novelxo Chapter 495
Thanks to Clarissa, Leia now had a nickname-Miss Leizy. All her family members called her that because it matched her personality.
Nonetheless, no one else was aware of the cheeky nickname. To the public, Leia was still that intelligent and gorgeous professor with an indifferent attitude.
Though Leia was young, she was already an internationally renowned expert in chemistry, biomolecular engineering, and biophysics. Her research and findings were so complicated that someone like Wrenna, who was not academically inclined, could never comprehend. But Wrenna was still a big fan of Leia.
Others might think Leia was an unapproachable high flyer, but to Wrenna, she was just someone lazy.
She might be a professional in her areas of expertise, but other than that, she was just a person who refused to make any effort to do anything.
For instance, whenever Leia needed a drink, Wrenna would have to unscrew the cap for her and place the bottle near her mouth.
"Tired." Leia was so lazy that she would only say a word instead of a full sentence.
Wrenna smiled. "Your lab work must be very tiring, right? If I'm not mistaken, you even had to sacrifice your sleep to complete your experiment? I'm sure it's much more exhausting than taking a long-haul flight!"
Leia kept her eyes closed and responded with a low grunt.
Wrenna instantly understood her response. She must be tired.
Wrenna chuckled and continued, "Aunt Clarissa is waiting for us at home, and she's now busy preparing nice food for you. Damian has also bought you a gift. Just so you know, I helped him pick a beautiful skirt for you! You'll have something to wear to all the new year gatherings. Aunt Clarissa didn't want you to use the lack of clothes as an excuse to avoid these events. Oh, by the way, Damian and I are divorced. I didn't inform you before this, but I guess you're not surprised, right?"
All of a sudden, Leia opened her eyes and looked at Wrenna.
Wrenna continued, "We've been divorced for nearly half a year now. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to ruin your mood, but Damian and I are okay now. We feel more comfortable when we're around each other."
"Deserved it!" Leia responded with a deadpan expression.
Wrenna had no idea if Leia was mad with her or Damian.
She grinned. "I know. I deserved it. If only I..."
Leia interrupted, "Not you. Damian."
"Oh? You mean he deserved it?" Wrenna asked.
Leia kept mum and nodded.
Wrenna thought about it and pursed her lips as she did not know what else to say. "Oh, okay..."
In fact, Wrenna had mixed feelings upon recalling all the things Damian had done in the last six months.
She tried not to think about it because she did not want relationship problems to get in the way of her studies.
At this point, I don't want Damian or any other man to distract me from my studies.
Leia did not pursue the matter further since Wrenna had ended the topic.
Meanwhile, friends and family members had gathered at Zen Highlands to welcome Leia home.
A gathering like this was uncommon, as it would usually only take place during the new year.
Ellie took a glance at Leia and did not find the latter intimidating at all. "Leia, you should go out and mingle around. Let's go out and have some fun together tonight! How about that?"
Ellie continued, "I'll take that as a yes if you don't give me a response, Miss Leizy. So, what kind of boys do you like? Maybe I can help. Don't worry, you can tell me, and I'll keep it a secret..." Leia was at a loss for words, as she did not know how to react to Ellie's suggestion.
In fact, she kept mum not because she consented to Ellie's suggestion but merely to give her the cold shoulder.
Ignatius, who had been observing Leia from a distance, was quite fond of her. As a rebellious teenager with anti-social behaviors, Ignatius was attracted to Leia's intelligence. Leia seemed to understand him well and could relate to the things that he liked. That was why Ignatius liked seeking her advice.
Annoyed by his mother, Ignatius grabbed Leia's hand and brought her to his room. He was eager to find out how she would answer his questions.
In the meantime, Wrenna went to the kitchen to lend Clarissa a helping hand, although she knew Clarissa would not let her.
Nevertheless, the two ladies had a lot to catch up on.
Clarissa said, "I notice Damian always visit you when he's free. Isn't that great? Since you two have nothing to do on weekends anyway, it's good to meet up with each other."
It was as if there was a hidden message in what she said.
Nevertheless, Wrenna did not try to read between the lines. Instead, she responded in a calm voice, "Yeah, Damian would always bring me to fancy restaurants and places. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do on weekends."
The corner of Clarissa's lips quirked up. Wrenna, oh, Wrenna. Trying to play cool, I see.
