Gu Lingfei 1041 Chapter 1041 | [Serenity & Zachary] Lily said with great interest, “I wonder if I’ll have

the chance to get to know Mrs. York.” She had heard of Mr. York before but never had the chance to
meet him in person. Lily thought to herself that the woman who could move Mr. York definitely had
something amazing about her. She could learn a thing or two from the lady about conquering a man. Lily
was twenty-eight years old this year and was currently single. She had a relationship back when she was
eighteen or nineteen but that had been unfruitful. Afterward, she joined her family’s company and
ended up too busy with work, which was why until now, she had no boyfriend. Mrs. Lewis had the
intention to matchmake her and Duncan and both families were in favor of it. Lily was aware of
Duncan’s past as a former gangster and she could accept it. She did not care that he had a scar on his
face either because she felt that as long as she made him fall in love with her, she could make him agree
to undergo minor plastic surgery to remove the scar and recover his good looks. Hearing Lily’s words,
Mrs. Lewis laughed. “You will. Zachary and Duncan are very good friends.” Speaking of this, Mrs. Lewis
lowered her voice and said to Lily, “Although Serenity Hunt’s background isn’t much to speak of, the fact
that she’s Zachary York’s wife is set in stone. It’ll be good for you to get to know her and forge a
connection with her.” She was worried that a proud and strong lady like Lily would look down on
Serenity when the latter was Zachary’s most precious person while Zachary was good friends with
Duncan too. If Lily were to date Duncan, she would inevitably have to join his circle of friends. If Lily
looked down on Serenity, she would offend Zachary and affect his relationship with Duncan. Mrs. Lewis
did not wish for Zachary and Duncan’s relationship to be affected because of Lily. In Wiltspoon, those
who Zachary considered close friends and confidants were limited to her son and Josh Bucham only. Lily
smiled and said, “Mrs. Lewis, I understand. Ladies don’t ask where a person is from. It was Ms. Hunt’s
ability that allowed her to become Mrs. York. I can’t admire her enough, so why would I look down on
her?” Even if Serenity was a beggar, as long as she had won Zachary over, Lily would feel that she was
the best amongst all women and was worth learning something from. She was very capable in terms of
doing business, but when it came to winning men over, Lily felt that she was lacking experience. “It’s
great that you can think that way. Let’s go eat.” Mrs. Lewis affectionately pulled Lily into the dining
room. The moment they stepped into the dining room, they heard Duncan speaking on the phone with
Zachary. A certain Mr. York was currently preparing a dinner filled with love for his esteemed and
beloved wife. Serenity was feeling low and did not want to go out to eat either, so Zachary was
personally doing the cooking himself. Old Mrs. York had not returned and nobody knew where she had
gallivanted to again. In the past, Serenity would be worried about Grandma May, but now, knowing that
the old lady was wandering around to secure wives for her grandsons, Serenity no longer worried about
her and would not ask where she was going. Zachary had told her too that when his nana was young,
she had been the head of intelligence and was very formidable. She only gradually eased into retirement
after marrying Zachary’s grandfather, but many of the past generations still sang her praises. Even now
when the current head of the Buchams and his son, a family specializing in intelligence, met Grandma
May, they were incredibly reverent toward the old lady and viewed her as a maestro in the field.
Serenity continued to sit on the swing as she quietly watched the sky outside turn from light to dark. A
ringing sound came from Zachary’s phone. Zachary stopped what he was doing and picked up the call
after digging out his phone and looking at the caller ID. “Duncan.” “Zachary, for the barbecue at your
family residence tomorrow, don’t forget to prepare extra chicken thighs -they’re my favorite. I haven’t
eaten it in ages and I miss your barbecued chicken thighs a lot.” Chapter 1042 | [Serenity & Zachary]
“When did I say I was going back to the manor tomorrow for a barbeque?” Zachary asked. If Duncan
wanted to have some barbeque, could he not eat somewhere else? Why did it have to be at the manor?
“And squid, lamb, and big prawns. Anyway, I like eating whatever you roast.” Duncan continued talking
to himself about the food as if he did not hear what Zachary said. Zachary proceeded to hang up
immediately after that. Though, Duncan’s words did make him think about the idea. Tomorrow was
Sunday and they did not need to go to work. Plus, he had never brought Serenity to the manor before.
He would do as Duncan said and invite a few friends to the manor for a barbecue. There was indeed a
barbecue area back at the manor. He could even bring Serenity back to stay for a few days and let her
familiarize herself with the surroundings. The beautiful landscape there might cheer her up too. While
the plan brewed in his head, Zachary texted Duncan: [Got it. Call Josh too, and tell him to bring Julian
along if he’s free.] When Duncan received his buddy’s reply, he breathed a sigh of relief. His cover was
nearly blown. Anyway, even if Zachary had not taken the hint, he would have gone to look for Zachary
the next day and clung to his side for the whole day. Duncan readily agreed. After Zachary finished
texting Duncan, he walked out of the kitchen and to the balcony. Serenity looked at him and asked, “Is
dinner ready?” “Almost. Are you hungry? The soup’s ready. Why don’t you have some soup first?” “No, I
don’t have an appetite.” Making the trip back to her hometown struck a chord within her and evoked
memories of the past. Unable to hold back, tears streamed down her face. Even if they had already left,
Serenity was still consumed by her memories. Zachary hunched down to her eye level and reached out
to lightly touch her face. He said softly, “I’ll bring you to Wildridge Manor tomorrow and we could stay
there for a few days. The scenery is stunning and the beauty of nature is well-preserved. Although the
manor was built by man decades ago, it has long since become a part of the landscape. It’s the flowering
season now and the manor has quite a few flower fields. It’s absolutely charming. “Duncan called me
just now and suggested a barbecue. I asked him to invite Josh and his cousin too. We have an area
specifically for barbecuing at the manor. Do you want to invite Ms. Sox, your cousin, and the rest?”
Zachary recalled that Liberty’s diner was going to officially open for business the day after tomorrow and
she would not likely be able to join them for the barbecue. He added, “Tomorrow, first thing in the
morning, we’ll go pick Sonny up. Then we’ll go back and I get Mrs. Lane and Jim to go over and help
Liberty out. That way, she won’t overwork herself.” Serenity quietly looked at him as she listened to his
arrangements. “What do you think, Seren? Your call. If you don’t like it, we can always change the plan.”
Serenity reached out and hugged him. Feeling touched, she said, “Thank you, Zachary! It’s so good to
have you!” When faced with any hardships, he did not give up on her. When she was in a bad mood, he
tried everything he could to cheer her up. This man had changed a lot for her sake. Zachary hugged her
back before gently pulling away and said warmly, “We’re going to be husband and wife for the rest of
our lives, so we should support each other. When I’m sick, you take care of me. When you’re in a bad
mood, I’ll cheer you up.” He took her hand and interlocked their fingers. Their hearts were of one
accord. “When my sister’s diner opens in two days, I’m definitely going over to help. Let’s just stay at the
manor for a night and come back first thing in the morning on the opening day.” Chapter 1043 |
[Serenity & Zachary] Serenity had long learned that the Yorks were not living in Whitmore Mansion, the
residence they stayed in during the New Year’s holidays. The Yorks had cleaned up the place and moved
back in just to deceive her. Lying was hard work! Zachary replied fondly, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.
Anyway, it’s our home. We can go back whenever we want to and stay however long we wish.” Serenity
was about to take the apron off him while saying, “I’ll go make dinner.” “There’s no need. I only have
two more dishes to cook, then I’m done. You should just sit here and appreciate the blooms while I
finish up.” Zachary stopped her, not allowing her to enter the kitchen. Serenity then kissed him on the
cheek. Zachary felt happiness blossom in his heart. He returned to the kitchen to continue cooking with
elation. “Babe.” Serenity knew he liked to hear her call him “babe”. She would indulge him while they
were at home. “You invited Josh and Mr. Lewis to the barbecue but I don’t think that’s enough people.
