After Divorce: Remarried to a Tycoon with Twin Babies-Chapter 154: Hugs, Hotpot, Holding Hands! Master Julian’s Three Moves to Win His Wife!
How could the first snow fall and not have hotpot?
Vivian had just suggested it when everyone immediately opposed her.
"Miss Sinclair, that’s too dangerous."
"If you want hotpot, we could prepare it in the kitchen and bring the cooked food out to your table, how about that?"
"If you want to watch the snow, you can sit in the side hall."
"Anyway, we don’t recommend setting up a tent outdoors in snowy weather. It’s not really about catching a cold, it’s because, miss..."
Felix led the group as they all looked hesitantly at the clueless Stella.
She didn’t even know what Vivian and the others were talking about.
She blinked and asked, "Sister Sinclair, what’s hotpot?"
Vivian covered her forehead in exasperation and could only sigh. "Forget it."
"Let’s just eat something else, anything is fine. Hotpot is canceled."
If you can’t cook your own hotpot, what’s the point of hotpot at all?
Even Vivian, who’d lived in luxury since childhood, didn’t want to lose that simple joy of dipping food in a bubbling pot, so she simply gave up.
But she couldn’t help feeling very disappointed inside.
For as long as she could remember, every first snow was accompanied by hotpot.
Whether at the Sinclair home or later with the Grants. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Back at the Sinclair Family House, before the truth of her birth was revealed, this little tradition of hers was always indulged by her family.
Whenever it snowed, the staff would automatically set up a tent in the garden and prepare everything perfectly.
With stoves burning nearby, no one ever felt cold.
Once the hotpot started, it felt even cozier.
Eating hotpot while admiring the snow filled her heart with comfort, romance, and ease.
Somehow, over the years, it became Vivian’s annual tradition.
After she left the Sinclairs for the Grants, she was never at the old Grant residence for the first snow, so she always got her wish in her own way.
With no household staff there, Vivian ordered takeout hotpot.
If that wasn’t possible, she’d go out herself—some fancy restaurants offered outdoor hotpot experiences.
But this year... it looked hopeless.
The Thorne Family cared so much about safety that Stella wasn’t even allowed to use a knife and fork on her own; anytime she was around for a Western meal, her steak was always pre-cut before she sat at the table.
Naturally, dangerous things like hotpot... it kind of made sense.
Vivian didn’t push it. She was about to turn and head to the dining room with Stella to wait for a regular lunch when a large hand gently gripped her wrist.
"If you want hotpot, just eat hotpot. What’s with all the rules?"
"At Crestfall Villa, your word is law."
Julian Thorne took Vivian’s hand away from her forehead, bent down close, and revealed his handsome face in the dim light.
H-he’s back?
The dead past came rushing at Vivian like an attack.
She’d spent all day resisting thoughts of yesterday, but the moment she saw his face, the suffocating tension from that car ride suddenly returned in a wave.
Stella blinked and called out, "Brother?"
Julian’s whole body jolted.
And not just him—everyone else turned to Stella with shock on their faces.
Vivian looked puzzled. What was going on?
Had Stella never called Julian ’brother’ before?
Julian’s deep eyes trembled ever so slightly.
He gently placed his hands on Stella’s shoulders, his voice low and rough, "Stella, what did you call me?"
"Can you say it again?"
Stella broke into a huge smile. "Brother!"
"Brother, why did you come back so late?"
"Sister Sinclair and I are so, so hungry."
"Our tummies have been rumbling for ages."
"So I want five bowls of crab fried rice! Lots and lots of crab, only lots of crab will do!"
Julian, unable to hide his excitement, scooped Stella up into a hug.
He hugged her so tightly she kicked and writhed like a puppy in water.
"Brother’s bad, brother’s bad—"
Vivian quietly warned, "Mr. Thorne, be careful or it’ll backfire."
Julian quickly let go of his little sister.
Stella darted—’whoosh’—behind Felix, looking ready to burst into tears.
Her eyes held a clear ’brother is scary’ look.
Julian turned to Vivian, then lightly pulled her into his arms.
He bent his head and whispered in her ear, "Thank you."
"Vivian, thank you so much for being here."
Vivian froze, afraid to move, but Julian didn’t linger, releasing her quickly.
He reached up and softly ruffled her hair.
"Then tonight—hotpot?"
"Tonight, we reward Miss Sinclair."
Vivian pointed to herself: She’d really done something that great?
Once Julian went upstairs to change, Lina Holloway came rushing over. "Miss Sinclair, you don’t know—after what happened to the young miss years ago, I don’t think she’s called Mr. Thorne ’brother’ even once!"
"If I’m remembering right, it’s been twenty years since the last time—so tonight was her first time saying ’brother’ again!"
"How could Mr. Thorne not be happy?"
Vivian was stunned.
After Stella had been kidnapped, she really hadn’t called Julian ’brother’ even once?
Why?
Everyone was buzzing with excitement.
