Chapter 190 - 189
The housekeeper in the kitchen stared at the large amount of shrimp still left in the wok: "........."
’I really don’t know what to say. Is this just how young couples are?’
’Oh well, I’ll just eat it.’
Throughout the meal, Joanna Kennedy ate even more than Simon Lockwood. You couldn’t tell at all that she had already had lunch.
Clutching her overstuffed stomach, Joanna collapsed onto the sofa. When she saw Simon heading upstairs, she quickly called out, "Was the Jennings family’s bankruptcy your doing?"
Simon Lockwood paused, seeming a bit surprised by her question, but he still answered honestly, "No."
’He had only intercepted a few of the Jennings Group’s projects. The other companies, in their haste to pick a side, had started avoiding the Jennings Group like the plague. It wasn’t at his instruction, so strictly speaking, he hadn’t directly caused the Jennings family’s bankruptcy.’
Simon Lockwood’s expression was open and honest, and Joanna didn’t see anything amiss. "Alright," she said, reluctantly convinced.
As soon as Simon went upstairs, she immediately went to the balcony and woke the sleeping kitten. ’Stop sleeping, something’s happened!’
’What is it?! Who dares to pluck my fur?!’ 166 woke with a start. Seeing who it was, it relaxed and let itself go limp in Joanna’s hands like a pancake. ’What’s so important that you had to wake me up...’
’The Jennings family went bankrupt.’
’So they went bankrupt. Big deal. It’s not like other families haven’t gone bankrupt before... What?!’ 166 shot up, nearly falling from Joanna’s hand. It barely managed to steady itself, its voice filled with disbelief. ’The Jennings family? Charles Jennings? The second male lead?’
’Yes, you heard me right.’ Joanna, having been forced to witness a display of feline acrobatics, confirmed it with a deadpan expression.
felt like it was going crazy. ’Then what about the female lead?’
’I don’t know,’ Joanna answered honestly. ’I haven’t seen her in a long time.’
She was too busy with her own career, doing practice problems in her spare time, and then spending any remaining free moments on her romance with Simon Lockwood. Who had the time to care about those two?
Forget Serena Sutton—if Anna Yates hadn’t told her, she probably wouldn’t even have known the Jennings family had gone bankrupt.
’It’s over, it’s over... This plot has gone completely off the rails. It’s beyond saving...’ 166’s little head drooped limply as it stared with dull, lifeless eyes.
Joanna: ’.........’
Joanna tried to comfort it. ’It went off the rails and ended up in the Atlantic Ocean a long time ago. Besides, we’ve already gone rogue. No matter how much more the plot deviates, it has nothing to do with us.’
’I just want to know, why wasn’t Charles Jennings erased? Did his system protect him, too?’
’How is that possible?’ 166 rolled its eyes dramatically. ’You think everyone is as sincere and kind as I am?!’
’High-level systems view human lives as worthless. When necessary, they would even sacrifice their host’s life to protect themselves. How could they possibly be as great and selfless as it was?’
Joanna was speechless for a moment, unable to refute that. She gently stroked its little head. ’You’re right, you’re right. You’re the kindest. You’re the kindest little kitty in the whole world~’
was floating on air from the praise, but in the next second, it heard Joanna ask in a gentle voice, ’So, would the kind little kitty 166 be able to tell me what’s going on?’
166: ’.........’
played dead and refused to say another word.
Joanna rolled her eyes and put it back in its bed.
Honestly, how Charles Jennings managed to avoid being erased by the world’s consciousness had nothing to do with her. But for some unknown reason, Joanna had a bad feeling.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, chalking it up to her sixth sense.
Upstairs, the man bypassed the study and walked straight into the bedroom. He stood before the full-length mirror, looking his outfit up and down.
Joanna seemed to really like this style; she had been staring at him the whole way. But dressed like this, standing next to Joanna, he looked so much older than her...
Simon Lockwood pressed his lips together, momentarily unsure of what to do. After a long moment, he opened his phone.
*
Sean Grant was in his office, wrangling with a business partner, when his phone rang. He instantly seized the opportunity. "Oh, would you look at that? I’m swamped. Let’s talk about your matter later, we’ll talk later..."
"President Grant, wait—President Grant, this is really simple, you see—"
BANG!
To the partner’s utter disbelief, Sean shoved the man out and shut the door with swift, sharp precision.
With blessed silence finally restored, Sean Grant let out a long sigh of relief. Then he saw the caller ID and jumped.
’Simon Lockwood, that cold fish, was actually calling him? Was he calling for payback? For what he’d said about Joanna Kennedy getting into trouble? Couldn’t be. It was just a little joke. Why is he so petty...?’
The phone was still ringing. With no more time to think, Sean quickly answered. Before he could even speak,
Simon Lockwood’s cool, detached voice came through the phone. "For a birthday, is it better to dress casually or formally?"
Sean Grant: "........."
Sean Grant was completely baffled. "Huh?"
Simon repeated his question in the same flat tone.
Sean finally confirmed that his hearing was fine. He swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "It’s your birthday? Do I need to get you a present?"
Simon Lockwood: "........."
Simon Lockwood: "It’s not me."
"Not you? Then..." It dawned on Sean Grant. "It’s Joanna Kennedy’s birthday?"
He said excitedly, "When is it? Where is it? Have you chosen a venue? Have you planned a surprise? I’ll go pick out a gift for your girl today. What do girls like these days...?"
Sean Grant jabbered on and on, finally realizing there was no response from the other end. A glance at his phone confirmed it—Simon Lockwood had hung up on him.
Sean Grant: "........."
’Classic Simon Lockwood. Same cold, ruthless formula as always.’
Sean felt relieved. Yep, that was still his Simon, not an alien imposter. He expertly redialed. After about ten seconds of waiting, the other side picked up, sounding annoyed.
Downstairs, Joanna had been lying on the sofa, trying to read a history book, but her stomach still felt bloated. She started pacing back and forth in the living room.
The robot vacuum kept bumping into her feet. Finally, Joanna gave up and moved to the staircase, where she started climbing up and down—THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.
Up and down, back and forth, the sound of her climbing the stairs echoed throughout the entire villa.
Following Sean’s advice, Simon Lockwood got dressed. His short black hair, freshly blown dry, fell loosely around his face.
"Like this?" Simon frowned at his reflection, feeling a bit awkward.
Sean, watching through a video call, immediately clapped his hands in excitement. "Yes, exactly like that!"
’The perfect cool, aloof brainiac! And that youthful vibe!’
Sean remembered Simon mentioning that he and Joanna had met in high school. He figured this must have been what Simon looked like back then.
’This just screams ’first love’!’
Simon still wasn’t used to this style of dress. He was about to say something when he heard a rhythmic sound from outside—THUMP, THUMP, THUMP—growing louder, then softer, then louder again.
Simon Lockwood: "........."
’What is Joanna doing now?’
He pinched the bridge of his nose and opened the door with a frown, just in time to meet Joanna Kennedy’s eyes as she came up the stairs.