Around Bella, the children were gazing at her expectantly. Their puppy eyes softened her heart in a second.

"All right, but let me pay the bill," Bella said politely to the woman. She had promised the children that she would treat them to ice creams when the job was done, and now there was someone to help buy them, which saved her a lot of trouble.

The woman smiled and didn't say anything. How did she dare to take Miss Halty's money? It was her boss's order to buy snacks for the children.

The children cheered and followed Bella and the woman to the restaurant joyfully.

Wow! This was more than "a little food". It was virtually a party with pastries, ice creams, fruit, and other snacks that children liked.

The children's mouths dropped open in amazement. Were these all prepared for them? They looked at Bella in disbelief, and none of them dared to touch the tempting food.

Bella also thought this was too much! There was far more food than she had expected!

"Miss Halty, can we eat them all?" The children stopped before the piles of food, trying hard to resist their temptation.

"These are all prepared for you. So just feel free to enjoy them!" the woman said kindly.

But the children still looked up at Bella, waiting for her permission.

"Go and enjoy them!" Bella said to them.

Hearing that, all of them "pounced" at the food straight away.

Children were children. They didn't know how to hide their desire at all.

Seeing their greedy faces, Bella smiled heartily.

Only then did she feel the soreness on her back and her legs. To relieve the pain, she sat down on a chair.

After a while, the uniformed woman came over with a cup of coffee, "Miss Halty, please enjoy it."

"Thank you!" She happened to feel tired and want something to drink. What day was today? Why did so many good things happen?

"It tastes so good!" With a sip of the coffee, she couldn't help praising.

The woman smiled and didn't say anything. The coffee certainly tasted good – that was a superb drink for their boss himself.

Mrs. Hice had been on a trip with several friends these days, so Bella's life became peaceful again. At least, she didn't need to attend the blind dates temporarily.

Bella didn't plan to visit her parents this weekend; she just wanted to paint in the studio.

On Saturday, Chuck decided to spare some time for dinner with his daughter.

He was now the head of a bureau; so busy was he that he couldn't take care of his family, let alone Bella. He often heard people talk about teenage rebellion, while he didn't even know when his daughter had been rebellious. Before he could have a good look at her, she had just grown up.

During the dinner, their conversation had been frequently interrupted by phone calls about work reports or cooperation. It was as if he was even busier than the state president.

Bella couldn't help but say, "You'll soon retire. Why are you still working so hard?"

Chuck gave her an apologetically wry smile.

After saying goodbye to her father, she drove to the studio. It was a rare weekend when she had so much spare time, so she had a nice nap there.

In this early summer, the air maintained its coolness.

Owing to the rain several days ago, the temperature had plummeted, forcing people to put on their sweaters or windbreakers. Now, it was sunny and warm again; T-shirts, skirts, and shorts became ubiquitous.

In just a few days, people had experienced spring, summer, autumn, and winter with their respective charms.

The soft sunlight slanted through the window panes into the room.

The bright light floated in the air, and with its heat, it warmed every corner here.

When Cindy called her, Bella was immersed in the painting.

"Let's have dinner at DY restaurant tonight."

Since Cindy got married, she had always taken Bella to eat or play. Thanks to Cindy, Bella had tasted all the delicacies in the city without paying money. This was such a pleasant thing, but Bella didn't want to go out today.

"I'm not in the mood." Bella put herself on speakerphone. The voice sounded a little broken as if it was coming from a distant sky or frozen lake.

"Did anyone bully you?" Cindy drawled as usual.

"Who dares to bully me? I Just don't want to go out."

"Indeed, there's no man disturbing you, so why are you sulking?" Cindy burst out laughing.

Her laughter was a bit harsh, so Bella held the telephone receiver away from her ear.

Suddenly, Cindy "realized" something. "I see! You have an endocrine disorder because you lack a man. Bella, it's dangerous for you to be like this."

Bella was rendered wordless.

"Come out, or you'll regret it." She played her usual trick.

"No!" Bella insisted.

"It'll be Carl's treat tonight. Tell him if you don't join us. It's all up to you."

"Carl? Why?" Bella asked.

"Promotion, wealth, and wife's death are three sources of happiness for a man. But his wife isn't dead; she's still in the belly of his future mother-in-law."

"Why didn't he call me directly?" Bella said with a little displeasure.

"Don't be so jealous. You didn't tell him your new phone number, did you? Just dress yourself up and come to the restaurant." Cindy giggled.

"All right, got it."

Bella's phone had once been stolen. For the sake of security, she had changed her phone number directly. She hadn't informed her friends of this, so few knew her new number.

In the evening, Bella drove her Hyundai through the streets as the warm afterglow enveloped the buildings on both sides.

The music playing in the car was one of the most popular recently. Affected by the upbeat tune, she felt pleasant and comfortable.

DY was a ritzy Chinese restaurant with palace-like decorations and exorbitant prices. To put it bluntly, to eat here was to "burn" money.

Cindy's family had more money than they could "burn". That was why she was a regular customer here.

The parking lot had been packed with luxury cars; after all, those who could afford a meal here were all rich or influential figures. It was just like they were queuing up to "burn" their money.

Bella's Hyundai was quite notable among these expensive cars.

After parking her car, she walked to the front hall. A waitress dressed in a palace maid's outfit came to greet her.

"Welcome to DY! Do you have a reservation?"

Only then did she realize that she hadn't asked about the room number.

She took out her phone from the handbag and called Cindy. It rang for a long time, but nobody answered.

Just then, a familiar figure passed in front of her. But before she could see his face, he had disappeared around the corner.