30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 134: Lily’s New Beginning

"He’s a distant uncle. When my family’s tragedy struck, everyone else avoided us like the plague, but he was the first to step forward," Lily said, her smile tinged with bitterness. "He’s a good man."

"But he made you do housework," Alex replied, his gaze soft as he looked at her. "You used to be afraid of even stepping into the kitchen."

Life, after all, is the best teacher.

If she didn’t do housework, her aunt would yell at her, and peace would be impossible.

"After everything that happened to my family, I realized that not every household can afford maids," Lily said softly, her voice hoarse.

She had to rely on her own two hands to survive...

Getting her hands greasy in the kitchen was the only way to avoid hunger.

"Lily."

"Hm?"

Lily looked up, and as they reached the last step of the staircase, Alex hugged her. "I’ll never let you step into a kitchen again, trust me."

His voice was full of pain.

Lily leaned against his shoulder, letting out a bitter laugh. "It’s fine. The kitchen isn’t as scary as I thought when I was a child."

"But you shouldn’t have to do those things," Alex released her from his embrace. "What about your dreams? Have they changed?"

"Dreams?"

"Your dream of becoming a director."

"..." Lily silently shook her head.

Her dreams hadn’t changed, but her life had changed for her...

"I’ll go with you to France," Alex said with a smile.

"Master, Miss, supper is ready," Butler Aston, the butler, approached them, bowing respectfully.

"You can go to bed now," Alex said politely to Butler Aston, taking Lily’s hand and leading her toward the dining room. "You sit down. I’ll cook the fish."

"You’re still injured. Let me do it..."

But Alex immediately guided her to sit down, his expression firm. "Lily, I won’t let you suffer even more."

She had grown up as a pampered princess, living a life of luxury.

He didn’t know how she had survived the past nine years, how she had adapted to it, but from now on... he wouldn’t allow her to endure any more hardships.

Seeing how determined Alex was, Lily didn’t argue further.

The kitchen was open-concept, with elegant glass lighting casting a warm glow. Lily sat at the dining table, watching quietly as Alex busied himself at the counter...

For a moment, she felt a wave of déjà vu. The image of Ethan working in the kitchen flashed in her mind.

It came so naturally, jumping right into her thoughts.

That man... even though I’ve left him, everything about him still invades my mind.

Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time around him recently, and my brain is filled with memories of Ethan Blackwood...

Given some time, I’ll return to normal.

"If you’re hungry, why not have some of what Aston made to tide you over?" Alex said as he scaled the fish. He looked up at her with a bright smile.

"I’m not hungry."

It was apparent Alex hadn’t cooked sweet and sour fish in a long time. His movements while cleaning the fish were a bit rusty, and he was slow as he washed it.

Watching him, Lily couldn’t help but ask, "Has it been a while since you’ve cooked?"

"Ever since you left, I haven’t stepped foot in the kitchen."

Alex’s response was calm and matter-of-fact as he poured oil into the pan.

Lily’s gaze froze. Since I left, he hasn’t cooked?

"Sizzle—"

The fish hit the hot oil, causing it to splatter. Alex instinctively stepped back, and Lily couldn’t help but laugh. "Are you sure you can handle this? Maybe I should help. I don’t mind the kitchen anymore."

"I’ve got it," Alex said, using a spatula to flip the fish. "Two years ago, I finally found out your father was imprisoned on Qin Island. I went to see him, but he didn’t want to tell me where you were."

Lily was taken aback. "You went to see my father?!"

Why didn’t Dad ever tell me?

"I’ve been visiting him intermittently for the past two years. Didn’t he tell you?" Alex asked.

Lily shook her head. "No."

The last time I saw him, I even talked to him about the Carter family. Why didn’t he tell me about Alex?

"Maybe your father is still upset that my father never visited him or helped him when he needed it," Alex said, his tone filled with guilt. He looked over at her. "My father is a businessman. He only makes deals based on equivalent exchange—he doesn’t do anything that won’t benefit him."

"Is that so?" Lily replied quietly, falling into silence.

The Anderson and Carter families had been close for generations. She and Alex had practically grown up together...

Is Dad still holding a grudge against Uncle Carter for not stepping in to help back then? Is that why he never mentioned them?

"Even though I visited prison several times, your father was always polite to me. But I could tell... he no longer saw me as a son," Alex said as he added seasoning to the pan.

"My father is a man who separates his feelings of gratitude and resentment. He wouldn’t hold a grudge against you for what your father did," Lily said thoughtfully as she stood up from the dining table and walked over to the counter.

Even if the Carter family had turned a blind eye to what the Andersons had gone through, it had nothing to do with Alex.

After all, back then, he had just been a kid in middle school.

"Yeah," Alex smiled, not arguing with her.

He didn’t continue the heavy conversation. The previous generation’s issues would always have some impact on them.

"Where’s Bobi?" Lily asked, suddenly realizing she hadn’t seen the dog tonight.

"He’s already asleep," Alex replied. "His daily routine is like that of a retired old man."

An old dog with the routine of a retiree?

Up at dawn, asleep at dusk?

The image of Bobi growing old made Lily laugh.

