The Sweet Rival (Mango Shen and Nathaniel Ye)

Walter came out with Novalee and he forced her into the car hastily. Then, he took out his phone and dialed a number after getting into the car. "Encrypt all my files as top-secret."

Novalee was caught off guard when she heard what Walter said.

"Walter, what's the matter?"

"Stay quiet."

Then, Walter spoke again as the other party did not respond.

"Did you hear what I said?"

On the other hand, Nathaniel held his phone and said helplessly, "Is this how you ask someone to do you a favor?"

"Nathaniel, don't be too arrogant! I won't care to contact you if it weren't for your IT skills."

At that moment, Walter felt displeased.

However, Nathaniel said with a smile, "You're right, you can always seek help from someone else and you don't have to contact me."

"Fine, I don't need your help."

Walter hung up the phone after he said that.

On the other side, Novalee heard Walter mentioned Nathaniel's name, so she asked, "Isn't Nathaniel Ms. Shen's husband? Is he awake?"

"Don't you wish that he will stay in a coma for the rest of his life? It's really difficult to get along with a man like him and I'd rather he stay unconscious until he dies."

Having said that, Walter picked up his phone again and called Zion directly.

"Zion, can you do me a favor?"

Zion was a little puzzled as Walter hadn't contacted him for a long time. So, he was extra vigilant as Walter called him so suddenly and his tone was also strangely gentle. "What are you up to?"

"Help me encrypt all my files, alright?"

Zion felt relieved when he heard this.

"How will I benefit from doing this?"

"What do you want then?"

Then, Zion propped up his chin and said, "I haven't thought about it yet, but will you be willing to give me anything that I want?"

"Sure, I can give you whatever you want except for my wife and my own life."

"Perfect! I've recorded what you said and you can't take your words back as I'll ask it from you when I figure out what I want."

At that instant, Walter's mouth twitched at Zion's words.

"Of course...you're extremely cunning just like your wily father."

"Uncle Song, are you talking about me? I inherited most of my genes from my mother though... Are you saying that she is sly and scheming? Ah, I have to tell her this so that she wouldn't be in the dark."

"Zion!"

Walter really wanted to strangle this stinky boy to death.

"Ouch! I might go deaf... What if I can't use the computer anymore?"

At that moment, Walter reminded himself repeatedly to calm down.

After all, it was easier to persuade Zion than Nathaniel.

So, Walter took a few deep breaths before he said with a smile, "Zion you're a good boy and I know that you're the best, so can't you do me a favor?"

"Oh, don't even try to coax me. I'm having goose bumps all over."

Zion didn't appreciate it at all and rage pulsed through Walter in an instant.

He found it strange that Mango gave birth to a son like Zion.

At that moment, Walter was so angry that he almost got out of breath.

Then, Zion felt satisfied, so he continued, "Forget it, I won't argue with you as I don't want others to accuse me of bullying an old man."

"An old man? Zion, do you really think that I don't dare to hit you?"

"I'll tell my mom!"

"Are you even a man? No man would go to his mother after picking a fight! Zion, aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

However, Zion said straightforwardly, "Uncle Song, I'm just a boy and not an adult, but you are a man yet you're arguing with a young kid like me and you can't even keep your composure... What's wrong with you?"

Walter was so frustrated at that moment.

He thought that Zion had entirely defeated his purpose of calling him and it was far beyond what he intended to do.

"I'm hanging up."

At that instant, Walter felt that he was just getting himself into trouble and there was no point in him calling Nathaniel and Zion for nothing.

However, he really couldn't find help from anyone else when it came to IT issues.

Just when Walter was about to hang up the call, Zion said with a smile, "Alright! It's all done and no one would be able to retrieve your information unless the other party is the world's top hacker." Then, Walter paused for a moment before he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, stinky boy."

"You're welcome. Don't forget what you owe me."

Having said that, Zion hung up.

On the other hand, Novalee heard their conversation and she looked at Walter with curiosity and asked, "Who's this? He's a child!"

"He's Mango's son."

"Uh? Ms. Shen has a son?"

Novalee said it so loudly that Walter was shocked.

"Is it strange that she has a son? She has a husband and it would be weird if she doesn't have a child, isn't it? What's with your expression?"

"Ms. Shen looks really young though."

"She's almost 30 years old, is that considered young?"

Walter didn't realize that he was no longer trying to defend Mango and perhaps he had already considered Novalee on the same boat as him as he was with her.

Novalee was stunned and she didn't know to respond as she didn't expect Walter to talk about it so calmly and nonchalantly.

Didn't he like Mango?

He seemed to be indifferent to the fact that Mango had a son and he wasn't affected by it at all, neither was he upset.

At that point, Novalee felt that she couldn't understand Walter.

