"Is it curiosity? Or are you trying to figure out the punishment for your next offense in advance?" James Blackās voice dipped slightly, "Jane Sampson, Iām not joking with you."
James chuckled coldly, "After your next offense, youāll get only one buck of pocket money per day."
"One buck?" Janeās voice suddenly rose, "One buck isnāt even enough to buy a pack of Long spicy strips. Do you have to be so ruthless?"
This remark came out of Janeās mouth impulsively. After saying it, she instantly realized sheād said something she shouldnāt have. She quickly covered her mouth and cautiously looked up to observe Jamesās expression.
Sure enough, someoneās face darkened another shade.
"I was just joking around to lighten the mood," Jane grinned ingratiatingly, her small white teeth showing, "Eating spicy strips causes pimples. I care a lot about preserving my unparalleled beauty."
And then her forehead got flicked by James again.
But Jane didnāt dare to cover her forehead or glare at him this time.
Ordering takeaway had been entirely because of the emotional imbalance Jane felt while talking to James on the phone. She wanted him to be there, but he wasnāt. She felt a bit upset, and her mood was already bad. So she thought sheād indulge herself once, eat something to fill the emptiness.
She had calculated everything except for Jamesās unplanned return.
So, when James called her, he was already on his way back, but he didnāt mention a single word about it.
Perhaps he wanted to surprise her, but instead, sheād first managed to rile him up.
Jane rubbed her cheek against Jamesās chest, "I wonāt do things that upset you anymore, nor will I deliberately make you mad."
James lowered his head and kissed her forehead before putting her back on the bed. "Iāll stay with you and nap for a while. Tomorrow morning, Iāll return to the guard team. In the evening, Iāll take you out to eat something nice."
Jane shifted to the side to make room for James. Once he lay down, she instinctively curled herself up in his arms.
"Seeing you come back just now, I was really so happy," Janeās hand softly tugged at the collar of his shirt. "While talking to you on the phone, I wanted so badly to lay like this in your arms. I wanted you to hold me so much. James, fortunately, I still have you."
James, after all, was just like her. He had no parents and had become a solitary person in this world.
But how lucky she was, to have him holding her like this, staying with her, loving her.
"James, actually, when I walked out of the Sampson Family, it wasnāt as painful and difficult as Iād imagined before. On the contrary, it felt more like a sense of relief. Iād anticipated this day for a long time. Back then, I thought Iād suffer, but in truth, I only felt a little lost and sad."
Jane spoke softly, "Maybe itās because I knew in my heart I had a way out. Leaving that home, I still have you, and grandma. Although I left alone, I wasnāt actually alone in life. Thatās why I had the courage to step out of that house without turning back."
"James, thank you for giving me this courage and giving me the confidence too." Janeās voice carried her gratitude gently.
If it werenāt for James, if it werenāt for grandmaās candid support, Jane thought, perhaps she wouldnāt have had the courage to take that step.
James quietly listened without interrupting her. Only after she finished speaking and fell silent did he gently reach out to touch her eyelashes.
She had been beautiful since she was small. Even her eyelashes were more stunning than most peopleās.
Long and curled, making her eyes seem as if they could speak.
Peter Gingery once called her "the lash fairy."