Nathan’s face changed in a second.
Nora was a bit surprised and looked at him with interest, noticing his haggard look and dark circles, she arched her eyebrows slightly.
She called, "Uncle."
Nathan used to be a driver, but stopped due to health issues. It’s unclear when he started "returning to his old trade" again.
He gave Nora a cold glare, filled with resentnt, unlocked his seatbelt, then raised his hand and slamd the passenger door shut.
He drove off without looking back.
Nora clicked her tongue.
Quite proud, isn’t he?
But still...
A few seconds later, Nora took out her phone and dialed Miguel’s number.
"Oh, the busy bee,"
Miguel teased as soon as the call connected.
When Nora wasn’t filming, she was fine, but once she joined a crew, she was mostly back and forth between the set and the hotel, rarely reachable.
"I bumped into your dad," Nora said, "He’s driving. Haven’t things been sorted out yet?"
Ever since eting Nathan at the Virtue Retreat, whenever she chatted with Miguel, Nora would ntion Nathan and learned about his failed investnt and debts. Given Nathan’s pride, he would never return to driving unless he was in urgent need of money.
Miguel was a bit downcast, "He still can’t bring himself to tell face-to-face."
"Where are you?"
Nora could hear the noisy background on the other end of the phone.
Miguel was taken aback and said, "Out having a late-night snack."
Nora said, "Give the address."
"You have ti now?" Miguel asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Got off work a bit early today."
Lacking friends and feeling bored, Miguel imdiately gave Nora the address.
Nora hung up the phone, and at that mont she heard soone call out—
"Nora!"
Paula had appeared behind her at so point.
Nora turned around, glanced at her, then hailed a taxi, saying, "You head back first; I have sothing to do."
"Alright."
Paula nodded.
Seeing Nora open the car door, Paula didn’t imdiately get in but rummaged through her backpack to find a baseball cap and handed it to Nora.
Nora gave her a glance, took it, and then told the driver to go to the Cloud Sky Hotel, letting Paula get in the car.
...
Half an hour later.
After napping in the car, Nora got out, bleary-eyed, and pulled the baseball cap over her head, striding toward the location Miguel ntioned.
Miguel had chosen a roadside stall, crowded with patrons at this hour.
Lowering the cap’s brim further, Nora located Miguel sitting alone at a table among the outdoor seating, hands in pockets, heading straight for him.
Such street-side spots have questionable hygiene, with greasy tables and chairs, and custors mostly in vests, emanating a rough, martial world vibe.
When Nora usually visited places like this, she’d dress casually, but this ti conditions were limited, and she still wore her elite teacher outfit from the set, making her stand out in this atmosphere.
Ignoring the environntal issues, Nora reached Miguel’s table, used her foot to hook out a stool, then sat down.
Miguel, slightly tipsy, was startled by her.
!!!
After a couple of seconds, Miguel clutched his chest in mock regret and sorrow, "I thought a pretty girl was chatting up."
"..."
Nora rolled her eyes at him, reached out to grab a bottled cold beer from the table, twisted the cap off with two fingers, and took a swig from the bottle.
Every move exuded a heroic aura.
As Nora placed the beer down, she suddenly saw Miguel lean forward slightly, tap the table with a mysterious air, and call her, "Top-tier celeb."
Nora looked at him.
Miguel whispered, "Aren’t you worried about disguising yourself at all?"
"No ti for that."
Looking down at herself, Nora shrugged indifferently.
Miguel was shocked, "Do you know how popular you are right now?"
"Hmm?"
"By tomorrow, it’ll be headline news about us, you know that?!" Miguel sighed with exasperation.
Nora picked up a skewer from the table and said nonchalantly, "It wouldn’t be the first ti."
Miguel: "..."
Since Nora, who had soone, didn’t care at all, Miguel stopped worrying about her and ordered more skewers and beers, chatting as they ate.
They talked about all sorts of random things, not entirely focusing on Nathan.
Suddenly, Nora asked, "Is your mom in Fenton City?"
Miguel responded with an "Ah," then nodded.
"Remarried?" Nora asked.
"No."
"No contact usually?"
"We stay in touch," Miguel said. "Exchange greetings during holidays, occasionally catch a al together."
