Chapter 10

"Ah..." Ethan suddenly roared, his body trembling violently as his scorching sun essence sprayed entirely into her body. 

Finally! Bella complained and gave him a blank look, her legs weakly hanging around his waist as she breathed heavily with him. 

Ethan buried his face in her fragrant neck, breathing heavily a few times before lifting his sweaty handsome face and hoarsely asking, 

"Bella, can you still stand?" His handsome face was filled with pride, possessiveness, and primal satisfaction after his triumph. 

"Hmph!" Bella huffed angrily, struggling to slide off his body. 

"Be careful." Ethan quickly supported her shaky and weak body, a sexy smile playing on his lips. 

"Don't touch me!" Bella arrogantly slapped away his "sticky hands". Although her feet were already back on the ground, her knees were still trembling violently, almost unable to support her weight. She had to use her hands to prop herself against the wall, eagerly waiting for her strength to recover. 

Ethan shook his head indulgently, a handsome smile appearing on his face. "Fine! I won't touch you. Just be careful and don't fall." 

He pulled up his pants that had fallen on his knees, tidied himself up a bit, and then picked up the silk underwear he had thrown on the ground, stuffing it into his pocket.

Bella's beautiful eyes widened as she watched his movements. Finally, a blush rose on her delicate cheeks. "Give me... back my things," she reached out her jade hand to reclaim her personal belongings. Humph! Not only did this wicked guy tear her underwear, but he also wanted to cover up the evidence. This behavior is truly shameful, and she will never forgive him!

"Your underwear was torn, so I threw it away for you," Ethan bent his alluring eyes and smirked. After just satisfying his desires, he looked lazy and seductive, making one's blood boil.

"No! Give it back to me quickly," Bella's face flushed and she insisted on getting it back from him. After bullying her like that.

How dare this man still have the audacity to smile and joke around, without any remorse or conscience? He is truly shameless!

Ethan lazily smiled and nonchalantly handed her the underwear from his pocket.

"Bella, do you want me to carry you inside to rest?"

Her legs were shaking so much that it was heartbreaking to see. Although Bella's physical strength had improved recently, according to his estimation, she would probably have to stand by the wall for twenty minutes before having the strength to walk.

Bella quickly hid the damaged underwear and then raised her head, standing tall as she refused him. "No need, I can walk by myself."

Who knows what this sly fox is planning? Young people have good physical strength, and it wouldn't be surprising if he lured her into the room and forced himself on her. It would be difficult to keep it a secret from Jake at that point!

Ethan knelt on the ground, chuckling, as he straightened her rumpled skirt. "You really don't need me to hold you, I promise Jake won't see." 

"I don't want to." Bella glared at his head furiously, not fooled by his sneaky laughter earlier. 

Ethan smiled and stood up, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Then how about I bring a chair over for you to sit on?" 

What a terrible idea! Clearly, he was insulting her! 

"No!" Bella was so angry that she felt dizzy, and smoke seemed to be coming out of her seven orifices. She almost grabbed his arm and bit him forcefully. 

"Bella, don't be so temperamental." Ethan felt both helpless and annoyed. "Are you going to just stand in the backyard forever if you don't go inside?" 

Fine! He admitted he was a little too impulsive, but she didn't need to overreact! 

"It's none of your business. Just stay away from me." Bella glared at him, completely ignoring his feelings. 

Why isn't this annoying boy leaving already? She really wanted to sit down and rest! 

"Fine! I'll go inside first, call me if you need anything." Ethan saw that she was still angry, so it was best to avoid her for now, lest he lose all favor with her in the future.

Ethan had just turned around and left when Bella's legs immediately went weak, and she fell down to sit on the ground weakly. "Stupid Ethan..."

·························

The evening breeze blew gently as Ethan and Jake sat on the front porch, enjoying the coolness and chatting. Of course, the three dogs who loved to join in the fun didn't miss the opportunity and crowded around them, competing to be the closest, as if they only needed an occasional pat to be satisfied.

"Mr. Thornton, please stop touching my dog randomly!" A displeased, crisp voice came from behind the two of them, and Ethan slowly lifted his big hand off Cotton's body, raising it up in surrender. "Alright, I won't touch."