Clarissa could not help but sigh when she compared the old Wrenna with the Wrenna standing in front of her. What a big difference.
Love could change people, be it for the better or worse. The old Wrenna was not miserable, but her life seemed to revolve around Damian. Clarissa felt sorry for her because she thought Wrenna did not know how to live for herself.
But now, the tables had turned, and Clarissa was pleased with Wrenna's transformation.
It's about time for Damian to go through some hardships. He has to start paying attention to Wrenna if he wants this relationship to be long-lasting.
A fresh start might be the opportunity they need to rebuild their relationship.
Clarissa grinned. "That's great!
Damian had been a workaholic all
his life, and now, he finally learned to put his work aside to spend time with you. I'm glad that he did that.
Otherwise, he might end up your
Uncle Matthew, who worked so hard and ended up being all alone. Had I not taken pity on him, he would have stayed single for the rest of his life."
Wrenna burst into laughter and took a sidelong glance at Matthew, who happened to be standing near the kitchen's entrance.
She was taken aback by his deadpan expression. Did he hear the remark Aunt Clarissa made about him?
Wrenna immediately came up with an excuse and left the kitchen.
Upon noticing the expression on Matthew's face, Clarissa raised her brows. "What's with that face? Did I say anything wrong?"
She then slowly waved the knife in the air as if she was threatening the man in front of her.
Matthew had no choice but to raise the white flag. "You're right, Clare. You're absolutely right."
Clarissa snorted. "You would have remained a bachelor for the rest of your life had I not appeared in your life."
Matthew massaged his temples as he recalled how Clarissa had insulted him in the last few decades.
Is it all because I'm older than her?
At that thought, Matthew entered
the kitchen and inched closer to Clarissa. He wrapped his hands around her waist and smirked. “I don't remember you complaining about my skills, though? Are you not happy with my performance? Perhaps, you and I can find out
more..."
Matthew might not be young anymore, but he was still a man who knew how to please a woman.
I need to prove to her that I'm still full of vigor!
Before Matthew could continue, Clarissa immediately covered his mouth.
She kept looking outside the kitchen, as she was so afraid that people might overhear what he said. "Watch your mouth, Matthew Tyson. Please don't embarrass yourself and me in front of the children." Matthew responded with a smirk and removed her hand from his mouth. "Do you still think I'm old?"
"Oh, shut up!" Clarissa blushed instantly, and she pinched and twisted his arm to teach him a lesson.
Instantly, Matthew's expression changed.
Ouch. This woman's strength is no joke.
"All right, all right. I'm done talking. I'll hit the gym now." Matthew gave up.
"What gym? It's dinner time now!" Clarissa gave him a puzzled look.
When everyone in the house heard what Clarissa said, they turned their attention to Matthew and wondered what was going on.
Having been in a similar situation, Henry invited a few friends, whom he had not met for a long time, and hit the gym together with Matthew.
While Wrenna was still in utter confusion, Ellie smirked. "A bunch of egoistic old men."
Upon seeing that, the usually
taciturn Leia made a remark all of a
sudden, "There's no doubt that men
can still perform at the age of
but they no longer have the
endurance they once had in
younger days..."
"Shut up, Leia!" Matthew expressed his dismay.
On the contrary, Clarissa was pleased with her daughter. I'm so proud of you!
Clarissa stepped in and bellowed, "Enough! Stop talking. It's dinner time now, and that's final."
Clarissa could not help but sigh.
Some of the guests chuckled upon hearing that. After listening to Leia's explanation, they seemed to understand why these men insisted on hitting the gym.
The turn of events at this point must be quite a blow to Matthew's confidence.
With a cheeky smile, Ellie asked Clarissa, "So, are you trying to imply that Uncle Matt can't..."
However, Clarissa gave Ellie a murderous look. The latter instantly kept her mouth shut before she could complete her sentence.
Nevertheless, Ellie was so amused that she could not contain her laughter.
Awkwardness was written all over Clarissa's face. When everyone started bursting into laughter, she immediately ran away and hid in the kitchen.
Wrenna, too, responded with a sweet smile. When she turned around and was about to walk away, she noticed that Damian was observing her from a distance. That intense gaze caused Wrenna's ears to turn red right away. She could only lower her head and stare at the screen of her phone to hide her anxiety. Yet, Damian was so fixated on her that he refused to look away. It was as if he wanted everyone to know that he only had eyes for Wrenna.