Thereafter, the three chatted idly. Joseph was full of questions, but he didn't get much useful information from Alice Morgan and Blake Morgan.
After about half an hour, Blake Morgan's car drove into a luxurious villa neighborhood and stopped in front of a detached villa.
"Mr. Wilson, please," Blake Morgan got out of the car and personally opened the door for Joseph.
The three entered the villa's hall. The interior decor of the villa could be said to be quite extravagant. At first glance, even Joseph was shocked.
It was clear from this that Blake Morgan's identity was quite extraordinary. However, Joseph couldn't remember his master having a friend named Blake Morgan at all.
"Mr. Wilson, now that you have left the Cooper family, following your master's instructions, I will provide you with whatever assistance I can. Is there anything you need help with?" Blake Morgan poured Joseph a glass of water and asked meaningfully.
"I need a job and a place to live, that's all. Of course, if possible, I hope you can tell me everything about my master and me," Joseph took a sip of water and replied calmly.
"About that, Mr. Wilson, according to your master's instructions, I cannot tell you about the matters concerning you and your master. He said to let nature take its course and allow you to slowly recall on your own, which would be better for your physical and mental well-being," Blake Morgan frowned, looking somewhat troubled.
With that said, he walked to a cabinet and reverently took out a wooden box.
"Mr. Wilson, this box was left by your master before he passed. He said that if you left the Cooper family, I should give this box to you. I don't know what's inside either."
Seeing the box, Joseph paused for a moment, then furrowed his brows.
"These are my belongings. I can sense it."
As Joseph opened the wooden box, he discovered a dagger inside, its blade wrapped in linen cloth, revealing only the handle.
Joseph carefully unwrapped the cloth, exposing the dagger's gleaming white blade. The light reflecting off the blade was somewhat dazzling, carrying an awe-inspiring aura.
He gripped the dagger, feeling a warm sensation emanating from the handle. It was a familiar feeling—this dagger originally belonged to him. As he touched this weapon once more, he experienced a sense of intimacy, as if they were one.
"Mr. Wilson, according to your master, this was your personal self-defense weapon," Blake Morgan added.
"Self-defense weapon?" Joseph frowned slightly and shook his head. "If it's a self-defense weapon, why is the murderous aura so strong?"
Hearing Joseph's words, Blake Morgan was stunned for a moment. He couldn't sense any murderous aura, but he did feel uncomfortable upon seeing the dagger.
"Since this is a gift from my master, I can take it with me now, right?" Joseph asked.
"Of course. Also, there's a letter in this box. Mr. Wilson, please take a look." Blake Morgan reverently handed over the letter. Joseph glanced at him before opening the envelope, his brows furrowing slightly as he read.
"Teacher?" Joseph appeared quite surprised after reading for a while.
"Teacher? What teacher?" Blake Morgan asked in confusion. Joseph was a very composed person. For him to show such a surprised expression, he must have seen something extraordinary. At this moment, Blake Morgan was extremely curious.
"My master wants me to go teach at Nova University after leaving the Cooper family." After a moment of silence, Joseph casually handed the letter to Blake Morgan.
"Nova University? Isn't that the university I'm currently attending?" Alice spoke up for the first time, her beautiful eyes gleaming.
"This... Mr. Wilson, Nova University is the top university in our country. The teachers and professors there have at least a doctoral degree. Even the cleaning ladies have bachelor's degrees. The principal, Geoffrey Harris, is a leading figure in the medical field." Blake Morgan knew Joseph's identity was extraordinary, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't imagine Joseph teaching at a place like Nova University. It was too unbelievable.
"I also feel it's not quite suitable," Joseph said with a wry smile.
"Joseph, your master must have his reasons for arranging this. It wouldn't be bad for you to be a physical education teacher at Nova University." Alice's gaze wandered, her mind pondering unknown thoughts.
"Alice has a point. Your master must have his reasons for this arrangement."
"Coincidentally, I have some connections with the principal of Nova University. I'll take you there tomorrow to see what the situation is. It shouldn't be a problem for him to arrange a position for you." After a moment of contemplation, Blake Morgan made a decision.
"Very well, thank you both for now. Next, I'll need a place to stay..." Joseph hesitated. Others had already helped him so much, and he felt it wasn't quite right to make more requests. However, he had no other choice at the moment.