"Lily," Alex said as he placed a lid on the pan. His brown eyes met hers, filled with warmth as he gazed at her unblinkingly.

"What’s wrong?"

"You have a beautiful smile," Alex said softly, reaching across the counter to touch her face. His fingers traced her eyebrows and eyes, his touch gentle and full of affection.

The depth of emotion in his eyes was almost overwhelming.

Lily’s smile stiffened.

After a moment, she awkwardly said, "Your hands smell like fish."

"Oh... sorry," Alex quickly pulled his hand back, looking slightly embarrassed.

He had been wearing gloves while cleaning the fish, but she had only said it casually.

Yet he was quick to apologize.

Polite as ever, like a prince.

The tension in the air slowly dissipated...

Watching Alex cook, Lily thought to herself, Leaving Ethan Blackwood is the best decision I could have made.

Only by leaving Ethan can I slowly regain my smile.

At the very least, I have my freedom now.

Her life would gradually return to normal. Once her father was released, it would be the dawn after the dark night.

Yes, leaving was the right decision.

The path she had veered off because of Ethan—she would work hard to get herself back on track...

"It’s done," Alex said, bringing the fish to the table. "I almost forgot how to make it. Here, try some."

"Okay."

Lily walked to the table, and Alex, like a child proudly presenting a treasure, picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and held it to her lips, his eyes full of hope.

Lily stared at his hand, frozen in place.

Alex smiled at her, his eyes expectant. "Go on, try it. Are you afraid it’ll taste bad?"

How could I be afraid of the fish he made for me?

It was just that this kind of familiar intimacy still felt foreign to her...

She still wasn’t used to this kind of relationship with Alex.

Lily forced a smile and opened her mouth to eat the fish. The sweet and sour flavor, her favorite, spread across her taste buds.

Even though this was the first fish Alex had cooked in nine years, he clearly remembered her preferences. It was ideally suited to her taste.

After all these years, he still hasn’t forgotten what I like and dislike.

Seeing her swallow the fish, Alex’s slightly nervous expression relaxed into a smile.

"It’s delicious."

Alex beamed, his eyes lighting up as if he had just received a reward.

He leaned forward and lightly bumped his forehead against hers. "Sit tight. I’ll go get you some rice."

Once the meal was served, Alex barely ate anything himself. He spent most of the time carefully removing the fish bones and placing the pieces into Lily’s bowl.

"Thank you," Lily said, smiling gratefully at him.

Besides Alex, she felt like she was still the pampered princess she used to be.

Everything was taken care of for her as if she were still the most precious person in the world.

"I have something to show you later," Alex said, conveying mystery.

"What is it?"

"You’ll see."

"Okay."

Lily nodded, not asking further.

She quietly ate the fish Alex had prepared for her. After a few more bites, she said, "I’m going back to my uncle’s house tomorrow."

Alex’s smile froze, his eyes clouding with hurt, and he quickly asked, "Are you unhappy here? Is it the house? Have your preferences changed? If you don’t like it, I’ll have it redesigned for you!"

His voice was laced with urgency.

Alex’s barrage of questions made Lily feel even more guilty, and she was unsure of what to say. She knew how well he treated her but didn’t know how to respond...

She wasn’t even sure why... she was still hesitating.

Alex had always been her dream, the dreamhouse she had always envisioned. Walking down the aisle in a long wedding dress with him had been her dream...

But now, she found herself scared to accept his kindness.

Had she grown cowardly? Or was it something else...

"I just feel like I should go back to my uncle’s," Lily said softly, her explanation sounding weak even to her ears.

"You’re... not ready to be with me yet?"

"..." Lily didn’t respond, only nodded.

I just spent so long being Ethan Blackwood’s plaything... I’m not ready to jump into another relationship.

I need time to adjust.

"Alright, I’ll take you back tomorrow," Alex hesitantly agreed. "But I can still come visit you, right?"

"Of course," Lily said, looking at him gratefully.

This is the most significant difference between Alex and Ethan.

Alex never forces me to do anything I don’t want to do. But Ethan... he only cares about himself. Whatever he wants, he takes, no matter what.

"Okay, eat up," Alex said, placing another piece of fish in her bowl. "I’ve decided to transfer this house into your name. It’s yours now."

"Alex..."

"Don’t refuse me," Alex interrupted, sensing what she was about to say. His eyes were serious, filled with sincerity. "I just want you to be happy."

Lily didn’t know how to reject him, so she could only smile in response.

After dinner, Alex led her upstairs to the top floor. The room was a unique mix of a study and a bedroom.

Fresh flowers filled the corners, their scent subtle and soothing. The walls were lined with bookshelves, each packed with books, giving the room a scholarly atmosphere. In the center of the floor was a large tatami mat.

"Come here."

Alex removed his shoes and pulled her onto the tatami mat with him.

Lily looked at him, puzzled. Alex sat on the mat, pressed a button, and picked up a remote control beside a pillow.

There was a soft click from the room.

Lily tilted her head up, curious, and saw the ceiling slowly open like a door, revealing the night sky above. A moment later, a thick layer of glass slid open as well...