Chapter 311 - 310: What Are You Afraid Of?

Simon Lockwood: "..."

Joanna Kennedy looked serious, her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes sparkling. The words of refusal circled on Simon Lockwood’s tongue, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Instead, she fed him several more mouthfuls of cake.

She was like a child who loved to share, so sweet and docile that he simply couldn’t bring himself to refuse her.

The sweet flavor of chestnut and cream filled his mouth, and a corresponding sweetness bloomed in his chest.

After finally finishing the small piece of cake, Simon Lockwood started to raise a hand to wipe a smudge of chestnut cream from the corner of his mouth, only realizing mid-air that his hand was dirty.

The smudge of cream at the corner of his mouth was somehow comical, creating a striking contrast with Simon Lockwood’s coolly distinguished face.

’Simon is so handsome,’ she thought. ’He looks good no matter what.’

Seeing him standing there, frowning with a conflicted expression, Joanna felt her heart melt. She tiptoed and, in a fluid motion, wiped the smudge of cream from the corner of his mouth.

"There, all clean," Joanna said.

She didn’t think the gesture was particularly intimate, but the tips of Simon Lockwood’s ears turned red, and his gaze darted away awkwardly. "Mm..."

When Simon got shy, it never showed on his face—only the tips of his ears would turn red, so Joanna didn’t notice. But his silence sparked a mischievous urge inside her.

She wanted to tease him.

She was beginning to understand why Simon Lockwood loved to tease her.

She dove into his arms, snuggled against him for a moment, and then quickly pulled away. "I’m going to eat cake!" she called out as she ran off. "You hurry up and cook!"

The whole thing happened in just a few seconds. Before Simon Lockwood could even react, the girl had vanished.

Staring at the smear of cream on his apron, Simon Lockwood fell silent.

’So, she didn’t want to hug me. She just wanted to wipe the cream from her hands onto me, is that it?’

’Mm, great. She used me as a rag.’

*

A few minutes after dinner, Joanna was already picking at the leftover cake again.

Her appetite had always been a mystery. Sometimes she was full after two bites; other times, she couldn’t seem to stop eating. Simon Lockwood had observed her for a long time without finding any discernible pattern.

Even without a clear pattern, he knew from a health perspective that eating like this was very hard on her stomach.

He put away the chestnut cake. Her big, pleading eyes met his, but Simon Lockwood didn’t soften. "You can have it tomorrow."

"It won’t taste good tomorrow," Joanna said, her voice softening. "Cake has to be eaten fresh..."

Her voice trailed off, her beautiful face a perfect picture of grievance. It was a look that would make even the most jaded person yield. Simon Lockwood, however, refused to indulge her on this point. He shut her down directly and said:

"I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow."

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

’Fine, fine, fine. The love is gone.’

She’d even put on her cutest, most spoiled voice, but Simon Lockwood remained unmoved. The more Joanna thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. "I was already upset, and now you’re making it worse..."

No one was more persistent than Joanna. Simon Lockwood sighed softly. "Why are you upset?"

There was a hint of fond exasperation in Simon Lockwood’s deep voice, which only made Joanna feel more aggrieved. She spilled everything about the variety show.

As soon as she finished speaking, she began to regret it. "Am I being a little petty...?"

After all, she wasn’t some international superstar. The production team had no reason to revolve around her; they could invite whoever they wanted.

But for them to wait until after she’d signed the contract to tell her... it felt like they were deliberately messing with her.

That’s what annoyed Joanna. The production team could have told her beforehand, but they insisted on hiding it, and they’d hidden it so well.

"Are you very angry?" Simon Lockwood asked, his voice soft.

Joanna sulked for a moment, then shook her head. "Not *that* angry..." It just sucked to be played like that.

"So you’re still angry," Simon Lockwood said.

Joanna thought Simon Lockwood would try to talk her out of it or cheer her up. Instead, he simply placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You have a right to be angry," he said gently.

Simon Lockwood’s reaction was completely different from what she had imagined. Joanna was taken aback, and his next words stunned her even more.

"If you’re unhappy, don’t bottle it up. And don’t try to talk yourself out of being angry. Everyone has the right to be angry." Simon Lockwood chuckled softly, then added reassuringly, "Joanie is not petty at all."

"..."

’It’s a person’s right to be happy or angry. Not everyone is as magnanimous as a saint, and neither am I.’

"Hm, I think you’re absolutely right. In that case, I’ll stay angry for a bit longer," Joanna said with a straight face.

Simon Lockwood leaned closer, his own expression just as serious. "You can be angry for one more minute."

One minute? That wasn’t even enough time to get her feelings properly worked up. Joanna didn’t understand. "Why?"

"Because I don’t like it when you’re thinking about other people," Simon Lockwood stated, his expression perfectly straight.

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

Joanna couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. "Simon," she asked teasingly, "are you jealous?"

His jealousy seemed a bit forced. Joanna suspected that Simon Lockwood was just deliberately teasing her.

Simon Lockwood didn’t answer with words. He proved his point with action, pulling her into a long, lingering kiss.

Just when Joanna felt she couldn’t breathe, Simon Lockwood pulled back with restraint.

Fresh air felt like a precious commodity. Joanna gasped for breath, her face flushed and hot, her fingers subconsciously clutching the hem of his shirt.

Her lips were bright red, her lower lip slightly swollen from being bitten. As she panted, one could faintly glimpse her pearly white teeth.

Simon Lockwood’s eyes instantly darkened.

Caught off guard, she was kissed again. Joanna’s eyes flew wide. By the time she realized something was different, she found herself in the bedroom.

Joanna flailed, trying to push him away, but her struggles were no more effective than a tickle. He easily pinned her down.

"S-Simon," Joanna’s voice was soft, tinged with a helpless panic. "I... I’m scared..."

She remembered Mindy Morgan’s words—that Simon Lockwood just wanted to trick her into bed. At the time, she hadn’t really thought much of it.

After all, Simon Lockwood was her boyfriend, and she liked him so much. It was normal for things like this to happen between a couple.

But now that the moment was actually here, Joanna admitted to herself that she had chickened out.

She’d once stumbled upon Simon Lockwood in the middle of... *that*. The expression on his face, the intensity of it... just thinking about it made her scalp tingle. "Simon, you... can you get up first, please?"

The words had barely left her lips when he bit her neck, not too hard and not too gently. She gasped involuntarily, and then felt him bite her again.

Joanna didn’t dare make another sound, afraid he would bite her again. She froze like a frightened quail, not daring to move, hoping the man would let her go.

But she had clearly overestimated his self-control. Simon Lockwood lowered his gaze, his long lashes concealing the emotion in his eyes. He buried his face in her neck, feeling her tremble, and asked in a low voice, "What are you afraid of?"