Chapter 9: I Don't Love Him

Clara glanced at the time on the screen and said without looking back, "It’s still early. You go ahead; I’ll come up after I finish this episode."

Julian remained silent for a moment, then stood up and left alone.

Clara watched one episode, then another, and then another before finally heading to bed with lingering reluctance.

The consequence of staying up late was that she overslept the next morning. No matter how Julian tried to wake her, she wouldn't budge.

Seeing that the sun was already high in the sky, Julian had no choice but to sit beside her, grasping her shoulders to pull her up.

A fresh, sweet fragrance invaded his breath. The woman’s soft hair brushed against his neck, creating a tingling, numbing itch.

The texture of the skin beneath his palms was warm and delicate, rivaling the finest mutton-fat jade.

She leaned against his shoulder, her eyes hazy, as she murmured a sluggish complaint, "What are you doing?"

Julian’s grip on her shoulders tightened. "It’s time to get up," he said in a low voice.

Clara fell right back down, rubbing her face against the rubber duck, acting spoiled out of habit. "I'm so sleepy. Let me sleep a little longer, just a tiny bit."

Her brain was still a muddle; she was completely unaware of how seductive she looked to the man—with her clothes disheveled and her black hair scattered.

His heavy gaze locked onto the person on the bed, sliding from her rosy cheeks to her long, fair neck, down to her exquisite collarbones, and finally resting on those snow-white, full...

He turned his head away with restraint and left the bedroom.

Seeing him come down alone, Mrs. Martha asked with a smile, "Clary isn't up yet?"

"No. I couldn't wake her." Julian poured himself a glass of ice water and gulped it down. "Mrs. Martha, you give it a try."

"Alright." Mrs. Martha went upstairs, wrung out a warm towel in the bathroom, and gently pressed it against Clara’s face. "Clary, time to wake up. Sir and the Madam are waiting at the house."

Clara snapped awake instantly at those words, sitting up with a start.

By the time the three arrived at the Vane family’s old residence, it was nearly lunchtime.

Clara apologized with flushed cheeks, "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. It's all my fault for oversleeping."

The soft "Mom" nearly melted Clara’s mother-in-law’s heart. She couldn't dream of blaming her and said with a beaming face, "It’s not late, not late at all! You’re coming home; it’s never late. In the future, come whenever you like."

Clara nodded obediently. "Mm-hmm, thank you, Mom."

Today, she wore a Phillip Lim V-neck dress in goose-yellow, with a metal square-buckle belt accentuating her slender waist, paired with the Hermès "Chick Yellow" handbag Julian had given her yesterday. She looked sweet and charming.

"Oh, my sweet girl!" Clara’s mother-in-law was enamored. She hugged her and kissed her fair, tender cheek.

Embarrassed, Clara buried her face in her mother-in-law’s shoulder.

Julian stood to the side, his gaze dark as he watched his mother kissing and hugging his wife.

He silently looked away, only to meet his father’s disdainful look.

Julian: "..."

He suddenly felt a bit redundant.

Clara was a sweet-talking girl, and within a single meal, she had completely captured her mother-in-law’s heart.

After lunch, the two sat together intimately playing the piano, then called technicians to the house for a spa session.

This left Julian and his father to stare at each other in silence.

The technician’s skills were superb. Clara’s body, exhausted from a week of work, finally relaxed, and she drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

Clara’s mother-in-law dismissed the technicians and beckoned Mrs. Martha into a side room, asking in a low voice, "How are Clary and Julian getting along?"

"Everything else is fine. It’s just—" Mrs. Martha hesitated for a moment before speaking out, "It seems they haven't consummated the marriage yet. The bedroom sheets are clean every day, and the contraceptives I prepared haven't been touched."

"Is that so..." Clara’s mother-in-law frowned. "They are young people sleeping together; it should be like sparks hitting dry tinder. How can they resist doing anything?"

Mrs. Martha speculated, "Maybe because they just got married and aren't familiar yet? They might be shy."

"What is there to be shy about? They’ve already registered their marriage." Clara’s mother-in-law couldn't understand.

She and Julian’s father had also had a flash marriage, but she had bedded him that very night.

Suddenly, her face paled with horror. She grabbed Mrs. Martha’s hand. "Julian couldn't actually be... 'incapable,' like the rumors say, right?!"

Mrs. Martha’s eyes widened. "Surely not? When I used to tidy his sheets, I saw... evidence of that..."

"That’s a relief then." Clara’s mother-in-law patted her chest. "It won't do for a newlywed couple to live in separate worlds. We have to find a way to give them a push."

She was determined to keep such a beautiful and lovely daughter-in-law!

After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Go to the kitchen and have Chef Liu stew a tonic soup using velvet antler and sea cucumber."

"Yes!"

At dinner time, a bowl of tonic soup was placed in front of both Clara and Julian.

Clara’s mother-in-law said with a smile, "One of you is busy with work and the other with studies; you’ve both worked hard. Drink this soup and nourish your bodies."

The two didn't think twice and obediently drank the soup.

Clara’s mother-in-law nodded in satisfaction.

As they finished eating, Clara’s phone screen lit up on the side, showing a notification.

Her settings showed the message content on the lock screen. Julian inadvertently glimpsed the message, and his hand holding the teacup faltered.

The sender was Leo.

[Clary baby, I'm back! 8:00 PM tonight, at the M-Sound Club. Waiting for you.]

Clara picked up her phone, replied with an "OK," and looked up with a smile. "Mom, Dad, Julian, my friend asked me to go out."

Clara’s mother-in-law smiled. "Go ahead, have fun."

"Then I'm off. Bye-bye~" Clara grabbed her bag and left.

Julian’s father and mother walked hand-in-hand to the garden for a stroll, leaving Julian alone with the family’s German Shepherd.

He locked eyes with the dog, picked up his phone, and made a call. "Come out for a drink."

Arthur was stunned when he heard this, instinctively pulling the phone away to check the caller ID.

It was indeed him.

"Brother, have you been possessed by something?" he asked.

Julian frowned. "What time is it that you're already drunk?"

Arthur hissed and laughed. "Fine. Where do you want to drink?"

"M-Sound Club."

M-Sound Club.

"Pfft—" Leo suddenly sprayed a mouthful of wine.

Fortunately, Clara had anticipated this and dodged to the side, perfectly avoiding his attack.

"Wh-what did you just say?" Leo said while coughing. "You’re married?!"

Clara nodded calmly. "Yes, I'm married. We got our certificate this Monday."

Leo remained silent for a long time before suddenly roaring, "Clara Jiang, you actually fell in love with someone else behind my back!"

People nearby turned to look.

Clara quickly covered her face and shot him an annoyed glare. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Leo glared back. "I just went to the U.S. for a few days, and in that time you married someone else and didn't tell me until now. Are you even human?"

Clara, knowing she was in the wrong, quickly apologized with a smile. "Yes, yes, I was wrong. I should have told you sooner."

Leo huffed and tilted his chin. "Which 'wild man' did you fall in love with so much that you buried yourself in the grave of marriage at such a young age?"

"I don't love him." Clara smiled. "I didn't marry him for love; it was my grandfather’s wish."

"What’s the story?" Leo leaned closer, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Tell me everything."

On the second floor, someone took all of this in. The hand resting on the railing slowly tightened, veins bulging against the cold, fair skin.

Arthur turned around. "Brother, didn't you say we were drinking? Why are you standing there motionless?"

Julian turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Wh-why the look?" Arthur jumped in surprise, muttering under his breath, "You look like someone just stole your wife..."