Chapter 434: Fro

Chapter 434: Chapter 434: Fro

She’d come to realize that eating and sleeping took up most of her time each day, and they just so happened to be her two favorite things!

Since she’d made a promise to Elder Shaw and the others, she had to go all out. This time, instead of ordering takeout from the hot pot place, she placed an order directly through the online marketplace.

Hot pot, grilled meat, and Sichuan dishes once again covered two dining tables.

The moment Roman Rowe came up, he exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! So much good food again!" He circled the tables, his eyes drinking in every single dish.

Only then did he notice Elder Shaw and the others sitting in a row on the sofa.

A charming smile spread across his face. He casually ran a hand through his blond hair and greeted them with a grin, "Hey, Elder Shaw~"

’As for the others... whatever, they weren’t important.’

Roman Rowe bounced over, pulled Elder Shaw to his feet, and helped him toward the table. "Come on, come on, it’s time to eat!" he chirped, bursting with energy.

Logan Holland looked puzzled. "Isn’t everyone here yet?"

Roman Rowe waved a dismissive hand. "Don’t worry about them, they’ll be here any second. They’re never late for a meal!" With that, he settled Elder Shaw into the seat of honor.

Elder Shaw smiled so broadly the wrinkles on his face deepened. He patted Roman’s arm fondly, looking at them all as if they were his own kids.

Just as Roman Rowe had predicted, the group was incredibly enthusiastic about food. The moment it was time, they all flooded in. They greeted Elder Shaw respectfully upon seeing him, then found their seats.

"Grandpa, what are you doing here?" Frederick Shaw chirped, running over. He leaned in close to Elder Shaw, whispering the question before naturally taking a seat beside him.

"I missed you, so I came to see you," Elder Shaw said gently, stroking the hair at his grandson’s temples.

Frederick Shaw thought his grandfather’s hand felt so warm. It was a little rough, the calluses on the palm thick, but it was large and felt so comforting and safe.

The others were loud and boisterous, but it didn’t stop Frederick Shaw from whispering secrets to Elder Shaw, telling him all about the fun he was having with Lily.

He even suggested that when Elder Shaw retired, he should join them and travel around with Lily. The old man just smiled and agreed.

Meanwhile, everyone else was taking their seats.

Seeing the tables laden with all sorts of delicious food, everyone was itching to dig in.

’Wow, this looks amazing. So does that. What am I supposed to do when I want to eat everything?’

’Eat it all!’

They were all so familiar with each other they were practically family. Lily Hart didn’t even need to play host; they could all fend for themselves.

Lily Hart had already grabbed a slice of fatty beef, dunked it in sesame sauce, and was now hunched over her bowl, happily chowing down.

Seeing her start, the others dove in without hesitation. For the first few minutes, hardly anyone spoke; they were all completely focused on the food.

Once they’d taken the edge off their hunger, their energy returned, and the conversation started to flow.

They talked about that pile of shit, The Mysterious Clan, the future developments at Central Command, and where Lily Hart might be headed next~

After the cheerful meal finally came to an end, Lily Hart let out a contented burp~

The others automatically started clearing the table, and Lily Hart automatically made herself scarce. She loved watching this bunch of big guys do chores.

Their movements weren’t exactly delicate, but they were certainly nice to look at, which was a plus.

They lingered for a while after dinner, but then Elder Shaw and his companions bid farewell and headed back to Central Command. As always, Lily Hart watched them go.

Her shop closed at eight o’clock now, and with dinner over, closing time was just around the corner.

She quickly tidied up the stray scratch-off tickets, stacking them in a neat pile. DING DONG. Closing time.

The customers left with looks of regret, already planning to come earlier tomorrow to snag a good spot and get to scratching.

Lily Hart sealed up the vehicle, planning to go upstairs and browse her Light Brain, when she caught a glimpse of Frost Shaw walking in.

"Huh? Did you forget something?" Lily Hart asked, puzzled. ’What other reason would he have for coming back so late at night?’

Frost Shaw didn’t say a word. He just moved closer and closer until he could wrap his arms around her, nuzzling his head softly against her.

"Didn’t forget anything. I just missed you," Frost Shaw’s voice was as soft as his hair.

It was like a little feather, tickling the very tip of Lily’s heart, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

His words made her heart melt and her mind go fuzzy. All she could do was nod in agreement, babbling nonsense. "I missed you, too... How’s the convenience store been? Are you okay?"

"I’m not okay. We don’t get to see each other nearly enough," Frost Shaw said, his voice full of feigned grievance.

Hearing this, Lily Hart cupped his face in her hands and peppered it with kisses. "Is that enough?" she asked when she was done.

Frost Shaw didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. A fond smile spread across his face as he let her peck at him like a little woodpecker.

After a moment, he could no longer hold back and launched an attack of his own.

Lily Hart’s knees went weak, and she leaned into him trustingly. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

He then simply lifted her up and set her down on the back of the sofa. The new height brought them very close.

So close that Lily Hart could clearly feel... he seemed to be...

’Isn’t it time for things to progress a little?’

’Just kissing all the time won’t cut it. The mood is perfect right now. It’s time to let nature take its course...’

She hooked her arms and legs around him, engaged her core, and leaped up, clinging to him securely.

Frost Shaw let out a muffled grunt. He felt a sudden weight on him but caught her instinctively.

Lily Hart jutted her chin toward the upper floor. "Let’s go," she said decisively. "Upstairs."

Frost Shaw, thinking she just wanted to go upstairs to sleep, obediently started carrying her up. But the process of climbing the stairs inevitably required him to lift his legs...

With each step, he was terrified he might be offending her.

But there was no way to adjust his position, so Frost Shaw could only continue upward, his face beet red, not daring to look at Lily Hart.

And Lily Hart, clinging to him,

After finally making it to the side of Lily Hart’s bed, Frost Shaw bent over to set her down.

But Lily Hart just held onto him, refusing to let go.

She asked, puzzled, "You’re leaving?"

’No way. With such a perfect opportunity, such a great mood, and after you’ve gotten... like this, you’re actually going to leave? Are you even a real man?’

’Frost Shaw froze. ’Lily... she... doesn’t want me to leave? Or is she hinting at something?’’

Seeing his reaction, Lily Hart couldn’t help but chuckle. ’This man... is he timid, or just respectful?’

’Maybe both.’

’In that case...’

Lily Hart steeled herself, hooked her arm around his neck, and pulled him down to kiss his lips.

Frost Shaw’s breathing instantly grew heavy as he deepened the kiss.

Without thinking, Lily Hart’s hands started to wander. She tugged at his clothes, slipping a hand inside to explore.

Unexpectedly, Frost Shaw caught her roaming hand. He looked at her seriously. "I... can I?"

Lily Hart met his sincere gaze and answered with equal gravity, "Of course you can."

’Of course,’ she thought, ’as long as you don’t expect me to take responsibility for it afterward. I’m not the responsible type!’

All Frost Shaw heard were the two words "you can." After a brief stupor, he snapped out of it, flustered. "B-b-b-but we don’t... we don’t have... you know..."

Lily Hart was also stumped for a second. ’You know?’ What did he mean by ’you know’? Ohhh... *that*~