Why don’t you invite Mr. Johnson too?” “I’ll invite Jasmine and Elisa. I’ll ask Liberty if she wants to come
along.” Zachary’s voice drifted out from the kitchen, “Okay. I’ll call Mr. Johnson in a bit and ask him to
come to the barbecue tomorrow.” Serenity first called her sister. After her sister picked up, she asked,
“Liberty, have you eaten?” “I’m eating right now. I’m still in the shop.” “I just knew you would still go to
the shop.” When they got back from their hometown, it had only been four in the afternoon. Her sister
was currently as busy as a bee and would naturally be unwilling to waste those few hours. Liberty
laughed and asked her sister, “Have you and Zachary eaten?” “He’s cooking right now. Liberty, we’re
going to his family home tomorrow. He’s invited a few friends to come for a barbecue. Do you want to
come with Sonny?” Liberty immediately responded, “I still have a lot of things to do and I’m opening the
day after tomorrow. Although everything is prepared, I still feel like there are a lot of loose ends for me
to tie up. But, I’ve also never been to your in-laws’ home. I really want to visit.” Tania had yet to contact
Liberty and Mrs. Stone. Liberty was still internally a little worried that her sister’s in-laws were
dissatisfied with her sister in some aspect. Tania was still preparing the supplements to be gifted to Alice
as well as gifts for Liberty. She intended to pick a good day to invite Liberty out for a meal for both
families to meet officially and discuss the couple’s wedding. As a result, she had not contacted Liberty
yet. “Zachary will arrange for Mrs. Lane and Jim to go over and help out. If you have anything more you
need to buy, make a list. Once they’re there, you can just hand it over to them to help you buy. Liberty,
let’s go there together then.” “Alright. I’ll bring Sonny with me.” Liberty could not leave the store
behind, but going to the Yorks’ home to meet the parents on behalf of her deceased parents was a little
more important than what she had at hand. Since her brother-in-law had all the bases covered, she
would just hand it over to Mrs. Lane and Jim to handle the store while she would bring her son with her
to the Yorks’ family home. “Seren, Sonny wants to talk to you.” When the little guy found out his aunt
was on the line, he kept tugging at his mother’s sleeve, wanting to talk to her. Liberty handed the phone
to her son and he immediately took the phone and said sweetly, “Aunt Ser.” “Sonny, are you having
dinner? Are you full? What did Mommy cook for you?” Sonny said happily, “It’s not Mom’s cooking. It’s
the food Dad brought Sonny to buy. It’s delicious, but Mom didn’t eat it. Mom’s just eating vegetables.”
Liberty was still trying to lose weight. She would not eat meat during dinnertime and only a little bit of
meat during lunch. “Your dad came again?” That Hank really was clingy and would not leave them alone.
What a family of oddballs. Chapter 1044 | [Serenity & Zachary] “Dad brought Sonny to play in the park.”
Serenity asked him, “Has Dad left already?” “Dad’s gone back already. He said he’ll come again
tomorrow to take me out to play. I wanna go to the zoo and Dad said he would bring me there. Aunt
Ser, do you want to come with me to the zoo tomorrow?” Hank took Sonny out to play for a while and
the little guy was really happy. Now, he only had his father on his mind and kept talking about him.
Serenity laughed and said, “Aunt Ser is going to a barbecue tomorrow. Your mom’s going too. Do you
want to come, Sonny?” Without any hesitation, Sonny replied, “I want to go! Then I’m not going to the
zoo with Dad anymore.” Both the aunt and nephew went back and forth with questions and answers,
happily chatting away. Serenity only ended the call after a long while, then proceeded to call Jasmine
and Elisa, inviting them to go on a road trip to Wildridge Manor together the next day. It was said that
Wildridge Manor was captivating and was a scenic area, but of course, not just anyone could get invited
to Wildridge Manor. “Honey, it’s time to eat,” Zachary called out toward the balcony as he brought the
last two dishes out from the kitchen to place on the dining table. Serenity hurriedly ended her call to
Elisa and got up as she responded to Zachary, turning to walk back into the living area. She walked to the
dining table and saw that her favorite fresh prawns were on tonight’s menu. She reached out to pick one
up and put it into her mouth. “You peeled the prawns.” “Uh-huh. It took a bit of effort.” When she
reached out once more to pick something else to eat, Zachary lightly smacked her hand.” You’re already
an adult but you’re still taking food with your hands.” Serenity giggled and picked another prawn up to
put into her mouth. Only then did she enter the kitchen to grab the utensils and plates. The couple was
just about to sit down and eat when they heard the sound of the door opening. Nana was back. She
smelled the aroma of the food as she entered the house and she asked as she walked over, “Are you
eating dinner? Who cooked? It smells divine!” The old lady naturally entered the kitchen and brought a
set of utensils and tableware out with her as she said, “Guess I’m back right on time for some delicious
food.” “Nana.” Serenity pulled out a chair for the old lady before taking the bowl from her to serve her
some soup. Meanwhile, Zachary helped serve Grandma May some couscous. He would know the usual
amount to scoop for his nana. “You weren’t at home the whole day today. Where did you wander off
to?” Both Zachary and Serenity were attentive and filial, which made the old woman really happy. After
hearing the question, she said, “Zack, can you not use the word ‘wander’? I was off doing some serious
business.” Zachary grabbed a piece of salmon and thoughtfully checked for tiny bones before placing it
onto Grandma May’s plate. “What serious business could you be up to? Aren’t you just devising ways to
fool other families’ precious daughters into marrying your foolish grandsons?” She jabbed-back at
Zachary without mercy, “And was it not all thanks to your nana’s help that you managed to marry
Serenity? “Just my luck to have so many foolish grandsons, one more foolish than the next? They don’t
even know how to get a girl. Do you think it’s easy trying to get good matches for you lot?” “Pfft-”
Serenity could not hold it in anymore and burst into laughter. Only Grandma May had the guts to retort
against Zachary like that. Each of the York family’s sons was a leader among men, but in their nana’s
words, they turned into fools when it came to relationships, and were even outdoing their foolishness
one after another. “Nana, you’re trying to make me die of laughter so you can inherit my flowers, aren’t
you?” Serenity said as she laughed. Grandma May laughed too and she reached out to pat Serenity’s
back. She said, smiling, “Take it easy. Don’t hurt your stomach from laughing.” Chapter 1045 | [Serenity
& Zachary] Zachary helplessly looked at the two women. Once Serenity was done laughing, he said,
“Honey, have some soup first.” Serenity said in relief, “Luckily, I wasn’t drinking soup earlier, or else I
might have spat it out.” “Dig in.” Grandma May laughed as she scooped from a dish she liked. After
tasting it, she frowned and said, ” Seren, these weren’t cooked by you, were they? It tastes a little
different from before.” “Does it taste bad?” Zachary asked. “If you think it tastes bad, I’ll call Kevin right
now and get him to pick you up so you can go to the hotel and eat all the delicacies there since my
homecooked food isn’t to your taste.” “Such a belligerent tone. It must be Zachary’s cooking.” Grandma
May continued to eat as if nothing had happened and said to Serenity, “Seren, Zack’s cooking hasn’t
improved much. You should let him practice more. Let him cook on the weekends and prepare all your
meals. With more opportunities to practice, his cooking will get better.” Zachary’s expression was dark.
“Nana, you’re insulting me yet you’re eating my food at the same time.” “You never used to cook. If it
weren’t for Seren’s influence, I wouldn’t be able to eat your cooking either. I definitely have to eat more
now that I have the chance to. Although they don’t taste five-star, they’re still palatable-I won’t die, at
least.” Zachary was speechless. “Nana, we’re going for a barbecue tomorrow.” Serenity changed the
topic so they would stop bickering. “You young’uns can go ahead. I’m a bag of old bones with no teeth.
