Chapter 1473 - 1463: If You Really Pity Me, Give Me a Home

Constantine Stewart noticed the vase he brought in with him, saw a bouquet of freshly trimmed flowers inside, and his expression improved a bit. He walked over, took the vase, placed it before the window, then opened the window and quietly asked, "How did she mention Chloe?"

"The lady said she just came over to see you and asked if you were living with Miss Winston." Zhen Gu found the expression of Lady Earl Thompson to be quite subtle when mentioning Chloe. However, this lady was very deep in thought, and Zhen Gu had only met her a few times at the hospital in Paris, each time feeling unapproachable and unable to quite figure her out. Furthermore, it seemed like Lady Earl Thompson came to the Imperial City prepared, with two cars parked before the private residence on Fulham Road, including bodyguards and a lifestyle consultant.

The setup seemed as if she planned to stay for a while.

"Lady Earl Thompson is currently staying at a vineyard on the suburban outskirts, claiming it as a resting spot in the Imperial City. Mr. Stewart, I haven’t mentioned anything about Miss Winston and you." Zhen Gu said nervously.

Constantine Stewart nodded, his gaze somewhat gloomy, not knowing what she had planned. Was there anything left in the Imperial City she wanted?

"Instruct the butler not to open the door if they see her. You can go rest now." Constantine Stewart said coldly.

The man took a set of casual clothes from the briefcase, changed into them, and as it was getting late and his stomach was growling with hunger, he finally went downstairs.

Chloe Winston was still busy in the little garden at the house front, setting up her temporary rest nook for when she takes a break. In the north-south transparent living room, the retro Republic District phonograph still softly played lazily familiar French songs, tunes he had grown up hearing, and listening to them now brought an inexplicable sense of nostalgia.

The man reached out to stroke the solid wood record player cabinet. Inside were records mostly of laid-back French songs and Cantonese songs from the ’90s, with albums by Olivia and Lily being the most numerous.

Constantine Stewart slightly curled his lips, finding it hard to imagine. She was quite young, should she not like hip-hop and rock? It appeared it was him who had aged, no longer appreciating the trendy music.

"Why are you up? Is the alcohol wear off?" Chloe Winston noticed him standing in the living room with such a strong presence that it was difficult to ignore, prompting her to peer over and ask.

Having returned home, she changed into her most comfortable cotton linen blouse and pants, her long hair casually tied into a small tail at the back of her head. Her small face was pristine, emitting a gentle glow, and her large dark eyes resembled the clearest of winter springs, softening Constantine Stewart’s mood a bit. The man grabbed his somewhat unruly hair and said in a low tone, "Hungry."

"Zhen Gu brought you some medicinal meals; they’re in the warming box on the table." Chloe Winston said casually. She was actually hungry too but hadn’t finished her work in the little garden.

Under the flower vines, she set up a hanging chair and a tatami mat. The hanging chair had been delivered earlier, and Chloe Winston placed soft cushions on it. On the sturdy flower stand she had previously set up, she hung a roll of green bamboo mats, adding privacy and elegance. Meanwhile, she was moving the small tatami mat around.

Constantine Stewart noticed her slender frame moving back and forth in the garden, furrowed his brows, and in two swift strides he went over, effortlessly lifting the plain-colored tatami she was trying to move, asking in a low voice, "Where should this go?"

Chloe Winston paused for a moment, seeing his effortless demeanor, and could not help her lips twitching slightly as she pointed to the spot near the hanging chair, saying, "Try placing it here."

She really hadn’t decided where to place things yet, which was why she was moving them around looking for the best spot. Constantine Stewart carefully moved it several times before finally arranging the small tatami mat, looking at the newly hung green bamboo mat, and said, "This will look better hung in the tea room."

"Then what should be hung in the little garden?" Chloe Winston trusted his taste quite a lot.

The man went to the side, elegantly washed his hands, then said, "You have built a flower vine rack in the garden. By next year, everything will be lush and green, and the flowers and plants will naturally form a barrier so no other coverings will be needed."

It seemed sensible, so Chloe Winston nodded. Then she saw the man open the warming box, taking out the dishes, and naturally finding bowls and chopsticks, inviting her to join him for a meal.

Chloe Winston went to wash her hands and saw Constantine Stewart sitting in her home eating, inexplicably feeling odd. She had never imagined them peacefully sitting at her table like this. She lowered her head, eating the food and pondering about how she had never had a man live in her home before. She planned to call her butler later to ask if Lady Earl Thompson had left, so Constantine Stewart could return to sleep.

She was lost in thought and then heard the man speak in a slightly hoarse voice, "Did Leah Squire or Grandma Xie ever tell you something? Chloe, I don’t need your pity."

Early on when Chloe Winston brought him back to Spring Prosperity Garden, Constantine Stewart vaguely sensed some things. If it meant she would always be good to him, he didn’t mind accepting her sympathy.

Chloe Winston suddenly raised her head, seeing the man’s handsome face turning pale, and his expression had darkened considerably. She gaped and cautiously said, "I didn’t."

"Zhen Gu just said my mother came from Paris. Did you hear about it from the butler and bring me to your place to sleep?" The man lowered his eyes, which were deep and hidden behind dense lashes, with his sharply contoured features partially in shadow, looking somewhat solitary as though cloaked in a dark shade.

Chloe Winston opened her mouth but knew she couldn’t hide it, so she softly said, "I heard a little bit. Actually, you’re much better than me. I don’t even remember my dad and mom. Ever since I can remember, I’ve lived in a welfare institution not knowing what it feels like to have family. As people grow, they don’t long for family ties as much."

Constantine Stewart scoffing slightly, thought this rationale absurd. Was Chloe Winston using it to self-hypnotize? People inherently need friends and family more as they age because loneliness is the most lethal poison in the world, slowly and irreversibly changing someone.

"When I first saw you, your eyes told me you yearned for a home, which is why I took you away from the welfare institute." Constantine Stewart mildly lifted his eyes, gaze sweeping over with a hint of gleam, as his thin lips at a leisurely pace spoke the words, "You’re still young, not understanding the elder’s anguish. I now feel as if I am stepping into old age, constantly enduring that piercing loneliness, day and night. I eagerly long for a home, a family, friends. Yet my friends have family, and my family abandoned me."

The last few words were spoken with utmost lightness, tinged with a trace of disdainful laughter.

"Ah, Chloe, we are all lonely souls. Shouldn’t two lonely people hold each other close for warmth?" Constantine Stewart paused and continued, "If you truly sympathize with me, then provide me a home, a warm home."