Every time she'd asked him why he wouldn't go out with her—did he already have a girlfriend—he'd answered calmly: no, just too busy with work, no time. And now this? Not only did he have a girlfriend who had moved in with him, but they were even going on vacation together. Screw his "no time" excuse. He just doesn't want me! Seeing the door open but hearing no one speak, Darcy couldn't help but crane her neck to look toward the entrance. "Who is it?" Her voice seemed to break the spell. Catherine, who had been holding back, couldn't contain it any longer. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she looked on the verge of sobbing. Darcy was taken aback. She shot a silent, questioning look at Lucian. Who is this? Why is she crying all of a sudden? Did you do something to her?Lucian looked just as confused. I didn't. I have no idea. Seeing the two of them trade looks without a word—so in sync it was like they'd known each other forever—Catherine felt even worse. She pointed at Lucian's nose and demanded, "So you kept refusing to go out with me because you think I'm ugly? You're just like the others, thinking my freckles are gross?" Only then did Darcy take a closer look at the girl under the dim hallway light. Catherine did indeed have a face full of freckles, but they weren't ugly at all. They were distinctive, making her memorable. Darcy sighed inwardly. For love, so many women become blind to their own unique qualities and end updenying themselves. Can't see the forest for the trees. She was about to tell Catherine that her freckles were actually quite charming when the girl suddenly stomped her foot in frustration. "Asian men always go for girls like her — pale, delicate, and utterly bland!" Catherine scoffed, her gaze flicking dismissively toward Darcy. "You men all go for that saccharine, empty-headed type like her! I thought you were different from the rest—but you're no better at all!" The "her" was unmistakably referring to Darcy. Darcy's expression instantly cooled. So, to get at a man who doesn't want you, you resort to putting down another woman? And here I was about to call you cute. Not cute at all. "She's not an empty-headed woman, Catherine. Show her some respect," Lucian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous chill as he shot Catherine a cold look. He was usually cool to everyone, yet still a gentleman. This was the first time Catherine had seen him lose his temper like that. His words hit hard—colder and harder than Londyn's weather. Catherine shrank back a little, her voice muffled. "Whatever. You're just shallow. You look down on me." Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't. To me, you are the landlord's granddaughter. That's all." Ah, so that's who she is. Darcy suddenly remembered the landlord muttering "no wonder" under his breath several times. He must have known his granddaughter had a crush on Lucian and thought she still had a chance, never expecting Lucian to bring home a girlfriend out of the blue. So, it was Lucian who had broken this sweet girl's heart. And now he was saying such things to her face? Darcy sighed internally. My boyfriend really is a clueless, emotionally dense brick wall. She looked back at Catherine. Sure enough, the girl's face was flushed bright red. The tears she had managed to hold back now shimmered in her eyes again. She shot Lucian one last look filled with hurt and bitterness, then covered her face and fled down the stairs without another word. Lucian closed the door and turned around, only to find Darcy standing there with her arms crossed, watching the whole scene with evident amusement. The corner of his mouth twitched. As his nominal girlfriend, was it really appropriate for her to just stand by and watch him get ambushed by another woman's confession, saying and doing nothing? Just when he thought she'd keep watching the show, Darcy said softly, out of the blue, "I finally know why I jumped into the sea." Lucian paused while rolling up his sleeves. "Why?" "Because you're way too eye-catching. You're handsome and always out and about, and every now and then, some girl shows up to cling to you. Who could take that?" Lucian let out a helpless laugh. "When am I 'out and about'? I go to work. That's it. And except for today, no other woman has come knocking. What you just said is slander." He finished speaking and immediately realized how ridiculous this was. What was he doing, explaining himself to Darcy? They weren't even in that kind of relationship. He raised a hand. "Actually, we're not even—" Thud. The bedroom door slammed shut in his face. A few seconds later, her voice came from inside. "You're sleeping on the couch starting tonight. Stay there till you figure out what you did wrong." That mouth of his never stops. I say one thing, and he always has ten comebacks. It's infuriating! Lucian froze. By the time he finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, he found bedding already laid out on the living room sofa. He couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. Fine. I was planning to sleep out here anyway. The day's travel had been exhausting, and the evening's drama had drained the last of his energy. Fatigue washed over them both, and they quickly fell into a deep sleep.The next morning, Lucian rushed through breakfast and hurried off to his firm. Before leaving, he prepared a meal for Darcy and left her a note. "If you get bored, feel free to explore the neighborhood. If you need to buy anything, just use my credit card. No pressure."