How could I eat barbecue?” Grandma May did not want to be the third wheel. Right now, she was trying
to scope out a good match for Dylan York, but she still did not have anyone in mind yet. Sigh… She had
too many half-witted grandsons that she even had to worry about their marriages. “We’re going back to
Wildridge Manor for the barbecue.” Zachary added, “Liberty is going too.” Grandma May hummed in
acknowledgment and said, “Liberty’s going too? Then Nana will follow you guys back to join in on the
fun. You should call your mom and dad later so they can make preparations. Liberty is young, but she
represents the elders in Seren’s maiden family.” “Got it.” Serenity was deeply moved as she listened to
their conversation. Her in-laws did not look down on her family just because her pedigree did not match
up with Zachary’s. This was a show of respect for and recognition of her. Since the small gathering the
next day was essentially a meeting of the parents, Grandma May got Serenity to call Mrs. Stone and
invite her and her husband to come along too. Duncan did not expect his act of dragging Zachary out as
a shield would turn into a family meeting between the elders of Hunts and Yorks. Liberty had met
everyone in the York family before, but she had never been to the real York family home. Therefore,
Grandma May attached great importance to this visit and she specially called Liam and Tania to make
sure they made ample preparations. Grandma May even tagged everyone in the family group chat. As
long as they were in Wiltspoon, they had to return to Wildridge Manor tomorrow. After dinner,
Grandma May urged the young couple to go out for a walk. Zachary complained, “The wind is too strong
outside.” Grandma May glared at him. “Don’t you know how to layer up? No matter how strong the
wind is, if you’re heavy enough, can it blow you away?” Zachary was struck speechless. Was he heavy
enough? Had he gotten fat? No way. Seren said he had lost weight and her heart ached to see it.
Chapter 1046 | [Serenity & Zachary] It was after Zachary had lost weight and started having gastric
problems again that Serenity felt pity for him and that was how their relationship got better. Thus, his
deception and concealment of his identity had come and gone with the wind. Serenity came out of the
bedroom with a jacket on and she had helped grab one for Zachary too. “It’s really windy tonight and
the spring chill is still lingering. You should put on a jacket before we go out.” Serenity walked over and
thoughtfully helped Zachary put on his jacket. His face was full of smiles. Grandma May looked away,
unwilling to look at her silly grandson. The couple left for their walk, hand in hand. Meanwhile at the
Browns’ rented house, Mrs. Brown came to the door. She was anticipating greeting her son when she
heard the door open. Once she saw that it was really Hank, she asked in concern, “How was it? Was it
open? Where did Liberty bring Sonny? Did she hide with Sonny somewhere else because we kept
disturbing her?” Mrs. Brown was hoping that her son would separate from the Yates woman and
remarry Liberty, but she knew deep down that was a slim chance. So, Sonny had become the one thing
she was most afraid of losing. If Liberty went into hiding with Sonny, where would they go to look for
them? Hank first asked quietly, “Mom, is Jessica home?” “She’s gone out to buy some takeout. I asked
her to cook, but she said there were too few ingredients in the fridge and decided to pack some food
home. She can’t make concessions at all. Now that the two of you are unemployed and your sources of
income are gone, she still doesn’t know how to cut back on spending.” Mrs. Brown was extremely
displeased with her new daughter-in-law. Hank breathed a sigh of relief and after entering the house, he
first went to take a look at the kitchen. Other than vegetables, there were only three eggs left in the
fridge. Indeed, the ingredients left in the fridge were too few. “Mom, you and Dad do nothing at home
all day but you don’t even help by doing groceries at the market. Even I can’t stand eating just
vegetables and eggs every day, let alone Jessica.” As long as it was his parents doing the cooking, the
food would only consist of a plate of plain lettuce and three boiled eggs. Yes, just three boiled eggs-one
for him and one for his parents each. Jessica had no share of it. Jessica could tolerate it once or twice,
but after many times of this happening, Jessica could no longer endure it. “We’re just helping you save
money.” Mrs. Brown answered as if it was a matter of course. “You guys still have to renovate the house
and holding a wedding needs money too. Why don’t you discuss it with the Yates woman and call off the
wedding? You guys have already registered your marriage anyway and the wedding gift has been given
to her parents. “We’re all one family now anyway, so why hold a wedding? It’s a waste of money and it’s
your second marriage. There’s no real need to have another wedding.” Hank came out of the kitchen
and uncompromisingly said, “I promised Jessica to hold a grand wedding for her. I can’t disappoint her.
This is my second marriage, but it is her first. Women mostly only wear the wedding dress once in their
whole life.” He had no way of resolving his mother’s resentment for Jessica, but he would not yield on
the things he had decided to stand firm on. He still had some money left. The money he provided Jessica
with for the renovations and for holding the reception only made up half of his savings. After having lost
his job as punishment by Zachary, who knew when he would be able to find a job next? How could he
dare spend all his money? He mentioned to Jessica that the marital home needed renovations and that
they should furnish it simply because they only had that bit of money. If Jessica wanted to furnish it with
classier stuff, she would have to fork out the money herself. “If you had been as thoughtful toward
Liberty back then, my grandson wouldn’t have left my side either. Hurry up and tell me-did Liberty hide
away with Sonny?” Hank walked to the sofa to sit down, asking, “Where’s Dad?” “He’s playing chess at
the opposite neighbor’s. He’s having a good time-he doesn’t seem to be worried about anything.”
“Liberty did not hide away with Sonny. Maybe she closed the shop because they had something urgent
came up. I brought Sonny to the park to play for a while. Sonny’s very happy.” “That’s good then.” Mrs.
Brown sighed in relief. Then, she continued, “You need to spend more time with Sonny to nurture your
relationship with him. Or else, you’ll feel frustrated when he calls someone else ‘dad’.” Chapter 1047 |
[Serenity & Zachary] Without realizing it, Hank had become his sister’s enabler for many years. Mrs.
Brown was at a loss for words. The door opened. Hank dropped the conversation with his mother,
guessing that Jessica had come home. As expected, when the door opened, Jessica walked in with two
portions of fast food. “Darling, you’re back. You’re right on time-let’s eat. I got two set meals for us.”
Jessica walked over, carrying the two set meals. She sat down beside Hank and opened a bag to take out
one set meal and passed it to Hank. Then, she placed her portion on the coffee table, opened the fast
food cover, and began to eat. Hank looked at his mother, then looked at Jessica, and asked, “Darling, did
you only get two sets? What about Mom and Dad?” Jessica said as she ate, “I didn’t buy any for them.
They can cook whatever they want. There are still two packets of instant noodles at home-enough for
them to have one each. And there still are three eggs, enough for the three of you to have one each.”
When her in-laws cooked, they would cook very little. When her mother-in-law served them, she would
serve her father-in-law and Hank a large portion. Mrs. Brown would then serve herself a large portion
too, but would never serve her a portion. When Jessica went to help herself, there would only be a little
left in the pot. Her mother-in-law did it on purpose. Every time Jessica ate at home, her mother-in-law
would deliberately not buy groceries, and even if she did buy some, she would buy food that Jessica
disliked. Even when she just prepared a plate of plain lettuce and three boiled eggs, it would be just
enough for the three of them and there was no share for Jessica as the daughter-in-law. If it were not
for Hank still on her side, giving her half his share of food and even his boiled egg to her to eat, Jessica
would have found it impossible to stay in this house. The more they interacted, the more Jessica
understood why Liberty had thanked her after getting divorced. Since they had started it, she would
respond in kind. That was why she only bought a set for Hank when ordering takeout. As for her in-laws-
nothing! Mrs. Brown was so angry her chest started hurting and she pointed at someone who was
eating with gusto while she herself was on the brink of letting loose a stream of abuse. “Mom, I’ll give
you my share. I’ll have instant noodles-I haven’t eaten them in a long time and I want to have some.”