However, Walter ignored what Novalee was thinking and he whispered, "Fasten your seat belt and we'll go back to the hotel now."

"Are you not going back to the hospital?"

"No."

Walter started the car having said that.

Novalee couldn't tell what was Walter's intention, but she didn't say anything as she was used to listening to his words.

Later, the two of them found a hotel nearby and stayed in.

Novalee felt really shy as Walter had only booked a room.

"Walter, I can book a separate room by myself."

"What're you saying? Which couple on earth would live separately?"

Novalee felt embarrassed after hearing Walter's words.

"We aren't a true couple and it's just a show..."

"Who said that it's fake? Quick, come in."

Walter dragged Novalee into the room directly.

At that moment, Novalee became nervous.

"Walter, let me warn you, I'm not a slattern woman!"

Walter was stunned for a moment and he said, "Do I seem to be a slattern man?"

"You do!"

Novalee nodded without a second thought and Walter's expression darkened in an instant.

"What did you say? Do I seem slattern?"

However, Novalee kept her mouth shut and she stopped talking.

She was not a fool and it was obvious that Walter was about to lose his temper at this moment. Also, she was afraid that she might lose her chastity this day if she accidentally triggered Walter.

On the other hand, Walter felt rather helpless when he saw that Novalee seemed so afraid.

Was he such an unreasonable person?

"You can sleep on the bed while I'll sleep on the sofa, do you have any problem with that?"

Then, Novalee shook her head immediately.

"I'll go out for a while."

"Where are you going?"

Novalee grabbed Walter's arm, but she felt as if she was being too coquettish, so she quickly released her hand.

"I'm just asking... Can I call you if I need your help?"

"Of course."

Walter's voice softened when he saw Novalee's behavior.

"I'm just going out for a walk. You can join me if you're free now and we can also eat out tonight since we haven't had dinner."

"You're right, we haven't had dinner... Alright, wait for me for a moment as I'll need to change my clothes... I feel awkward wearing this dress."

Novalee went in to change her outfit having said that.

Later, Walter felt that Novalee looked much better after she changed her clothes.

Then, they walked along the road for a while before they took a taxi to a restaurant.

The eatery was quite close to the hospital that Novalee stayed in.

So, Novalee asked as she was a little puzzled, "Why are we staying there if we are coming here for dinner?"

"We'll have dinner now and talk about this later"

Walter did not answer Novalee's question and he told her to start ordering instead.

Novalee was doubtful, but she did not ask about it any further and she ordered a few dishes. Then, she looked out the window as she saw that Walter's staring outside.

"What are you looking at?"

"Have you seen those people?"

Walter pointed to the few men near the hospital and asked.

Novalee nodded and said, "Yes. What's the matter? They have been selling goods at the entrance of the hospital, isn't it?"

"No, they are not sellers but Bosco's subordinates if I'm not wrong."

"What? That's impossible!"

Novalee denied it immediately.

"How do you know that it's impossible?"

Walter looked at her and asked.

However, Novalee shook her head and said, "Bosco and my father are best friends and comrades-in-arms. He's really nice and he even offered to adopt us after my parents died, but we didn't agree to it as we didn't want to put him in trouble. He would never ask his subordinates to surveil me as he cares about me a lot!"

"You're right, but why was he unwilling to tell you who else carried out the mission with your parents if he cares about you so much? Why has he not contacted you for so many years although he said that he wants to adopt you? Also, why would he send his men to the hospital to surveil us after we visited him? Can you even explain his actions?"

Novalee was completely stunned after hearing Walter's questions.

"He...maybe he thinks that I'm too stubborn, so..."

"Novalee, are you convinced by your own reasoning?"

Novalee became speechless in an instant after hearing Walter's words.

"Are you suspecting Bosco? Why is that?"

"It's my intuition as a retired soldier, though I'm still trying to collect evidence, so let's just wait for now."

However, Novalee felt somewhat sad after hearing

Walter's words.

"Evidence? How are you going to investigate it?"

"Novalee, I have my connections and you don't have to worry about how I investigate it. Your parents' past mission must have been top-secret and only the officers who are involved in the task and your parents' comrades-in-arms would know about this. However, this case has become a mystery now that your parents have passed away and the higher-ups would end the investigation, unless they find new evidence. Importantly, your uncle could possibly give us new hints and he'll give us a breakthrough in this case."

Walter said blandly.

On the other hand, Novalee didn't say a word.

Walter noticed that Novalee's expression seemed gloomy.

Perhaps Novalee truly valued Bosco since he was her parents' best friend and she refused to believe that he had something to do with her parents' matter.

However, she didn't know whether to trust Bosco or not at this instant as she saw the people at the hospital's entrance and how Walter said those words so confidently.

At this moment, Walter's phone rang and Novalee's heart tightened in nervousness as she looked straight at Walter.