"Tsk!" Lucia was not buying his flattery, looking down at her black outfit, "Stop buttering me up! Do you think I’ll fall for you by complimenting me? My heart belongs only to our supreme leader, and no one can compare to him!"

Lucia was confident in herself too. She didn’t believe she was any less impressive than Heather. Whatever Heather could do, she believed she could do as well; it’s just that they hadn’t competed, so she wasn’t sure about their fighting skills. She had heard that the Higanbana (Heather) was formidable, but Lucia wasn’t a pushover either!

Frey chuckled: "Then you should definitely give up that thought. There used to be Helena, and now there’s Heather. In this lifetime, I’m afraid you don’t stand a chance."

"Wouldn’t I have a chance if Heather died? When Helena was around, didn’t you say the same? The leader would never fall in love with another woman, but now what does it matter? But Heather is just a replacement for Helena—"

"Don’t talk nonsense," Frey said with a serious tone, "The taboo of Helena should not be mentioned; you’re asking for trouble."

"Tsk, I’m not afraid."

Though she said that, Lucia squinted her eyes and still shut her mouth, not bringing it up again.

Was the only thing she lacked, compared to Helena, just that different face?

...

Dinner time.

Li Sinian had the kitchen prepare a grand feast, all dishes that Heather liked back when she was known as Xiao Man, dishes he remembered liking even though he never mentioned them.

Heather was touched upon seeing these dishes, which couldn’t be found in Mexico.

"How did you manage to get even the flavors right?"

A long table was laid out with plate after plate, and Li Sinian sat beside her, with servers around them, helping them serve the dishes.

"That’s easy, just had to bring the chef over."

"Really?" Heather was hearing this for the first time and was taken aback. But seeing his expression, which didn’t seem joking, she hesitated before asking again, "Really?"

Lake, who was listening nearby, chimed in, "Of course it’s true. The leader has invited top chefs from all over the world here so that Miss Sevry could enjoy the best cuisine from around the globe."

"Mind your own business," Li Sinian said coldly.

Heather suddenly started to laugh. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

She knew Li Sinian’s personality; he did not like to talk about the things he did for her. His nature was to act without seeking recognition, the silent contributor type.

She also knew that over the years he must have done many things for her; some she knew about, and undoubtedly some she still did not know.

Heather’s sudden burst of a warm smile made Li Sinian’s heart skip a beat. His slender fingers touched her cheek as he said with a deep voice, "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile so freely."

Heather gifted him another bright smile, enjoying their dinner, she said, "This table is so long, I can’t even reach some of the dishes I want to try."

With an indulgent tone, Li Sinian asked, "Which dish do you want to try?"

"That one over there," Heather pointed with her chopsticks, "it’s too far away."

Right before everyone’s eyes, Li Sinian personally got up and brought the dish to her, then asked, "What else would you like to eat?"

The extent of his doting was almost infuriating.

But Heather suggested, "Let’s use a smaller table next time? Like the one in our Xicheng home, I like that. It’s small, but it feels so cozy and warm."