Hank hurriedly shoved his set meal into his mother’s hands to avoid another conflict erupting between
his mother and wife. Mrs. Brown’s heart ached for her son and she slammed the set meal down on the
coffee table heavily. She stood up and said angrily, “Do you think I can’t afford a fast food set meal? I
have a pension too! Son, let’s go. Call your dad up. We’re going to a restaurant!” Jessica turned to look
at Hank. Hank immediately surrendered and chose his wife. He said to his mother, “Mom, you go with
Dad.” Mrs. Brown’s chest hurt with anger once again but finally left in a huff. The family battle had a
temporary ceasefire. Chapter 1048 | [Serenity & Zachary] Without realizing it, Hank had become his
sister’s enabler for many years. Mrs. Brown was at a loss for words. The door opened. Hank dropped the
conversation with his mother, guessing that Jessica had come home. As expected, when the door
opened, Jessica walked in with two portions of fast food. “Darling, you’re back. You’re right on time-let’s
eat. I got two set meals for us.” Jessica walked over, carrying the two set meals. She sat down beside
Hank and opened a bag to take out one set meal and passed it to Hank. Then, she placed her portion on
the coffee table, opened the fast food cover, and began to eat. Hank looked at his mother, then looked
at Jessica, and asked, “Darling, did you only get two sets? What about Mom and Dad?” Jessica said as
she ate, “I didn’t buy any for them. They can cook whatever they want. There are still two packets of
instant noodles at home-enough for them to have one each. And there still are three eggs, enough for
the three of you to have one each.” When her in-laws cooked, they would cook very little. When her
mother-in-law served them, she would serve her father-in-law and Hank a large portion. Mrs. Brown
would then serve herself a large portion too, but would never serve her a portion. When Jessica went to
help herself, there would only be a little left in the pot. Her mother-in-law did it on purpose. Every time
Jessica ate at home, her mother-in-law would deliberately not buy groceries, and even if she did buy
some, she would buy food that Jessica disliked. Even when she just prepared a plate of plain lettuce and
three boiled eggs, it would be just enough for the three of them and there was no share for Jessica as
the daughter-in-law. If it were not for Hank still on her side, giving her half his share of food and even his
boiled egg to her to eat, Jessica would have found it impossible to stay in this house. The more they
interacted, the more Jessica understood why Liberty had thanked her after getting divorced. Since they
had started it, she would respond in kind. That was why she only bought a set for Hank when ordering
takeout. As for her in-laws- nothing! Mrs. Brown was so angry her chest started hurting and she pointed
at someone who was eating with gusto while she herself was on the brink of letting loose a stream of
abuse. “Mom, I’ll give you my share. I’ll have instant noodles-I haven’t eaten them in a long time and I
want to have some.” Hank hurriedly shoved his set meal into his mother’s hands to avoid another
conflict erupting between his mother and wife. Mrs. Brown’s heart ached for her son and she slammed
the set meal down on the coffee table heavily. She stood up and said angrily, “Do you think I can’t afford
a fast food set meal? I have a pension too! Son, let’s go. Call your dad up. We’re going to a restaurant!”
Jessica turned to look at Hank. Hank immediately surrendered and chose his wife. He said to his mother,
“Mom, you go with Dad.” Mrs. Brown’s chest hurt with anger once again but finally left in a huff. The
family battle had a temporary ceasefire. Chapter 1049 | [Serenity & Zachary] The first thing the next
morning, Duncan got up anxiously. He got changed and went out the door after washing up without
even eating breakfast. He was terrified that his mother would shove Lily on him and make him
accompany her everywhere. In the face of a mother who was always urging him to get married, the best
policy was to leave. Truth be told, Duncan could understand where his mother was coming from since
he was already thirty- six, after all, and not twenty-six. His eldest nephew was about to get married too
while as the youngest uncle, he still had no girlfriend. How could his mother not be worried then? The
result of escaping to Brynfield so early in the morning and calling Zachary at the entrance to the
neighborhood was- “Go away!” Zachary was still lying on his bed with his wife in his arms. When he
received the call from his good friend, with a dark expression, he bluntly replied Duncan with those two
words. “Why are you so fierce? Considering our many years of friendship, what’s the big deal about me
coming over to your place to have breakfast?” “Bro. What time is it now? You came over so early! You
came over without even eating breakfast, is there a tiger in your house that wants to eat you?” Zachary
replied Duncan hotly. He had not planned to cook today and had specially asked Kevin to bring breakfast
from the hotel since it would have been on the way as Kevin was heading back to the manor too. If Kevin
could hear Zachary’s thoughts, he would have said that it was not on the way at all and that because his
eldest cousin had asked for it, his route had to become “on the way”. Duncan took a look at the time
and said, “It’s almost seven. I decided I would come for breakfast so naturally, I came earlier. “Zachary,
you’re a psychic. There really is a tiger at home-a tigress, in fact. I’m afraid I’ll be consumed until no
bones are left, so I came to your place to escape. You’re my best shield, you know.” Zachary was
speechless. When it came to Duncan who always spoke the truth, Zachary had no way of countering
him. When Serenity woke up and opened her eyes to see her man was still lying beside her, but had an
inexplicable expression on his face, she asked, “Babe, who is it?” “A refugee,” Zachary said as he hung
up on Duncan. A refugee? Serenity did not respond for a moment. She asked curiously. “Who’s the
refugee?” “Who else could it be, other than Duncan? Josh has Ms. Sox now, so he no longer needs to
take refuge away from home.” Serenity blinked as understanding dawned on her. She laughed and said,
“Are the Lewises aggressively nagging him to get married?” “I think Mrs. Lewis must have invited some
rich young lady who she has set her sights on to become her daughter-in-law to stay at their house and
Duncan doesn’t like it. That’s why he fled here to come and use me as a shield.” Serenity sat up and
hugged her husband in sympathy, but her face showed amusement. “Mr. Lewis is thirty-six this year,
isn’t he? You can’t blame his family for being anxious about him. If it were me and I had a son that old
who was still unmarried, I’d be anxious too. “What time is it now?” Serenity asked as she picked up her
phone to look at the time. “It’s time to get up and make breakfast.” As she said that, she lifted the
covers to get out of bed. Zachary hugged her and pulled her back, falling back onto the bed together.
“There’s no need to make breakfast today. I’ve asked Kevin to bring a few servings of breakfast with him
when he passes by here before he leaves for the manor.” “When did you ask him?” “While you were
asleep.” Zachary indulged in her presence as he hugged her. “Let’s lie back down for a while. It’s fine
even if you can’t sleep. I’ll be extremely happy if I can just hug you like this.” Serenity smacked his big,
unbridled hands away. Liar. It would be weirder if she believed him. Men’s words while in bed could not
be trusted. Chapter 1050 | [Serenity & Zachary] “Mr. Lewis is already here. Hurry up, get up, and go
outside to bring him in,” Serenity said as she once again got out of bed. Zachary tried to pull her back
onto the bed once more, but she expertly dodged him. As he watched her walk to her wardrobe to take
some clothes, he said, “It’s not like I asked him to come over and wait. He wanted to come over, so just
let him wait. Once Kevin is here, we can get Jim to go out and lead them both in to save Jim from making
the trip twice.” Serenity picked out the clothes she was going to change into and also grabbed a suit for
Zachary “I’m on leave, so I’m not wearing a suit.” Serenity turned back, holding the suit, and very quickly
grabbed a different set of clothes for him to change into. She walked into the bathroom to change, and
Zachary said to his wife’s receding back as he held his clothes, “Honey, we’re already an old married
couple. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about changing in the same room.” Serenity could not be
bothered to respond. In private, that pervert’s words became increasingly provocative and flirtatious.
Some things really were just in a man’s nature and did not need to be taught for him to know it. When
Serenity exited the bathroom, Zachary was still sitting topless on the bed. Seeing her come out, he
spread his arms and a smile bloomed on his handsome face. “Honey, wanna hug.” Serenity was
speechless. She walked over and snatched away the shirt he held in his hands. Then she pulled him up
and helped him put it on as she said, “If you get a cold because you didn’t put your shirt on, I’ll make you
get jabs every day and suffer from the pain!” Zachary dropped his smile and complained, “Honey, am I
not at all charming? You’re actually not moved at all. Are you not going to count how many packs I
have?” “We’re already an old married couple. How could I not know what your body looks like? If you
want to show it off, you can wait until summer arrives and then show it off. What’s the point of showing
off your body now? If you catch a cold, it’ll get all twisted. That’s what you’ll get if you try to look cool
and not keep yourself warm. After buttoning his shirt, Serenity stood on her tiptoes to whisper
something into his ears. Nobody knew what she said but a certain Mr. York was all smiles and hugged
Serenity tightly before he returned to his usual serious gentlemanly image. “Honey, you’re a rotten egg
if you’re lying to me.” “Fine, fine, I’m a rotten egg if I’m lying to you. A person can’t turn into a rotten
egg after lying anyway- aren’t you still human after lying to me for months?” Cat got Zachary’s tongue
immediately. He was overwhelmed with guilt. After dawdling for about another ten minutes, the couple
came out of their bedroom. Grandma May had already gotten up and was doing yoga on the balcony.