"About that, Mr. Wilson, you can live with us. Alice's parents aren't in Nova City, so it's just me and Alice at home. You can move in as well." Blake Morgan's words surprised Joseph once more.
"Mr. Morgan, that wouldn't be appropriate. It would be fine if you could find me a studio apartment or something."
"Ah, a studio apartment..." Blake Morgan found it difficult upon hearing this. He had originally wanted Joseph to live with them, giving his granddaughter more opportunities to interact with him.
"Joseph, you can stay at the place where I live while attending school. The environment is quite nice, and I only occasionally go there. Most of the time, I'm at my grandfather's place." Alice's pretty face blushed slightly. That place was her private space, and no man other than family members had ever entered.
"That could work. When I earn money, I'll pay you rent," Joseph said after some thought.
"No need, no need. You really don't have to pay rent." Alice waved her hands repeatedly upon hearing this.
"Then it's decided!" Joseph didn't allow Alice to refuse.
"Mr. Wilson, how about this? Alice is studying alone at Nova University, and I'm not at ease. As long as you protect Alice's safety and take her to and from school every day, we'll cover all your living expenses in exchange." Blake Morgan stroked his chin, hatching a plan. This way, his granddaughter and Joseph would spend more time together, and then...
"That works as well." Joseph paused for a moment, carefully considered, and agreed.
"It's settled then. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to meet Principal Geoffrey Harris at Nova University. For now, you and Alice can go take a look at the place you'll be staying." Seeing Joseph's agreement, Blake Morgan was quite pleased.
"Alice, take him there and help him settle in." Blake Morgan looked at Alice and instructed.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. Leave it to me. Joseph, let's go!" Alice chuckled charmingly, somewhat delighted. She grabbed Joseph's arm and dragged him out.
Helpless, Joseph could only let Alice have her way.
Watching the two leave together, Blake Morgan's face revealed a satisfied smile.
He knew a bit about Joseph's identity, but not much. However, how could the disciple of that person be ordinary?
If his granddaughter could find such a perfect husband, it would simply be too wonderful.
With this thought, he dialed a number.
"Hello, is this the secretarial department? Notify all major departments to terminate any cooperation with the Cooper Group that can be ended. Also, retrieve all the profits we previously conceded to the Cooper Group."
"From now on, cooperate with the Cooper Group as regular business partners. Be professional, and non-cooperation is also acceptable."
"Downgrade the cooperation level with the Cooper Group to normal." Blake Morgan's tone was cold.
"Chairman, are you serious?" The person on the other end of the line was clearly stunned upon hearing this.
"Of course. Haven't you always felt that we gave up too many benefits in our projects with the Cooper Group? Well, now everything will return to normal. Our Morgan Group will earn all the money we deserve."
"Also, I will arrive at the group headquarters within half an hour. An hour later, convene a meeting of the management. All senior executives and managers must attend." Blake Morgan said with certainty.
"Understood, Chairman. I will notify the department heads right away." The person on the other end repeatedly acknowledged. After a few more instructions, Blake Morgan hung up the phone with satisfaction.
