After leaving the civil affairs bureau, Averi went back to the office, and Dallas headed to school, as if it were just another ordinary day.
The rings were put away; the two of them were now considered "secretly married," so it wasn't convenient to wear them.
Before taking off the ring, Averi looked at Dallas and said, "I'll go buy a thin chain in the next couple of days and turn it into a necklace to wear instead."
Dallas knew she was just trying to keep him from overthinking. She liked his tenderness, but at the same time, it made her feel a bit embarrassed. Last night, in the heat of the moment, he'd said everything—things that should and shouldn't have been said. All the less-than-honorable thoughts he'd kept hidden were laid bare before her, and he still wasn't quite used to this level of honesty.
He pulled her hand close and kissed the back of it. "Averi," Dallas said, "It doesn't matter whether we wear the rings or not."
"Really?"
"Really?"
Dallas was about to take the subway to school, and they parted ways at the company entrance. Suddenly, Averi leaned in and whispered in his ear. It wasn't until she had walked away that Dallas finally realized what had happened. His gaze deepened as he watched her retreating figure, his face expressionless, but his ears were bright red.
She had called him "honey."
Averi seemed to sense his gaze, turned around, and flashed him a smile before stepping into the elevator.
The next few days were busy. Averi left early and came home late. By the time she remembered to ask, they had already been "married" for a week.
"Dallas, now that we're legally married, does this mean we can stop living separately?"
Dallas's eyes grew warm as he took her hand and said, "Yes." He rarely showed his emotions so openly, but the smile that spread across his face was full and dazzling, brighter than ever.
With the issue of their "separation" settled, there was still the matter of Odin.
The housekeeper said that Odin had been staying at school lately and hadn't mentioned when he'd be home. Averi thought for a moment and then sent Odin a message, suggesting they meet the next day at school.
Odin didn't reply until midnight, finally sending a message to say he had been in the library with his phone on silent. He added that he had a full schedule the next day, but would be free during lunchtime.
Averi replied: "Okay, I'll come find you for lunch tomorrow."
A long time passed before Odin finally sent the number of the building where he would be.
At 11:30 the next day, Averi showed up on time. She had only been waiting for two minutes when Odin walked out, carrying his laptop.
He understood why she was there and wasn't flustered. He gave a small smile and said, "I'm guessing you came to give me a lecture, didn't you, Averi?"
Averi asked, "Odin, what do you want to do?"
"I was just joking with him," Odin replied, "If you didn't like it, I won't do it again."
"I don't think this is funny."
Odin's expression didn't change. He asked in return, "Is he angry?"
His dark pupils gave nothing away, neither malice nor kindness.
"Averi, first of all, I didn't lie. He really does resemble Jonas Dyer a bit—both tall and both quite poor." In front of Averi, he didn't bother being subtle and went straight to the point.
"Secondly," Odin said calmly, looking at her, "If he truly loves you, he should trust you, don't you think?"
Averi smiled and stared at him, asking, "So, you're helping me test him?"
Odin didn't answer the question. After a moment, he said, "It seems he passed the test... Averi, being with you, he's going to hear a lot worse things than this. Sooner or later, he'll have to face those issues."
Averi's voice turned cold. "Odin, don't play games with me."
"Odin, I forgot my meal card. Are you going to the cafeteria? If you are, could you lend me—" A young boy wearing glasses suddenly appeared, calling out to Odin from a distance.
When Odin turned around, half-turning his body, the boy finally saw Averi. He paused for a moment, his gaze flickering between their faces, then he adjusted his attitude and said, "You... must be your sister, right? Hello, my name is Jett Baird, I'm Odin's classmate and roommate.""
"Alright, I'll see you off.""
Odin suddenly asked, "How did you know she's my sister?"
"You look very similar, especially your eyes." Jett said matter-of-factly, drawing a circle with his finger in front of his own eyes.
Cristopher was domineering, and so were his genes. His wives and lovers each had their charm—Yoselin was gentle, Teagan was bright, and Mareli was playful—but all his children looked like him. Looking at Odin alone, he did resemble a movie star more, but when he stood next to Averi, their similar eyebrow and eye shapes made it clear they were family.
Odin studied Averi's eyes for a few seconds, then fell into an inexplicable silence.
Jett sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere and, citing hunger, quickly excused himself.
Odin said, "Averi, I'm hungry too. Let's go eat first."
The two of them walked side by side toward the cafeteria, and along the way, they ran into two of Odin's classmates. They greeted Averi enthusiastically as "sister." One reminded Odin not to forget his evening basketball game, while the other asked to borrow his notes and promised to treat him to a meal afterward.
Averi was taken aback. In her mind, Odin had always been weak and in need of protection, yet she hadn't expected him to be thriving so well at school.
It turned out, in places she didn't know about, he had already grown up.
Averi's step-skirt and high heels stood out in the university cafeteria, especially with Odin by her side, drawing quite a few eyes.
The more people stared, the more silent Odin became, because the first thing everyone said when they saw her was, "Odin, is this your sister?"
"Averi, my advisor recommended me to pursue a Master's at S University," Odin said. "I've agreed."
After a few moments of silence, Averi asked, "Is there enough time?"
"Yeah, I took the test with some classmates before. My score was decent, so I can just use that. I've also got the other materials ready."
He had prepared, but never fully committed, which was why he hadn't said anything. Looking back, it seemed his subconscious had already anticipated today, which was probably why he had prepared in advance.
Another silence passed before Odin said, "If things go well over there, I'll probably continue on for a Ph.D."
Averi nodded. "Your grades have always been great, you'll be fine. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Averi, I might end up staying there and not coming back." Odin looked at her, winked, and added with a grin, "Or I might come back and fight you for the company."
Averi paused for a moment, then smiled gently, her eyes both tender and firm. "Sounds good. I'll be waiting for you to try and take it. But don't hold back—just because you're my brother doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."
Odin's lips parted as if to say something, but in the end, no words came out. In truth, the moment he saw Dallas, he understood. The reason he had said that was all out of frustration and reluctance.
After all the twists and turns, it was still the same person, making his actions seem even more despicable and futile.
He could do other things, but was it really necessary?
The time had come; he needed to wake up.
