Chapter 9: If Only It Could Last Forever

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 F******k 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 F******k 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 have company matters to attend to tomorrow," Fiona replied, politely declining.

"In a couple of days, I have a scheduled course at Nova University, a rather important lecture."

"Ah? Okay, okay. Let me know whenever you're free. This time, to celebrate your rebirth, we sisters will treat you."

"By the way, I heard your childhood sweetheart is back from abroad, a returnee with a doctoral degree, and will be teaching at Nova University. Do you want to bring him along so we sisters can help you out?" Hannah sent another message.

"What returnee with a doctoral degree? He's just a childhood playmate. I don't have any feelings for him. You're all too gossipy," Fiona replied, feeling a bit exhausted by what had happened at the Cooper Group today. Moreover, she didn't want to expose her relationship with Charles Martin.

"Let's not talk about it for now. I still have things to take care of tonight. I'll take a nap first."

"Okay, okay. Let's keep in touch in a few days then." Hannah had to leave it at that.

Fiona put down her phone again and lay back in her office chair, resting with her eyes closed.

Meanwhile, in Emerald Estates, Nova City, Alice was still in her room, fiddling with Joseph's phone. She first inserted Joseph's SIM card into a new phone, then helped him register for F******k, adding her own and her grandfather's F******k and phone numbers.

She also changed Joseph's note for her to "Ali."

Finally, she saved Joseph's phone number in her own phone.

After doing all this, Alice noticed that Joseph's phone had received quite a few messages and missed calls, but she didn't look at them. After all, that was Joseph's privacy.

At this moment, a delightful aroma of food wafted in from outside, making one's appetite soar. She simply tossed aside Joseph's phone and went out directly.

"Wow, Joseph, you made so many delicious dishes!" Alice was a bit shocked seeing the table full of food.

"There are two more dishes. They'll be ready soon. You can start eating first," Joseph's voice came from the kitchen.

"Great, great. Then I won't stand on ceremony. Hehe..." Alice was overjoyed. She picked up the utensils, ready to dig in.

However, at this moment, she thought of something and stopped.

"No, no. Such a visually appealing and aromatic feast must be photographed and shared first." Alice took out her phone and started snapping pictures of the dishes on the table.

Then, she selected the nine most perfect photos and captioned them: Joseph's perfect culinary skills. If only I could enjoy such delicious food for a lifetime!

After doing all this, she was about to post it but felt like something was missing.

"It would be perfect if there was a photo with Joseph," Alice muttered to herself. With this thought in mind, she immediately went to the kitchen.

"Joseph, look at the camera." Joseph instinctively turned his head.

*Click!* The sound of the camera shutter went off, capturing a selfie of Alice holding her phone with Joseph cooking in the kitchen.

"Okay, you can continue cooking." Alice looked at the photo, obviously very satisfied.

Hearing this, Joseph could only chuckle and continue with his work.

Alice placed the photo with Joseph in the most prominent position in the center, then hit the publish button, posting what she thought was a perfect update.

But then, she felt it wasn't enough. She wanted to send these food photos to her university dormitory mates group to make them envious.

"Hehe, have you all eaten? If not, take a look at my dinner," Alice said in the dormitory mates group.

Dormitory mate Faith: "..."

Dormitory mate Evelyn: "??!"

Dormitory mate Rebecca: "Ali, haven't seen you back in the dorm for several days. Where did you go to feast on such delicacies? Missing you. Big sis hasn't been able to hug you to sleep for many days. Miss you."

Alice was very satisfied with everyone's reactions.

"It's my brother Joseph's culinary skills. How is it? Doesn't it look delicious?" Alice was quite smug.

"Tsk, tsk. So it's made by the man of your dreams whom you always talk about. No wonder you're showing off like this," Faith said sarcastically.

"Alice, are you in a relationship? Did you finally win over that man? @Alice," Evelyn also tagged Alice.

"Hey, can you not be in a relationship? If you're in a relationship, does that mean big sis won't be able to hug you to sleep anymore?" Rebecca seemed very regretful.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Nothing is certain between him and me yet!" Alice's pretty face turned slightly red.

"Tsk, tsk. Not certain? I think it's almost certainly certain. Tell us, when will you bring him out for us sisters to see?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let us sisters take a look for you. Our judgment of men is top-notch."

"I'm really curious. What kind of man has our silly girl so infatuated?"

"..."

The dormitory mates group started discussing animatedly.

"Alright, alright. Stop it. What are you all in a hurry for? You'll have plenty of opportunities to meet him in the future," Alice replied, unable to withstand the teasing from her gossipy dormitory mates.

"Okay, let's not talk about it. I'm going to eat now." Alice chose to close the chat group.

However, she then sent the food photos to her family group.

"@Grandpa, Grandpa, Joseph made these. They look delicious, right? You won't get to taste them today."

Soon, she received a reply from Blake Morgan.

"Next time, I'll go over too. Let him cook for me personally. It looks quite flavorful." Blake Morgan seemed a bit impatient between the lines.

"@Blake Morgan, Dad, what's going on? How can you let Alice live alone with a boy? It's too unsafe," Alice's father, Mason Morgan, spoke up at this point.