But he'd been standing there too long. So long that even the pampered princess couldn't help but glance at him. "You—" "It's burning." They spoke simultaneously. Cindy looked down. "Ah!!! My spicy sausage skewer!" The sausage had turned into a blackened lump. Cindy stamped her foot. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" Seriously, standing there like a statue forever and only speaking up when the food is ruined! Is this payback? It must be! Their gazes crackled with electricity. Seeing the situation was about to explode, Darcy quietly retreated two steps and headed for the villa's kitchen.At the grill, Zephyr picked up the charred spicy sausage skewer, expression unchanged, and took a bite. He chewed and nodded. "Hmm, not bad." Cindy was stunned. She snatched the skewer from his hand. "Are you crazy? It's burnt! What if it makes you sick?" Zephyr smiled, "I think it tastes fine. Really. Try it." Cindy deflated like a punctured balloon. "You don't have to do this." She felt confused, unsure what Zephyr was trying to accomplish tonight. Making up for the past? Deep down, Cindy knew holding onto the past was her own stubbornness. The only one who hadn't moved on was her. "Cindy," Zephyr said suddenly, his tone serious. "About what happened back then... I was wrong. I didn't consider your feelings, and I spoke too harshly. I'm sorry." Now, Cindy was at a loss. Her eyes darted around. "It's... it's not all your fault." "So, you forgive me?" "...Yeah." Zephyr let out a long, relieved breath. "Can we be friends again?" Friends? A bitter taste filled Cindy's chest. Friends is good. Just ordinary friends from now on. In the kitchen, Darcy was assisting Jethro. She was observant, quietly tidying things without distracting the head chef. Their coordination was seamless. The moment Jethro reached for the salt, it appeared by his hand. When he needed the black pepper, it was right in front of him. As he watched Darcy quietly washing dishes by the sink, a hint of warmth flickered in his eyes. This is the simple, happy life I imagined when I was younger. Soon, the food was on the table, along with the barbecue platter. The four sat down. Cindy enthusiastically recommended her barbecue. Jethro frowned at the blackened skewers. He looked sympathetically at his friend across the table. You suffered earlier, man. Darcy was supportive. She picked up a brisket skewer. "Looks appetizing! Let me try." But— Jethro took it from her plate. "Let me be the taste tester for something like this," he said calmly. Cindy was furious. "You're such a great brother!" To Jethro's surprise, the brisket was actually cooked through and tasted quite good. He credited this to Zephyr's excellent marinating skills. "Hmph! Don't think you're getting any more!" Cindy retorted. Watching the siblings bicker, Darcy could only smile. How old are these two? Three? After dinner, it was late. The four washed up and went to their respective rooms. Darcy slept soundly, waking at nine the next morning. They had breakfast at the villa, then headed down the mountain to pick winter jujubes. "The winter jujubes grown on this mountain are super sweet. Let's take some home," Cindy told her. Darcy was interested. The mountain air and water were pristine. The fruit nurtured by the soil here must be excellent. But they hadn't expected to see a small group already standing at the entrance to the orchard. It was none other than Zane, Zora, Hugo, Ines, and Kaia. Darcy instinctively frowned. It's like they're a set of keys—always showing up together. Zane saw them and was momentarily taken aback, then his brow smoothed. He stepped forward, greeting Jethro. "Mr. Blackwood. Happy Christmas." Jethro nodded. "Happy Christmas." Nothing more was said. Everyone entered the orchard separately. Kaia linked arms with Zora, whispering, "How come we always see Darcy with the Blackwood heir? Do you think he's interested in her?" "Impossible," Zora said, raising an eyebrow. "Forget the Blackwoods looking down on her modest background. Jethro... there's someone else in his heart." "Really? Who?" Zora leaned in and shared a piece of old gossip she'd heard. After listening, Kaia said with glee, "Good. That means Darcy will never have a chance to climb that high." The thought of Darcy becoming Jethro's wife was enough to make her sick! When no one was looking, Hugo quietly followed Darcy down a smaller path among the trees. Reaching a jujube tree, Darcy stretched to reach the fruit.The lower branches had some, but the higher ones were always riper. She stood on her toes, but still couldn't reach them.