In the afternoon, William skipped class as usual. He had arranged to go fishing with Nathaniel Smith and Theo Hughes.
Upon arriving at the entrance of his house on East 62nd Street, William came to a sudden stop.
Multiple cars were parked at the entrance. A variety of household appliances were being moved out from the cars, with Alice inside, busily directing the operations.
Several elderly neighbors had gathered at the entrance, watching the hustle and bustle.
“William, you’ve added so many new appliances to your home, and they’re all the latest models,” Nathaniel remarked upon seeing William.
This young man seems to be doing well financially. If Evelyn were with him, she’d at least have a comfortable life.
Very impressive!
William smiled and replied, “It must’ve been arranged by my cousin.”
“She’s quite generous!” commented Nathaniel.
Without saying much more, William approached Alice and inquired, “What are you doing?”
Alice, adjusting her messy hair, chuckled softly, “Master, I noticed you didn’t have many modern amenities in your home. It seemed inconvenient, so I bought some for you.”
“Alright!” Although William was someone who cherished old things, he also wanted to keep up with the times. Adding a few modern appliances would help him better integrate into society, so he didn’t reproach Alice.
Alice then asked, “Do you still need those old items?” Almost immediately after, she whispered into William’s ear, “Master, don’t tell me those old tables and chairs can be sold for millions?”
William playfully flicked Alice’s forehead with his middle finger.
“Ouch!” Alice exclaimed, retracting her head.
Rolling his eyes, William responded, “Are you silly? This furniture is from the modern era. How much could they possibly be worth?”
Alice pondered, “So, should we toss them?”
William countered, “Why throw them away? Just place them in that corner over there. If any of the neighbors need them, they can have them.”
“Got it!” Alice, being from a wealthy family, was used to discarding things when they became old or broke. If those old furniture pieces were in her home, they would’ve probably been discarded long ago.
“Don’t let them into the innermost study. Change whatever else you want in the house,” William instructed. He had set up a magical barrier in his study. If Alice or anyone else were to walk in when he wasn’t home, they’d stand still, their consciousness blank, like wooden puppets. The last thing William wanted was to come home from fishing to find a group of ‘wooden people’ standing at the door.
“I remember, you told me before,” Alice giggled, acting sweet and sensible.
“Alright, carry on. I’m going fishing with Nathaniel and the rest,” William said, grabbing a fishing rod from inside and heading out.
Just as he stepped out of the yard, Lila’s car pulled up in front of him.
Lila rolled down her window and glanced at William, “Going fishing?”
William nodded, “Yeah, I have plans.”
Lila proposed, “I’ll come with you!”
“Some other time,” William declined, then turned to Nathaniel, “Nathaniel, do you have a fishing rod?”
Nathaniel, after giving Lila a long look, exclaimed, “Wow, another beautiful girl coming your way! Of course, I have a rod… Is she your sister?”
“Nope!” William clarified.
“If she needs something, go ahead and attend to her first,” Nathaniel suggested. 𝚍ｎ𝚘ｖ𝚕．𝚘𝚛𝚐
William laughed, “Why would a young lady like her go fishing?”
Inside the car, Lila’s face changed colors from anger.
Interacting with William could be frustrating.
Was it any of her business whether she knew how to fish or not?
If a girl invites him to go fishing, even if she doesn’t know how, couldn’t he teach her?
Was it so torturous for him to go fishing with a beauty like her?
Nathaniel felt that William was being a bit excessive, but…
It’s all good!
“I’ll go get the fishing rods,” Nathaniel said as he headed inside to retrieve them.
Lila got out of her car and glanced into the yard.
Her eyes met Alice’s, and for a brief moment, there was a chilling stare between them.
“Hmm? Alice, what are you doing here?” Lila stepped into the yard.
A slow smile spread across Alice’s face. “Is there something wrong with me being here?”
Lila narrowed her eyes slightly, observing the workers moving household appliances and asked, “Are you here to deliver appliances for William?”
Perhaps being a bit impulsive, Alice blurted out, “Of course, I’m moving in.”
Before Lila could respond, William interjected, “We don’t have an extra bed at my place.”
With a defiant stance, Alice shot back, “Can’t I just buy another bed?”
Shouldn’t he, as her master, be siding with her at this time?
Without hesitation, William raised an eyebrow and stated, “No.”
Heartbroken!
Alice felt like she could spit blood right then and there.
Lila, with a smirk on her lips, turned to William and said, “To thank you for not pursuing the matter with my younger brother, I’ve found a job for you. Interested?”
Quickly, Alice interjected, “He’s working at my bookstore now!”
“Bookstore?” Lila looked at Alice curiously. “Since when did you open a bookstore, Alice?”
Alice responded with a slight smile, “Specifically for him.” As she said this, she internally reassured herself that it was all to help Evelyn ward off other rivals.
William, not wanting to get involved yet sensing an intriguing opportunity, inquired, “What job are you referring to?”
Alice’s heart shattered once more.
That foolish master of hers! Could he be interested in that girl from the Carter family? Truly,? men are easily swayed by beauty, and they can act irrationally when they encounter a beautiful woman.
Lila’s smile grew more insinuating. “There’s a variety of jobs, but I think you’d be great as a live streamer. You have a good image. With a little packaging, it’d be easy money. Coincidentally, I have a friend in the digital media industry.”
Live streaming? Digital media?
These terms all felt new and intriguing to William.
William nodded, “I can give it a try.”
Lila continued, “Then I’ll join you for fishing, and we can discuss it while doing so.” She even flashed Alice a victorious smile as if she had won a round.
Why were so many people trying to woo William? Lila grew more curious. There had to be something exceptional about him. Why else would Alice be so accommodating?
However, William responded indifferently, “Let’s discuss work some other time. I prefer not to mix business with leisure.”
“…”
Sure enough, Lila realized she had acted prematurely. Being around William always posed the risk of emotional heartbreak.
Alice smirked triumphantly. That’s her master for you, treating everyone, beauty or not, with the same indifference!
“I also want to go fishing,” Alice declared, secretly swearing that she just wanted to keep an eye on William for Evelyn’s sake.
Without a second thought, William responded, “No. Stay home and make sure no one goes into that room.”
“…”
Indeed, he treated everyone equally!