Nora looked at him in surprise.
Confused, Miguel asked, "What kind of look is that?"
Taking a bite of grilled at, Nora drank half a glass of beer and said leisurely, "You never ntioned it, so I thought things weren’t good between you two."
Miguel blinked, looking slightly innocent.
With a sigh, Nora continued to ask, "How did your parents get divorced?"
"My mom’s family was rich, like a wealthy heiress. She t my dad in Mist City, quickly fell in love, and married him against her family’s wishes, even causing a rift."
Nora rested her chin with one hand, picked up a bottle of beer, and filled her glass.
Miguel added, "They were probably happy for a few years, but my dad has a strong sense of pride. With troubles in his hot pot restaurant, relatives and friends said my mom suffered with him. My dad felt ashad, thinking my mom looked down on him, and they argued often. After a physical altercation during a fight, my mom couldn’t take it and filed for divorce, returning to Fenton City. They haven’t seen each other since, even sending the divorce papers in the mail."
"So—" Nora tilted her head, puzzled, "Why are you staying with your dad?"
With a better relationship with his mother and a rocky one with his father, why did Miguel stay with his father?
"I guess," Miguel downed his drink, his eyes slightly reddened, and spoke softly, "If I left, he’d have nothing."
Nora looked at him silently, then filled his glass with beer and raised hers.
Before drinking, Miguel pointed at himself with a finger and said, "I’m kind of soft-hearted."
"..."
Nora almost sprayed beer all over him.
What’s wrong with you!
...
The two chatted idly, all the way until midnight.
Nora is loyal and makes friends easily; everyone has troubles. She often accompanies them for drinks and als. These are typically when she gets drunk.
Nora controlled her drinking, but still felt tipsy at the end. Having just a little sense left, she got in the car with Miguel and imdiately fell asleep on the seat.
Luckily, Nora remained quiet when drunk, pretty peaceful. Miguel didn’t know where Nora wanted to go, and she didn’t respond when asked. He simply told the driver "Cloudwater Haven."
Upon arriving at Cloudwater Haven, Miguel virtually carried Nora upstairs.
He supported Nora to Pedro Langley’s door, rang the bell, waited a few seconds, and rang again... repeatedly.
Shortly, Pedro opened the door with a sullen face, paused upon seeing the two, ignored Miguel, and reached out to take Nora. Nora fell against him, breathing his familiar scent, and instinctively nestled into his embrace.
Slling the alcohol on Nora, Pedro furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "What’s going on?"
Still sowhat sober, Miguel said, "She had so drinks with ."
Pedro’s face darkened instantly, his voice laced with anger, "Why was my girlfriend drinking with you?"
???
Faced with three question marks, Miguel didn’t know where to start.
"... It’s a long story."
"..."
Pedro had no patience for his response. He wrapped an arm around Nora’s waist, stepped back, cast a cold glance at Miguel, and closed the door.
Miguel: "..."
Scratching his head, Miguel yawned and headed directly next door.
—In the car, he had ssaged Marcus, asking to use Marcus’ bed for the night.
—Though Marcus, the clean freak, instructed him to change the bed sheets, he essentially agreed.
*
Pedro scooped Nora directly into the bedroom.
As he was about to cover her with a quilt, Nora suddenly sat up halfway, grabbed his collar, squinting her eyes, her voice slightly husky, "Who?"
Seeing she was still a bit alert despite being drunk, Pedro’s anger subsided a little, and he said, "Your boyfriend."
"... Oh."
Nora, recognizing Pedro’s blurry face in the dim light, blinked, then relaxed her grip, adjusting Pedro’s collar.
Afterward, she lay back on the bed, turned over, and sprawled.
Pedro was going to fetch makeup remover for her to wash her face before sleeping, but as he turned, he heard Nora speak—
"Boyfriend."
"Mm."
Pedro responded.
However, Nora remained quiet.
Waiting for a mont, assuming she was sleep-talking, Pedro intended to leave, when he heard her call again—
"Boyfriend."
"Mm."
Pedro raised an eyebrow, patiently answering again.
Ten seconds later.
Pedro was about to sneak away when Nora spoke again, "Massage my shoulders."
Pedro: "..."
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