Bella had been angry all afternoon and evening, and how was it that she was still not calm now?

"Cotton, Snowflake, Coal, come over here to your sister, we're going to bed," Bella coaxed, waving her little hand at the three big dogs.

"Woof woof woof..." Coal wagged his tail and ran over without hesitation, but Cotton and Snowflake remained motionless, still lying in their original spots without any intention of getting up.

"Coal is the most obedient," Bella touched Coal's head, moved, and then frowned reproachfully at the other two dogs. "Cotton, Snowflake, why aren't you coming over?"

"Woof..." The two dogs reluctantly made a slight movement, but instead of getting up and coming towards her, they simply wagged their tails half-heartedly.

Lines of annoyance immediately appeared on Bella's beautiful face. These two foolish dogs who didn't understand anything were making her lose face. "Cotton, Snowflake..."

Ethan and Jake couldn't help but laugh when they saw this tug-of-war. Cotton and Snowflake really didn't give their owners any face, did they?!

"Fine! If you're not going to listen, then go with that scoundrel from now on, hm!" Bella, infuriated, made a fierce declaration and walked away, holding her head high like a noble queen.

Ethan, feeling both amused and annoyed, patted Cotton and Snowflake on the head, signaling for them to quickly follow. "Go! Don't make your owners angry."

"Woof woof..." Cotton and Snowflake reluctantly got up and walked into the house, looking unwilling.

"Ethan, who is the scoundrel that my sister was referring to?" Jake cheekily asked, knowing the answer.

"Who else but me?" Ethan leaned against a pillar, looking helpless.

Jake's face lit up with excitement. "It's been years since I've seen my sister so fired up. Ethan, what did you do to make her so mad?"

"It's all because of you." Ethan's eyes shot daggers of resentment towards Jake, not mincing his words.

"For me?" Jake innocently pointed to his nose. "Did I interfere with your love affair or something?"

In order to facilitate their "affair," he had even taken an unnecessary long nap in bed this afternoon. It's clear how loyal he is.

"You stick your nose in all day at home, Bella doesn't even share the bed with me to pretend we're not close, and you dare to say you haven't bothered me!" Ethan confronts him in a displeased tone about his actions. "Hey! When are you going to move out?"

"You've got it wrong, this is my house!" Jake yells in astonishment and suddenly bursts into a mischievous laugh. "Ethan, it seems like you're pretty serious about my sister, huh?"

Originally, he was skeptical about this relationship, so he decided to move back and observe for a while. He never expected Ethan to be so protective and caring toward his sister, treating her with so much affection. It was a complete change from his previous indifferent attitude towards women, which almost scared him enough to seek solace in a temple.

Honestly, he had never seen Ethan dote on a woman like this before, not to mention that he even took care of her pets, making sure each one was happy and healthy. "It's good to know," Ethan admits generously.

In Jake's sympathetic gaze, there is a hint of guilt. "Ethan, my sister has a lot of quirks, so please bear with her in the future."

Although he didn't push Ethan into this predicament, he still feels somewhat responsible morally. If he hadn't constantly brought a group of friends to the house, Ethan wouldn't have had the chance to "interfere" with his sister.

Sigh! Hopefully, Ethan won't regret this one hasty decision for the rest of his life!

"Bella is not as bad as you say," Ethan instinctively defended his girlfriend, while narrowing his eyebrows at him.

Bella is now his woman, who does this damn kid think he is to criticize her?

Jake curiously nudged Ethan's chest with his elbow. "Hey! Ethan, how did you manage to pursue my sister?"

"I can't say." Women care the most about these things, especially Bella, who is even more sensitive than ordinary women. Look at how angry she was this afternoon, and you'll know how much she values privacy. If she finds out that he has told Jake all about their relationship, he won't even dream of getting into her bed again.

Moreover, in this arduous pursuit process, he has lost all of his dignity as a man. He would rather die than tell anyone.

"Why not?" How stingy!

"Because Bella will be unhappy." Ethan honestly admitted that he had already annoyed Bella, and he didn't want to make things worse now.

Jake nodded in agreement. "You're right. Although my sister usually seems gentle and easy to manipulate, in reality, she is like a volcano. If she erupts, she can stay angry for two or three months. I'm glad you have already figured out my sister's temper." With that, he reassuringly patted Ethan's leg.