Serenity asked the man beside her in a whisper, “Nana does yoga?” “She’s constantly wandering about
outside. Sometimes, she’ll go to the park to brag with people of the same age, so she picked a few things
up that way.” Grandma May’s ears were vigilant and she replied to her grandson, “I go to the park often
to brag to my peers about my nine grandsons. Other than my youngest two who are still studying, my
other seven grandsons are all outstanding. They’re handsome, rich, filial, and loyal.” Zachary was lost for
words. Could he say that Grandma May was actually bragging? “When I praise you, it’s like you’re deaf.
But when I say something negative about you, your hearing is suddenly very sharp.” Grandma May
stopped her yoga flow and added, “That’s because when you praise me, my hearing isn’t very good and I
can’t hear clearly, so I want you to praise me more and louder. When you scold me, my hearing’s great
so I don’t miss a thing.” Zachary pursed his lips. Forget it. He could never win against his Nana. Young
people should not stubbornly argue with their elders. He should respect his elders and care for the
young, after all. Grandma May asked as she walked in, “Zack, are you not making breakfast today? I
wanted to freeload on Serenity’s privilege and taste your cooking again.”

Gu Lingfei 1061 Chapter 1061 | [Serenity & Zachary] “In the end, Cupid had to come down to Earth to
clean up his apprentice’s mess and bring together the man and woman who were fated to be a couple.
The show felt so magical when I first watched it. I was young and didn’t understand love, but the idea of
bringing two people together by shooting them with arrows seemed really interesting.” Zachary asked,
“Was there a TV show like that? I don’t remember seeing it. I rarely have time to watch TV He was the
successor of the company and had to learn more than his peers since his childhood. He received all kinds
of training and education, so of course he did not have time to watch TV. “When my parents were still
alive, I often watched TV shows with them. TVs back then were still in black and white. “After my
parents passed away, my sister and I were on our own. We had to focus on studying and didn’t have
time to watch TV for several years. We only watched a few shows occasionally after we started working
and had time.” Zachary held her hand tightly. “In the future, I’ll accompany you to watch any TV series
you want.” Serenity leaned her head on his shoulder but quickly straightened up again. There were
many people around, so it was not an appropriate time to be lovey-dovey As they strolled and chatted,
the journey felt shorter, and they soon arrived at the barbecue site in the villa Sam finished arranging
everything, so there were no more preparations needed to be done after they arrived at the site. The
men wanted to show off, so they manned the grill while the women ate When the other young masters
of the York family saw Zachary’s table full of couples, they silently moved to another grill some distance
away. They did not want to be too close to the couples since it was easy for them to feel envious Kevin
placed a plate of grilled lamb skewers on the table and said to Callum, “Are you envious?” “Save the
chit-chat. If you are, then do as Nana says. Our family also has hotels in Jensburg. Go on a business trip
and see your future wife.” Kevin snatched the chicken wing from Callum’s hand and said, “If you want to
eat, you can grill it yourself” He did not want Hayden! She was a tomboy! She looked even more
handsome as a man than he did! More importantly, he inquired about Hayden privately and found out
that her reputation in Jensburg was just as grand as Zachary’s. Hayden was definitely a tough bone to
crack Kevin felt that his bones would break first Callum wanted to eat the other grilled food, but Kevin
took the plate away and did not let him eat “I said one sentence, but you’re not letting me eat anymore.
“Don’t be so petty, Kevin. You won’t suffer by listening to Nana. In fact, you’ll suffer more if you don’t
listen to her.” Kevin snapped, “You’re not listening to her either.” Callum was speechless and thought,
‘Well, better you than me.” Chapter 1062 | [Serenity & Zachary] Serenity watched her brothers-in-law
bickering and felt envious. The brothers and uncles of the York family were harmonious, unlike the Hunt
family where everyone was trying to plot against another. “Elisa, what did you say you wanted to invest
in?” Serenity remembered about the investment and asked Elisa about it while eating the barbecue
seafood platter her man specially prepared for her. Jasmine also pricked her ears to listen. She also felt
some pressure now because of Josh. When she saw how her best friend was trying so hard to improve
herself in order to shorten the gap between Zachary and her, Jasmine did not want to stand idly by
anymore. “All the industries are saturated now, so it’s hard for us to compete with others. When I
accompanied you back to your hometown yesterday, I saw the fields in your village were basically
deserted.” Serenity nodded. “Many of them are abandoned. The young people leave the village to work,
so only the elderly and children are left at home. However, they can’t do any work, so the fields end up
that way” Her family’s fields which she had seen from afar were also left aside. Well, her relatives in the
village were considered rich, so they could live a better life than everyone else without needing to farm.
“I was thinking, how about we arrange for a person to rent all the barren fields there, and then plant
grass and vegetables? Of course, we don’t have to manage it ourselves. We’ll hire someone to take care
of it instead. I’m afraid your relatives will sabotage the fields if we show up “If we succeed in planting
them, we won’t have to worry about the market. Villa areas and urban greening need grass, which is
what we’ll be planting specifically. We can also plant vegetables and fruits. “Stone Group and York
Corporation have many hotels under their banner, and they need a large number of fruits and
vegetables every day. Of course, our goal is to sell to other hotels. We’re not trying to earn. money from
our own families. “School cafeterias, large factory canteens, and the likes also need a large number of
fruits and vegetables every day. Although the competition in this field is also very fierce, I think we’ll
have a slight advantage over others. I saw a lot of deserted fields along the road you took to your
hometown. I believe the villagers will be more than happy to rent the fields to us. Earning some income
from the rent is better than leaving them untouched.” Serenity laughed. “I’m from the countryside, but I
never thought of using the fields in the village to make money. You’re good at thinking outside the box,
Elisa. There are too few people still farming in the village, mainly because the fields are scattered, and
each family only has one or two acres of land. They only harvest just enough to feed their own families,
so they can’t earn much money ” Serenity thought Elisa would open a store selling luxury goods, start a
beauty salon, or something along those lines. She did not expect Elisa to aim at the barren fields in the
countryside. Elisa continued, I’ve made some calculations and think that this investment is profitable.
We won’t go that far We’ll just plant grass, fruits, and vegetables on the fields we contract in
Wiltspoon’s countryside. so we’ll save a little on transportation costs. We won’t profit much if we ship
between borders due to the larger costs I don’t think it’s necessary to worry about marketing as long as
our quality is good. If you think the prospects are good, we can start working. I’ll draft a plan and
calculate the cost of the various aspects we need to invest in. I’ll ask Clive’s secretary to handle the issue
of renting the fields since no one in your hometown knows him.” Serenity said, “Go to the village chief.
He will consult the opinions of the villagers and then sign the contract.” Elisa nodded. Liberty
interjected, “My breakfast diner also needs fruits and vegetables every day. If you guys succeed, I’ll sign
a long-term partnership with you.” She had just started her own business, but she was ambitious and
hoped to eventually open a large restaurant. When her business grew, her supply of ingredients would
increase as well. Elisa smiled. “Thank you for your support, Liberty, but I prefer to earn other people’s
money. Earning money from one’s own family is only something a person would do when they’re at the
end of their rope.” If a person did business with their own family, they would be called heartless if the
prices were high. If the prices were low, they would end up losing money instead. Either way, it was a
lose-lose situation. Chapter 1063 | [Serenity & Zachary] Liberty thought about it and said, “You’re right.
Elisa, your way of thinking is much better than ours. You should learn more from Elisa, Seren.” The Hunt
sisters were motivated and ambitious, but they might not be as good as Elisa when it came to investing
and making money. After all, Elisa came from a family who ran their own business, so she at least had
some experience. Elisa blushed and laughed, I only thought of renting the fields to plant fruits and
vegetables after I saw so many fields deserted on the way back to your hometown. I talked to Clive, and
he said that it’s feasible. He said that no matter what project we invest in, project that makes us money
is a good project. He suggested we give it a try.” Elisa added confidently. “Let’s just give it a go. It’ll be
good if we can profit, but if we fail, it’ll be a learning experience. In any case, I’m not short of money.
