! I bought you something from the store, so I’m a little late. Look, do you like it?" Heidi’s voice rang out as she breezed into the room, her arms laden with gifts. She placed them down and shoved them into the matriarch’s hands. "You silly girl, why bring gifts? We have everything we need here!" t
"Of course! If you like this look, Joseph, I can dress like this every day," Alice said, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush. "That would be too exhausting. Just wear whatever you like. No matter what you wear, I’ll like it," Joseph replied, laughing softly. This girl’s thought process was truly one of a kind. "Really? Do you mean you’ll like anything I wear?" Alice blinked her bright eyes at him, her curiosity piqued. "Of course. I like you as a person, not just your clothes," Joseph said with a calm smile. "Wow, really? You actually like me? Is it the kind of ‘like’ I think it is?" Alice exclaimed, covering her flushed face with her hands. For a moment, she felt so shy she wanted to bury herself in the seat. What did Joseph mean by that? Was he confessing to her? Should she say yes right away? Or should she play hard to get, pretend to be reserved, and then agree? Her heart raced wildly, her thoughts spiraling out of control. "If I didn’t like you, would that mean I disliked y
"So, when Professor Baker said ‘introduce,’ he didn’t just mean a casual introduction—he meant setting up a date," Joseph realized immediately. When Felix Baker had mentioned introducing his student, Mason Alvarez, to him in the office earlier, Joseph had assumed it was a simple professional meeting. Now, thanks to Leonard Sanchez’s clarification, he understood Baker had been playing matchmaker. "What, he mentioned it to you already?" Leonard Sanchez asked, a little surprised. "He did, but I didn’t catch his meaning at the time. Professor Sanchez, this really isn’t appropriate. Come on, I’m technically divorced. Professor Baker’s student wouldn’t want anything to do with me!" Joseph replied with a bitter smile. "Ah, nonsense! I don’t think so at all. With your talents and knowledge, Professor Wilson, just look at the female students in the school—they’re all smitten with you. Even if they knew you’d been married before, their interest in you wouldn’t wane," Leonard Sanchez said dis
The problem that had troubled her for so long had been resolved in just a few sentences by the man she had always looked down upon. The irony of it all weighed on her. She had never imagined Joseph to be such a capable individual. At least in the realm of teaching, he could stand on equal footing with Leonard Sanchez. Even Leonard sought his assistance, which spoke volumes about Joseph’s brilliance in Sanchez’s eyes. "Professor Wilson, you truly are a master of inspiration. It only took a few words to open up new possibilities for us. Remarkable, truly remarkable! Mr. Harris is incredibly fortunate to have you on board. These days, I see him smiling while walking, smiling while eating, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he smiles in his sleep!" Leonard Sanchez exclaimed as he rose, his excitement palpable. Joseph had resolved one of Sanchez’s concerns today, leaving him feeling thoroughly at ease. The three directions Joseph proposed were not only practical but also highly promising. If
Fiona blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. "My research focuses on herbal pharmacology, so I’ve primarily studied Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. As for Su Wen and Ling Shu, I’ve only read Huangdi Neijing Taisu, particularly the Su Wen section, but I haven’t delved deeply into it," she answered. "Ling Shu primarily discusses acupuncture, Nan Jing covers physiological and pathological conditions, and Shang Han Za Bing Lun focuses on the treatment of various internal and external diseases, along with prescriptions. Other than Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, these texts don’t seem to be directly related to my research topic, do they?" she asked, though her voice grew less certain as she spoke. "Huangdi Neijing Taisu is essentially an annotated version of Huangdi Neijing, which inevitably includes the author’s personal interpretations. I’d recommend reading the original text instead—you’ll gain far more insight that way," Joseph said, correcting her gently before continuing. "Additi