After leaving the villa, Joseph was pulled by Alice to the underground parking garage.The garage housed dozens of cars, the least of which were luxury vehicles like Maseratis, demonstrating immense wealth."Mr. Joseph, you seem quite unhappy. Experiencing marital changes in middle age is indeed difficult to accept. But someone as outstanding as you will surely meet a better woman in the future." Alice held Joseph's arm, her breasts intentionally or unintentionally brushing against it, making Joseph feel out of place.He had never had such close contact even with his wife in name."Thank you. I'm fine," Joseph said with a wry smile."Joseph, I have a question I want to ask you." Alice released Joseph's arm, her demeanor and tone somewhat restrained."Hmm? What question?" Joseph instinctively asked."Do... do you think I'm pretty?" Alice bit her lip, mustering her courage to speak. As she uttered these words, her face flushed crimson, and she tightly grasped the hem of her clothes, her
"Joseph, what are you talking about? Money isn't an issue. Grandpa said to take good care of you, especially when it comes to money.""Joseph, you don't want Grandpa to blame me for not taking care of you, right?" Alice pouted her lips and said with a grin."Um, alright then!" Joseph felt somewhat speechless upon hearing this."I'll go tidy up the room, and then we can go out together. I do have some things I need to buy," Joseph said after a moment of hesitation."Okay, I'll tidy up my room too." At the mention of tidying up the room, Alice's pretty face blushed slightly. If she had cleaned her room properly earlier, Joseph wouldn't have seen that scene.Would Joseph think she was an improper girl? With this thought, Alice felt somewhat uneasy.Joseph agreed and left. Entering a girl's room felt a bit strange, but since Alice had pulled him in earlier, he had no choice.It was also funny to think that despite being married to Fiona Cooper for three years, he had never even entered he
"Joseph Wilson, what are you doing here?" Fiona walked over upon seeing Joseph."What a coincidence. I'm here to buy a couple of outfits!" Joseph said with a faint smile."Buy clothes? Do you know what kind of place this is? The shirts here start at $1,000. Can you afford the clothes here?" Hearing Joseph's words, Fiona's gaze became even more disdainful. She had previously thought this man was just mediocre, but she didn't expect him to be such a braggart.During the three years in the Cooper family, Joseph either did housework at home or went elsewhere to do odd jobs to earn some pocket money.But the little money he earned was definitely not enough to afford the clothes here."Ahem... Miss Cooper, we're already divorced. Whether I can afford it or not doesn't seem to have anything to do with you," Joseph coughed lightly, neither humble nor arrogant."Joseph, stop pretending. I don't even want to point it out. You're stalking me, right?""Joseph, let me tell you, we're already divor
Joseph went upstairs and started cooking. This was the first meal he cooked for himself in three years. In the Cooper family, he had been merely serving others for the past three years. Although Fiona didn't treat him as a husband, Joseph believed he had done everything a man should do, and even more than what an average man would do.Soon, half an hour passed, but Alice hadn't returned yet. Joseph took out his phone, thinking of giving Alice a call, but realized he didn't have her phone number. He had been busy with his own matters all day and even forgot to ask for Alice's number.Considering that Alice only went to buy some things in the neighborhood, he thought there shouldn't be any issues. Moreover, when he entered this neighborhood, he didn't notice any potential dangers. Perhaps for some special reason, Joseph was very sensitive to danger, though he himself didn't know why. Maybe he knew the reason before but had forgotten it now.Just as Joseph was busy, he heard the sound of
However, upon entering, Heidi Cooper noticed Maria Long, Stephen Cooper, and Fiona Cooper sitting at the dining table, staring at each other. The atmosphere felt a bit off."Um, what's going on? Why isn't anyone talking? Where's brother-in-law?" Heidi sat down cautiously, sensing the unusual atmosphere."What brother-in-law are you talking about?" Maria Long asked with a displeased expression."What? Joseph Wilson, my brother-in-law," Heidi was momentarily confused."He's not your brother-in-law anymore," Maria Long said with disdain."What? How is he not my brother-in-law anymore?" Heidi was completely baffled."I divorced him. He's already left," Fiona said coldly."What? Divorced?""Sis, are you crazy? Why did you drive him away? What did he do to offend you?" Heidi was perplexed."He and I are from two different worlds. I, Fiona Cooper, look down on men like him," Fiona said with indifference."No, I don't know how he falls short. He's always been diligent, honest, and humble.""Y
After much inner struggle, Fiona finally dialed Joseph's number. Over the years, she had never taken the initiative to call Joseph unless there was a particularly important matter she needed him to handle.However, after dialing, the voice prompt indicated that the phone was switched off. Upon hearing this, Fiona put down the phone and continued to rest her head on the table with her eyes closed.Suddenly, her phone vibrated again. Startled, she immediately opened her phone, only to feel a sense of disappointment when she saw it was a Facebook message from her best friend, Hannah.Fiona suddenly felt a bit ridiculous. What was she expecting? For Joseph to come back and beg her not to divorce him?Thinking this way, she still opened Facebook and read the messages from Hannah."Dear Fiona, congratulations on regaining your freedom and getting rid of that loser!""So, when shall we meet up and celebrate?"Hannah sent two messages."Let's forget about celebrating. I'm busy these days. I h
"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 kitc
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?
“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