“Seren, mention it to Zachary later at night. If he thinks it’s worth a try, then we’ll go for it. He’s very
discerning when it comes to investing in projects.” Ever since Zachary took over York Corporation, every
project he invested in was a hit and turned into a profit Elisa often heard Clive talk about Zachary’s
achievements at home. Clive only stopped mentioning Zachary after she fell in love with him. “Sure
Serenity agreed easily. In fact, the men had sharp ears. They heard the women discussing investing in
fields in the village and planting grass as well as fruits and vegetables. Although they did not speak, all of
them felt that Elisa had good insight. In Elisa’s words, all industries were saturated now, so it was
difficult for newcomers to make a living. The competition in the field they were investing in was also
fierce, but Elisa and Serenity had an advantage with their status. They would have an easier time than
others if they went around to discuss business partnerships with their peers. If that did not work, they
could supply their families’ hotels. That was why the men felt that Elisa’s idea was worth a try. Zachary
did not plan to help. Serenity was an independent woman, so she would not want him to help unless she
asked for it. She would not feel a sense of accomplishment if he did. Since she wanted to work by
herself, he would support her. It would be good if she could earn money. If she failed, she could just stay
at home as the missus of the York family and spend his money. Remy recalled that the branch company
he managed had a cafeteria. Although it was just a branch company, there were still thousands of
employees working there, so the cafeteria needed a large number of fruits and vegetables every day. He
wondered if Elisa would notice his company and come to talk to him about a business partnership Of
course, he did not personally manage the cafeteria. However, if Elisa came to him, he would spare some
time to manage the cafeteria himself. The ladies chatted about investment while eating the barbecue,
and soon, everyone was stuffed. Elisa hugged Sonny and rubbed his round tummy, laughing, “We got so
carried away talking that we didn’t pay attention to this little guy. Look, his tummy is so round now. Let’s
take a break and go on a stroll to help with digestion.” Serenity reached out and touched her nephew’s
stomach. She asked with a smile, “Do you feel uncomfortable, Sonny?” Sonny shook his head. “Nope. I
stopped eating when I got full. I gave the food I couldn’t finish to Dunc.” Everyone looked at Duncan.
Duncan said matter-of-factly, I didn’t want to waste food we spent so much effort to grill.” In fact, the
food that Sonny gave him was food that he had not touched yet. The little boy was very smart He was
afraid that Duncan would be disgusted, so he did not give Duncan the food that he ate halfway Duncan
felt that Sonny had a bright future ahead of him. He was just three years old, but he was so clever and
sensible. Furthermore, he was adorable. How he wished that Sonny was his son. Chapter 1064 |
[Serenity & Zachary] “I gave Dunc all the food I haven’t touched,” the little boy explained. Thus, the
others did not find it strange. “Let’s take a break. We’ll have some free time to ourselves.” Zachary
spoke to the group. He wanted to bring his beloved wife on a stroll around their home alone. The group
smiled in understanding. After a short rest, Zachary took Serenity away from the barbecue site. Til take
you to the garden to see the flowers. The flowers are in bloom now” Serenity did not refuse. She was
not familiar with the place and did not know where the scenery was good, so she followed wherever he
brought her to The spring breeze caressed her face, and Serenity could not help but close her eyes and
enjoy the wind The air here is better than in the city.” Zachary smiled “Of course it is. It’s very quiet here
too. It’s too bad Liberty’s store is opening tomorrow, or we could stay here for a few more days so you
can get more familiar with your new home.” “I’ll be living in my home for the rest of my life. There’s
more than enough time for me to familiarize myself with this place, so there’s no rush. The most
important thing now is to help my sister stabilize her business first.” Zachary was very happy with what
she said. Yes, this was her home. It was their home. They would live here for the rest of their lives. “But
the manor is huge. I would get lost if I had to wander by myself without you leading me.” “It’s easy to
get lost in an unfamiliar environment. The layout of the manor is built somewhat like a maze. If a
newcomer doesn’t have someone to lead them, they might wander around lost for three days. Serenity
was stunned. “Seriously? Thank goodness you’re around to lead me. I’d be embarrassed if I got lost here
for three days.” Zachary laughed. “How would I let you walk alone? Of course I’ll show you around and
let you familiarize yourself with the place. It’s the first time I’ve taken a woman on a stroll around my
family’s villa.” “What an honor.” “No, it’s my honor to serve you.” The couple looked at each other and
grinned. Zachary could not help but stop and wrap his arms around his beloved wife. He said huskily,
“Honey, let me charge you a service fee, okay? I got excited when I saw how spirited you looked when
you were talking to Elisa about investment.” Serenity first looked around to make sure no one was
around, then she boldly kissed him. After the lingering kiss, Zachary laced his hands with hers again and
walked forward with their fingers interlocked. He was in a good mood, so the scenery on the sides of the
path looked particularly beautiful. After walking for ten minutes, they entered the garden. Serenity felt
like she fell into a sea of flowers. She took her time in the garden and took many pictures. Finally, she
entered the greenhouse. As the gardener introduced the plants, Serenity suddenly realized that not only
were the many flowers she kept on her balcony the same variety as the ones in the greenhouse, even
the flower pots were identical. The gardener who was in charge of managing the flora in the manor
bought the flower pots wholesale, resulting in many of them sharing the same design. Chapter 1065 |
[Serenity & Zachary] “What’s wrong?” Zachary saw Serenity staring at the flower pots and said warmly,
“If you like them, let’s take a few pots back and keep them on the balcony.” “Zachary.” Serenity turned
to him and asked, “Back then, I asked you to buy flowers from the florist. Did you buy them at the flower
shop or have they been sent over from here?” There was no need to hide the truth anymore, so Zachary
admitted honestly, “I called Sam and asked him to arrange for someone to send some potted flowers
over. I know you like large flowers with complicated petals, so I specifically asked them to pick those
flowers and send them over.” “No wonder I always felt that the flowers you bought were more beautiful
than the ones I bought. It’s because they’re a variety carefully cultivated by your gardener.” The flowers
here were much better than the ones found in flower shops. “Are you angry, honey?” “What’s there to
be angry about? The time to be angry has already passed.” Zachary stood in front of the gardener and
wrapped an arm around Serenity’s shoulder, turning her to walk out of the greenhouse. He deliberately
lowered his voice, probably because he did not want the gardener to hear his words. “I was terrified
back then, I was so afraid that I’d lose you.” Serenity pinched his face and let him go. “The house
appliances I told you to buy were probably also sent by Sam, weren’t they?” “Yes, Sam sent the
appliances over when you weren’t at home.” Serenity laughed wryly. “It must have been really hard on
you when you were lying to me.” “I promise I won’t lie to you again in the future. I really had a tough
time. I had to rack my brains to keep covering my tracks, but the lies only snowballed.” “I thought you
lied so much that it became your nature.” Zachary let out a low chuckle. In the end, his lies really
became natural Wildridge Manor was enormous. Due to time constraints, the eldest missus of the York
family, could not finish strolling around the manor on her first visit. Liberty’s breakfast diner would be
opening tomorrow, so the lady herself declined the York family’s offer for her to stay Liberty once again
got into Duncan’s car and left the manor to return to the city. Serenity and Zachary stayed at the manor
for the night. Like Liberty, Elisa and the others left after having dinner. Duncan chauffeured Liberty and
her son back to the city and straight to Liberty’s rented place. Sonny spent the afternoon playing at the
children’s playground in the manor, so he was tired. He fell asleep nestled in his mother’s arms as soon
as they got into the car. “Do you want me to walk you upstairs? Duncan turned his head around to ask.