Ethan pushed away Jake's hand, a mix of laughter and tears on his face. "You're being too exaggerated, aren't you? What's there to be afraid of Bella's 'cat-like' temperament? Shadow is stronger than her."

"Well, you haven't seen her difficult side yet," Jake teased, scaring him a little and preparing him psychologically.

"Difficult? Is she?" Ethan lazily stretched one leg, not taking Jake's warning seriously. In his eyes, Bella was just throwing a little tantrum tonight, there was no need to pay attention to her. Tomorrow, she would naturally calm down and return to her usual self with a smile.

"Ah! Since we're good brothers, I'll give you some advice!" Jake warned with emphasis. "Never underestimate my sister's temper. Once you anger her, it won't be fun anymore."

"Oh really?" Ethan hummed doubtfully.

Seeing that he seemed to not believe him, Jake decided to bring up the most intense example. "I remember one time in middle school, I intentionally lifted her skirt in front of our classmates..."

"You actually lifted Bella's skirt?!" Ethan narrowed his eyes unhappily.

"Oh come on! That's not the point!" Jake rolled his eyes tolerantly. "Which boy in that era wasn't curious about a girl's underwear? The point is, my sister ignored me for three whole months. She wouldn't even look at me, let alone talk to me. Isn't that serious?"

"Deserved it!" The thought of Bella's cute legs and little butt being exposed to a group of immature kids made him feel uncomfortable.

"After hearing this story, haven't you learned any lesson?" Jake began to doubt whether this guy had any sense.

"Yeah."

"What is it?" Jake asked expectantly.

Ethan announced the answer carefully, "Never flip Bella's skirt again." Seeing Jake's jaw drop, Ethan felt a sense of satisfaction for avenging Bella.

"Never mind! I won't talk to you anymore. Just wait to suffer the consequences with my sister!" Jake gave a fake smile to this clueless guy. "I'll wish you good luck here."

He couldn't be bothered to argue any further with him.

"Thank you for your blessings."

...

After a week, Ethan finally experienced the seriousness of the "family cat" showing its ferocity.

Although she had already given up her highest guiding principle of "no physical contact, no talking" – probably because she realized that Jake already knew about their relationship and there was no point in pretending anymore – his situation did not improve as a result. 

She still didn't let him kiss her or hold her, and she even forbade him from touching her little hand, which made him feel extremely frustrated. 

Therefore, after sending off that useless brat Jake, who would always revel in others' misfortune, Ethan began actively devising a plan for reconciliation. 

What should he give her as a gift? 

Bella is not like other women, she hates those jingly-jangly accessories. Last time, he gave her a delicate little pink diamond necklace, but to his surprise, she just glanced at it casually as if she didn't know its value, and then tossed it carelessly on the dressing table, almost being taken away by Shadow to play with. 

So, this time, he absolutely cannot give her expensive and useless jewelry. He has to give her something else to win her heart. But what does Bella really like? 

Unfortunately, they already have a problem with cats and dogs at home, otherwise he could simply pick up a stray dog on the side of the road and make Bella ecstatic. Sigh! 

Ethan drove around the city, feeling troubled and looking for inspiration on the streets. 

In the evening, he came back with a bouquet of flowers made from Godiva chocolates, but the artificial flowers looked tacky, and even he felt embarrassed looking at them.

"Bella..." Ethan hid the flowers behind him and searched for Bella's presence in the old Japanese building. Finally, he found her suspiciously in her room. 

Under the setting sun, he saw Bella concentrating as she leaned over the bed, holding a strange object, plucking the sleeping Shadow. 

Curiosity got the better of Ethan and he approached for a closer look. 

"Bella, what are you doing?" Was she plucking Shadow's fur? 

Startled, Bella immediately hid the small clip behind her, her face showing guilt. "N-No! I didn't do anything." 

Shadow, disturbed by their voices, briefly glanced at them with annoyance before returning to its nap. 

"Bella, are you bullying Shadow?" A glimmer of suspicion flashed in Ethan's intense black eyes. 

"Of course not." Bella's face turned red in an instant - he had guessed correctly. 

"Then what are you doing with that clip?" Ethan put on the righteous and impartial expression of a judge. 