They happily chatted about the whole thing.
Meanwhile, Stella had no clue and joined the laughter, giggling along with everyone else.
Vivian also felt herself filled with something strange and indescribable.
Lina said, "It must be because of you, Miss Sinclair. That’s why she’s changed."
"She used to be afraid every time she saw Mr. Thorne, but now she recognizes him as her brother."
"With you here every day, she’s still like a kid, but she’s clearly getting better."
"I’m sure soon enough, she’ll be like a normal person..."
Vivian didn’t understand why she was so special to Stella.
Was it because she was able to treat her like a friend?
Or maybe it was the paintings she’d made for Stella, giving her a sense of comfort and trust, making her especially willing to listen?
Vivian didn’t dwell on it—she let it go.
Because the hotpot had already been set up on the lawn in front of the main house.
Felix, as the new butler, proved just as capable as Truman.
The huge tent went up in no time.
Four heaters glowed at each corner.
String lights hung around the edge of the tent for atmosphere.
The table was moved out quickly, and the food came streaming in.
Of course, no open flames—for safety.
The four-compartment hotpot had every flavor Vivian wanted.
All the dishes were things she liked, too.
The smell of hotpot filled the front yard; by the time Julian returned in casual clothes, Vivian and Stella were already seated obediently.
The two of them looked just like kindergarten kids, eagerly waiting to eat.
Julian showed up, and Stella immediately chirped, "Brother’s finally here! Can we eat now? Can we?"
Stella had never had hotpot, so she was practically bouncing with excitement.
Both Lina and Felix stood behind her, watching nervously in case her enthusiasm got her into trouble.
Vivian rubbed her hands and joined in, "Can we eat now?"
Faced with their sparkling eyes, Julian sat down opposite Vivian.
"I’m the one who’s late."
"You two little gluttons, let’s eat."
Stella almost jumped out of her chair. "Yay!"
She grabbed her chopsticks and started fishing food out of the pot, making the nearest maid rush up to help—with plates and spoons, she hovered anxiously.
Stella was messy and impatient, but lately she’d gotten much better at listening, so when anyone said it was dangerous, she would sit back down and wait for the maid to serve her from the pot.
Stella was like a tiny foodie, completely focused on eating.
Vivian refused the maids’ help and used her own chopsticks.
They could have used small personal pots.
It would have been more hygienic.
But Vivian wanted to try different flavors at once, so Felix bravely made this arrangement.
He was a little nervous, afraid the boss might disapprove.
But when Julian saw Vivian using her own chopsticks, he dismissed the maids who wanted to help, and joined in personally.
And whatever Vivian ate, he copied her.
Their chopsticks collided in the pot now and then; Vivian moved fast to snatch food, worried he’d get it first.
Julian blinked and smiled—was she really fighting him for food?
But somehow, the meal pulled them closer together.
Even though they didn’t talk about anything funny, just the hotpot, it was enough for Julian to quietly listen.
Plus, the hotpot itself... was really pretty good.
Eating it on a snowy day gave it another kind of charm.
Soon, Vivian realized that Julian didn’t seem to have had hotpot before.
He followed whatever she ate, and every time he tried something new, he tasted it slowly.
The best bites made his eyebrows lift.
Bland ones made him frown.
Was this really his first hotpot?
No way, right?
The CEO of The Thorne Group—if his family didn’t eat it, surely he’d had hotpot at a business dinner?
If he’d never tried hotpot before, wasn’t that just sad?
At that moment, seeing the Thorne siblings, Vivian suddenly remembered the look Catherine Sinclair gave her last time at that run-down food joint.
Sure enough, there’s just such a huge gap between people.
By the end, all three of them were sweaty, with their hands and feet warmed up.
Stella’s belly was so packed she wanted to lie down, but Vivian quickly pulled her up to walk it off.
"Go for a walk or you’ll get a tummy ache and won’t sleep tonight."
Julian glanced at his watch, then decided to set work aside and join them; the three wore hats and earmuffs, sturdy anti-slip shoes, and led a long trail of servants, strolling slowly through the snowy gardens.
Soon, Stella started playing with the piled-up snow, running wild.
Vivian kept worrying after her, "Slow down."
"Careful over there—"
She reached out to grab Stella, forgetting she herself was a pregnant woman who needed looking after.
Stella suddenly slipped and almost collided with her.
Julian caught Vivian around the waist just in time, pulling her into his arms.
Julian looked down at the startled Vivian, then flicked her forehead, "Stella has people looking after her."
"You? You need to take care of yourself—and the baby."
Then, Julian wrapped Vivian’s gloved hand in his own.
And without hesitation, kept walking forward.
Vivian looked at her hand in his, her heart skipping a beat.
He—how could he just grab her hand like that?
She hadn’t agreed to anything yet!
Panic-stricken, she tried to pull away, but Julian just held tighter and stuffed her whole hand into his coat pocket.
"Vivian, don’t forget."
"Have you made up your mind about marrying me?"