When he saw that Sonny was asleep, he hurriedly got out of the car to help open Liberty’s door He was
just about to take Sonny from her arms “No, it’s quite late You should go back and rest early, Mr. Lewis ”
Liberty did not give her son to Duncan to carry She got out of the car with Sonny in her arms and politely
declined Duncan’s offer to take her upstairs. Duncan did not force it and said, “All right. You rest early
too.” After thanking him. Liberty carried her son, walked into the building, and went upstairs under
Duncan’s watchful eyes Duncan stood there for a while before getting into his car and driving away He
wanted to go back to his villa, but when he was halfway there, he received a call from his mother asking
him to come home “Mom, it’ll be inconvenient for me to go to work every day if I go home.” He knew
what his mother was planning Chapter 1066 | [Serenity & Zachary] His mother wanted him to come
home so he and Lily had a chance to cultivate a relationship. Duncan did not have a bad impression of
Lily, but he did not like her either. “What’s inconvenient about that? You drive to work anyway, and no
one will say anything even if you’re late since you’re the boss. There’s a guest at home now, so you have
to stay home for a few days.” “Mom, I’m tired after being out and about today. I’m driving now so it’s
not convenient for me to talk to you. I’ll hang up now.” Duncan did not directly reject his mother’s
request and found an excuse to hang up the phone. After the call ended, Mrs. Lewis said helplessly to
her husband, “I’m afraid your youngest son will be single for the rest of his life. Lily is a great girl who
doesn’t mind his scarred face, but he’s not even willing to spend some time with her.” Mr. Lewis said
faintly. “You’re too hasty and obvious in your motive. You’ve arranged several blind dates for Duncan,
and he has developed an aversion to blind dates. He doesn’t like to be controlled by us. “Just leave him
be. If he’s destined to remain single, it’s useless even if you arrange hundreds of blind dates for him. If
he’s destined to meet someone, then he’ll meet that person and fall in love without you meddling
“Whatever will be, will be ” Mrs. Lewis twisted her husband’s arm in anger and scolded him, “It’s
because of a father like you that your son is still a bachelor at the age of thirty-six!” Mr. Lewis did not get
angry at being scolded “The younger generation will do all right on their own. What’s the point of
agonizing over them? I’m not worried about them. They all have their own destiny. Let nature take its
course.” After saying that, he pulled up the quilt to cover his head lest his wife pinched him again. The
night passed without a word. The next day was the opening day of All You Can Eat. Serenity and Mrs.
Lane arrived at the store early in the morning, where Liberty had already started working “Liberty, is the
ribbon for the ribbon-cutting ceremony ready?” Having a ribbon-cutting ceremony was an important
ritual before opening a new store. Yes, Serenity admitted that they were slightly superstitious. There
was also a ribbon-cutting ceremony when she first opened the bookstore with Jasmine. “Everything is
ready.” Liberty had gotten up at three in the morning to work. She was in good spirits now. People
would be in high spirits being involved in happy events. This was her first time opening a store. Serenity
helped her sister set up the ribbon for the opening ceremony later. Zachary, who accompanied her,
could not help because he had no experience in such a thing. He could only sit aside and help his sister-
in-law take care of Sonny. Sonny was still asleep, but Liberty did not dare leave him alone in the rented
apartment. She carried her son on her back and came over at three o’clock. When the ribbon-cutting
ceremony was done, they popped the confetti. “I can’t believe I’m late.” Duncan sent several flower
stands over. When he saw the confetti on the ground, he helped Liberty arrange the flower stands and
said with a smile, 1 set an alarm, but I was still late.” “Liberty came over in the wee hours to start
preparing, but you only arrived after dawn. Of course you’re too late.” Zachary as a matter of factly
handed over the still-asleep Sonny to Duncan. He had been holding Sonny for more than an hour, so it
was time to let Duncan hold him. Duncan carried Sonny. “He didn’t wake up when they popped the
confetti?” “He’s sleeping deeply after exhausting himself from too much fun yesterday.” Liberty
welcomed Duncan into the store and wanted to carry her son, but Duncan said, “Don’t you need to cook
breakfast for me? I’m your first customer, right? Let me hold Sonny. I want to carry him. The only time I
can carry him is when he’s asleep.” Chapter 1067 | [Serenity & Zachary] Liberty laughed. “Since you’re
my first customer, your meal will be on the house. What would you like to eat, Mr. Lewis?” Duncan said,
“No, I’ll pay. It’s your opening day, so you have to earn money. You need to collect money no matter
who comes to eat.” Zachary echoed, “Paying for breakfast is pocket change for Duncan. Don’t even think
of giving him a discount and only charge him the price as per your menu.” “In that case, thank you for
your support.” In his heart, Zachary thought, ‘What’s there to thank? In the future, Duncan might sink
his teeth into you and never let you go.’ Soon after Duncan entered, there was a stream of customers
coming into the store for breakfast. Liberty started getting busy. A new store opening was most likely to
attract people to come in and try their food. Liberty’s store had been remodeling for a period of time.
The people working in nearby buildings passing by every day were already long aware of All You Can Eat.
They felt that the name of the store was simple and sounded down-to-earth. When they saw that it was
open for business, they came in to try the new owner’s skills. At the age of fifteen, Liberty started raising
her younger sister. Her cooking skills were honed for decades. Those who came in to eat felt that the
food of this diner was remarkably satisfying. After the morning rush hour, Liberty finally had time to
catch her breath. Although it was tiring, she was absolutely happy. Of course, if her ex-husband did not
come in with his mother, Liberty’s smile would have remained until nighttime. Hank came with a flower
stand. When he saw that the only people in the store were Zachary, Serenity, and the middle-aged
woman who often helped Liberty, he frowned. He proceeded to comment something unpleasant, “Why
are there no customers?” Olivia looked at the flower stands at the entrance. They were from Zachary
and Serenity, Jasmine, Elisa and her family, as well as from Duncan. Her expression soured when she
saw Duncan’s flower stands. He sent over several stands, but her son only brought one. Olivia
immediately compared her son to Duncan. When she looked up and saw that her son had entered the
store, she quickly followed. She came in just in time to hear her son’s unpleasant words and slapped his
arm. “Hank, shut your mouth if you don’t know what to say.” Then, she raised a bag containing a bottle
of champagne she brought and handed it to Liberty with a smile. “Congratulations on your opening day,
Liberty. I hope business is booming for you.” Liberty took the congratulatory card from the bag, thanked
her, and returned the bag with the champagne to Olivia. “Liberty, this is a little token from me. Just
accept it.” “I’ve accepted your thoughts.” Liberty insisted on not accepting Olivia’s champagne. Olivia
had no choice but to take back the bag. Then, she greeted Serenity and Zachary with a smile. “Serenity, I
haven’t seen you for a while but you’re getting prettier by the day. Your temperament has also
improved. I knew you were a blessed person.” Serenity gave a dry laugh. She did not want to be
bothered with Olivia. In the past, Olivia and Chelsea often muttered about her behind her back. “Mr.
York.” Olivia acted obsequiously toward Zachary, wanting to please him. Zachary’s expression was
deadpan as he remained silent. Olivia was so embarrassed that she did not dare say anything else.
Serenity’s husband was taciturn yet terrifying! Hank finally realized what he said was displeasing. He
handed the flower stand to Liberty and said, “I ordered these for you a few days in advance to
congratulate you on the opening of your new store.” Liberty glanced at the long rows of flower stands at
the entrance of the store and said faintly, “Thank you, Mr. Brown, but it seems there’s no room for your
flower stand at the entrance of the store.” Chapter 1068 | [Serenity & Zachary] “Why are there so many
flower stands? Who sent them?” Hank was a little jealous. Liberty was just a woman he threw away, and
she opened a small breakfast diner with the money she took from him. However, there were long rows
of flower stands on the opening day. “There’s no space for my flowers? Then I’ll get a re—” Hank was
just about to say that he would get a refund from the flower shop, but Olivia immediately interrupted
him. She took the flower stand from his hand and glared at him fiercely, then said to Liberty with a
smile, “There’ll be space if you squeeze it in.” She took the flower stand outside and placed it at the spot
of the stand that Duncan sent. If not for the fact that Serenity and Zachary, two people who she could
not afford to mess with, were present, she would have smashed the flower stands sent by Duncan and
thrown them away. Liberty did not want to have a fight with Hank and Olivia on the first day of business,
so she turned a blind eye as long as they did not go too far. “Liberty, I’m here to join in on the fun!”