Under his piercing gaze, Bella became even more guilty, stumbling upon her explanation. "Um... Shadow, you see, had several ugly white hairs on its chest... and I was worried it would feel insecure... so I thought I'd help by... you know, removing the stray hairs. Why are you being so harsh?"

Darn it! It seems like Ethan has forgotten that she's still mad at him! Should she remind him? She muttered to herself. 

"Why did you yell at me?" How ironic. "Come on! How long have you been 'tormenting' Shadow?" Ethan was truly astonished that she could be so bored as to come up with something like this. 

"Lies! I never tormented Shadow!" Bella jumped up in indignation, as if she had just been gravely insulted. "I only plucked some of its fur when Shadow was asleep. Not only did it not feel any pain, but it also continued sleeping peacefully!" 

Besides, she did it for Shadow's own good! Just imagine, if a completely black cat had a few out-of-place white hairs on its chest, wouldn't that be bothersome? 

"Poor Shadow." Ethan muttered, finally gathering the courage to retrieve the hidden "Godiva fake flowers" from behind and awkwardly handed them to her. "Here! For you." 

"Godiva!" Bella's eyes instantly lit up, just like the female leads in TV commercials, and she joyfully accepted the heavy bouquet of chocolate. 

Her delighted reaction completely caught Ethan off guard. It turns out TV commercials weren't lying, women really do fall for this. 

"Do you like it?" Ethan tentatively reached out with his large hand and lightly ran it through her hair. Seeing that she didn't flinch away, his heart suddenly filled with joy.

It had been a whole week, and this was the first time he could be so close to her, making his heart flutter. 

"Hmm!" Bella nodded vigorously, a sweet smile lighting up her beautiful face. "I really like it."

"Then let's make up, okay?" Ethan seized the opportunity and quickly made his request.

"Okay!" Bella tiptoed and pecked him on the cheek. "Actually, I forgave you a long time ago. Jake just wanted me to be a little angry for a bit longer."

"Why?" Ethan frowned, feeling indignant.

"Jake said he was bored staying at home and asked me not to forgive you too early because he wanted to watch a good show." Bella explained while holding a fake flower, her smile bright and cheerful.

"So you listened to him?" Ethan's jaw muscle twitched in dissatisfaction.

Damn it! Jake is really not loyal! No wonder he's been wearing that weird smile on his face these past few days, turns out he's up to something!

"Jake is so pitiful with his broken bone, I thought entertaining him for a bit is only fair!" Bella looked at his muscular jawline with fascination and playfully poked it.

"You only think about Jake's pity, what about me? I've been ignored by you for seven days, don't you think I'm pitiful too?" Ethan hinted as he sucked on her fingers, while simultaneously wearing a "neglected husband" expression.

Bella was stunned by his bold and explicit actions. A blush slowly stained her fair cheeks with a shy hue. "Well... I can compensate you in the future, that's all..." 

"Great! Then marry me," Ethan took advantage of her guilt and took a step further in asking for marriage. 

"It... It doesn't have to be that serious!" Bella was dumbfounded, her heart almost stopped from being scared by his proposal. 

"You said you would compensate me, don't you want to fulfill your promise?" Ethan stared at her menacingly. 

Bella's head almost drooped down in a pout. "There's no need to compensate so much! Can I compensate you in a different way?" 

"No! You must marry me," Ethan domineeringly embraced her delicate body. 

"Ethan, living together like this is not bad either! Why do we have to get married?" Bella wrinkled her small face in distress. 

"Bella, we can't live together forever, can we?" Ethan gently kissed her forehead, softly coaxing her with a husky voice. "And if you marry me earlier, I'll feel more at ease, I won't have to worry every day that you'll be taken away by another man." 

"Oh, I see..." Bella furrowed her eyebrows in dilemma. "Can you give me some time to think? I'll give you an answer in a few days." 

Now, it's a matter of dragging it out for a few days.

"Alright!" Ethan pressed his lips onto her soft little mouth and murmured softly. "But you have to compensate me for this first..."

Hmm! It's time to give a shout out to the future father-in-law and mother-in-law, only they can handle Bella.

Ha...

Sunshine, white clouds, blue sky, who says summer isn't the season for love...