Elisa’s voice had always arrived before she did. A missy like her never got up early in the morning so it
was already considered early for her to come over now. “What are you two doing here?” Her beautiful
brows knitted when she saw Hank and Olivia when she entered. Without waiting for an answer, she
warned them, “Why are you two here? You’re not welcome here. Get out right now or I’ll call someone
to drag you out!” “M-Ms. Stone, we’re here to support Liberty’s store opening, not to cause trouble for
her. We wouldn’t dare mess with her.” Hank was quite afraid of Elisa. White-collar workers like them
heard about Ms. Stone’s unpleasant temper. “You’re not here to cause trouble? Then have you finished
eating? If you have, then pay the bill and leave!” Although Elisa was a little capricious, she understood
that it was not appropriate to pick a fight during the opening day of a store. Nevertheless, she was
already being very polite to Hank and Olivia. “We’re done, we’re done. We were just about to settle the
bill and leave.” Hank pressed his mother down and did not allow her to speak. He took out his wallet,
drew out a hundred-dollar bill, and handed it to Liberty. “Keep the change.” Liberty was just about to
say something when Elisa swiftly snatched the hundred-dollar bill. Hank slipped away quickly and ran
out with his mother. “At least they have the common sense to leave faster, otherwise I’d have kicked
them out.” Elisa looked at the shoes she was wearing and added as an afterthought, “I’m not wearing
high heels since I drove here today. Otherwise, I guarantee they’ll be in pain for three days if I kick
them.” She handed the cash to Liberty and said, “You don’t have to be nice to people like them. If they
come to you for breakfast, then charge them money. Them coming here will affect your mood too, so
it’s not worth it unless you charge them more.” Serenity laughed. “They didn’t eat anything.” Elisa
paused. “They didn’t? Then think of this hundred bucks as pocket money for Sonny to buy snacks.” She
shoved the money into Liberty’s hand. Then, she picked a seat as if nothing happened and grinned. “I’d
like…” She glanced at the wall and picked one out at random. “Eggs benedict please.” She did not know
what to eat either. She was just ordering something for Liberty’s business. Elisa came late, so she had
the same assumption as Hank and thought the store was not doing well. “Sure, just a moment. I can
cook for you immediately since you came at this time. There were too many customers during the
morning rush hour, and there were many orders for both dine-in and takeout. I was so busy I couldn’t
catch my breath.” Elisa blinked. It seemed that she was mistaken. Well, with the Hunt sisters’ cooking
skills, there was no way a restaurant they ran would have bad business. “Hank, Hank—” Jessica suddenly
rushed in like a madwoman. The next moment, bodyguards from the York family as well as those hired
by Duncan to patrol the streets swooped in. Chapter 1069 | [Serenity & Zachary] Serenity knew the
Brown family too well. She was worried that the Browns and Hunts would come over and cause havoc
during the opening of her sister’s new store. The last thing anyone wanted on their store’s opening day
was trouble. Serenity asked her husband for help, requesting him to arrange for people to keep watch
nearby so they could help deal with any problems as soon as possible. Serenity, who was independent
and reluctant to rely on her husband, took the initiative to ask Zachary for help. Zachary was overjoyed
and felt that his wife finally thought of him as family. He immediately agreed. In fact, he would have
arranged for people to keep watch even without her request. Like Serenity, he was also wary of the
Brown and Hunt families causing trouble. When Jessica saw all the bodyguards from the Yorks and
Duncan, her madness stopped at once. Then, she looked into the store and saw that there were only
Serenity, Zachary, and Elisa. Elisa had ignored her the first time she greeted her. Jessica would never
forget that arrogant and condescending expression. She had a lingering fear of Elisa. “I-Is Hank here?”
Jessica stammered as she asked Liberty. “You can see for yourself, Ms. Yates.” Liberty was making eggs
benedict for her cousin. She only spared Jessica a glance before going back to going about her own
business. Jessica did not dare be arrogant and asked softly, “Hank and his mother went out early in the
morning. His mom told me they were coming over to congratulate you on opening your store. Where
would they be if not here?” Liberty said indifferently, “He’s your man. If you don’t know where he is,
how would I know?” Jessica choked. She looked at the surrounding bodyguards, those on guard and
patrol, and smiled sheepishly. “I just came here to look for Hank, not to cause trouble. Since my husband
isn’t here, I’ll leave now.” Then, she quickly turned around and ran away. She swiftly returned to her car
and drove off. In her heart, she was thankful that her brother was not willing to cause trouble at
Liberty’s shop because he disdained the money that Jessica gave him. Otherwise, who knew what the
consequences would be? Jessica was grateful, and then she was jealous. Sure enough, people who had
huge backers behind them were different. Liberty just opened a breakfast diner, but so many people
sent her flower stands. The people who sent them must have done so because of Mr. York and Mrs.
Stone. Furthermore, there were so many people keeping watch over the store and protecting her! “She
ran away quickly.” Serenity snorted coldly. Elisa said, “What a wimp. I would’ve spared her a glance if
she showed the balls she had when stealing Liberty’s husband.” The two women quietly glanced at
Zachary. With that mountain standing in the way, no one would dare stir up trouble. With a look from
Zachary, the bodyguards went out. The security guards Duncan hired to patrol the streets also did not
say anything and silently went out. After they left, Serenity said to her man, “I’m surprised there are
guards patrolling the street.” “Half of the stores on this street are owned by Mr. Lewis. He’s worried
tenants like us will face trouble, so he hired guards to patrol the streets and ensure our safety.” Chapter
1070 | [Serenity & Zachary] Liberty explained why there were security guards patrolling the street as she
served the eggs benedict to Elisa. Serenity did not notice that the security guards were only patrolling
half of the street including Liberty’s store. As for the other half of the street, the guards simply looked
from afar and did not patrol there. However, the overall security of the street was still heightened with
the presence of the guards. Serenity’s beautiful eyes twinkled. She felt that Duncan’s action was
because of her sister, but when she saw that Liberty did not seem to be interested at all, there was
nothing else she could say. Who knew if Duncan did it for her sister or really for the safety of all his
tenants? The store rented by her sister indeed belonged to Duncan. Duncan would pass by here every
day to and from work. Since he was friends with Zachary, it was normal for him to look out for Liberty.
Duncan did not explicitly say that he was interested in Liberty, so Serenity could only watch silently from
the sidelines. She could not do anything. Elisa tentatively tasted the eggs benedict and found that it was
quite good. She finished the whole plate. It was the opening day of Liberty’s store. After breakfast hours
were over, she prepared to close up and invited her family and friends to Wiltspoon Hotel for a meal.
Liberty had more than a million dollars from Hank, so she was not stingy and agreed easily. Liberty did
not have friends after her marriage, so her guest list included the Stones, Soxes, and Yorks, as well as
Josh and Duncan. The whole Stone family came, while Jasmine and Drake represented the Sox family.
Their parents could not attend because of other matters, but they asked Jasmine to pass on a bottle of
wine to Liberty. The members of the York family usually ate at their own hotel. Apart from Rowan, who
was still in school, everyone who was in Wiltspoon attended. As for the older generation, only Grandma
May, Liam, and Tania came. Grandma May’s second and third sons could not make it, but they asked
Tania to send Liberty congratulatory gifts on their behalf. They showed a lot of respect to Liberty, who
was Serenity’s sister. Serenity was incredibly grateful. Later, in private, her sister nagged her again and
told her to live well and be good to Zachary. Zachary had the backing of her sister. Whenever he had a
conflict with Serenity, he would go back to her family to tell on her to her sister. Serenity did not know
whether to laugh or cry at this. The meal Liberty treated everyone to was lively and full of laughter.
Meanwhile, Jessica called Hank after leaving All You Can Eat and questioned where he went. He said he
went out looking for work. Jessica only half-believed him, but after Hank coaxed her, she was in a much
better mood and decided to go to the market to buy some groceries home to cook for her husband.
When she came out of the mart, she was stopped by two tall men wearing black masks and black
sunglasses. Jessica saw them come out from a black sedan. “What do you want?” she asked cautiously
while quietly taking a few steps back. “Are you Ms. Jessica Yates?” “Who are you?” They knew her
name, but she did not know who they were. Jessica was wary. “Our lady wants to see you. Please come
with us, Ms. Yates. Don’t worry, we won’t make things difficult for you.” Jessica frowned. “Who’s your
lady? I don’t know her. I have to go home and make dinner for my husband since he’s coming back from
work soon. I don’t have time for you.” Then, she tried to walk around them. “You and your husband
both lost your jobs. What work are you talking about? Ms. Yates, are you willing to watch your husband
get closer to his ex-wife each day until they remarry?” Jessica froze. “Who the hell are you guys?” How
did they know so much about her personal life?