Chapter 1

The warm summer breeze gently flowed in through the French windows, playfully swaying the water-blue curtains in the bedroom, and softly brushing against Bella's long hair and skin. 

Under the breeze, Bella White sighed contentedly and stretched her body on the white sheets, sinking into a deeper and sweeter slumber. 

As time passed, the warm sunlight gradually spilled onto Bella's honey-colored skin, turning it into a beautiful shade of pink. And under the increasingly scorching sunlight, a sweet smile graced her lips. 

Summer, her favorite season, had finally arrived.

In the beautiful summer, there were clear blue skies, fluffy and chubby white clouds, brilliant sunny weather, sweet and juicy watermelons, and delicious and refreshing shaved ice...

Thinking about it, Bella couldn't help but smile happily.

As long as she thought about the summer sun, her mood naturally brightened.

This summer came early, she was really lucky.

"Knock, knock, knock..." Just as Bella was immersed in the happiness of the summer breeze, an impatient knocking sound came.

"Woof, woof, woof..." Two strong and muscular large dogs immediately rushed to the door, energetically barking at the Japanese-style sliding door.

Bella groaned. "Cotton, Snowflake, shut up."

"Cotton" was an honest and loyal Saint Bernard, only one year old but as muscular as a bull, and he was also a mischievous brute; "Snowflake" was an Old English Sheepdog, with a furry black and white curly coat, Bella found her as a dog in her sophomore year, so she should be almost five years old this year.

"Whimper..." Cotton and Snowflake simultaneously drooped their ears, pitifully turning their big heads to affectionately wag their tails at the lazy woman.

The black Bombay cat sleeping in the corner of the bed finally lazily got up, elegantly raised its butt and stretched its limbs, then walked to the side of its mistress and gently rubbed her rosy cheeks. "Meow..." Meow! Every time like this, even the sun has already warmed its butt, it still has to bother to come and wake her up. Doesn't she know it's tiring? Meow!

"Shadow, be good... let sister sleep a little longer..." Bella, afraid of being tickled, hid under the covers, thinking that it would be fine. 

"Knock, knock, knock..." The heavy knocking sound resounded again, this time with impatience and a hint of warning. 

"Woof, woof, woof..." The two large dogs stuck out their long tongues and jumped onto the bed without any weakness, excitedly trampling on their owner's delicate spine. 

"Ah..." Bella let out a miserable scream, being pressed down by their terrifying weight and unable to catch her breath, she could only raise her hands in surrender.

"Good doggies, sister's back is... about to be crushed by you, can you... move a little. Your paws? Sister promises to... get up immediately..." She pleaded desperately with a hint of anger.

"Bam!" The door suddenly swung open, and a tall and handsome man walked in brazenly. "What's going on?!"

He thought he would see something horrifying, but instead he saw this ridiculous and amusing scene, which made the corners of his mouth involuntarily curl up.

He saw the two dogs sticking out their tongues, standing heavily on their owner, looking proud and arrogant, while Bella held her head, pitifully begging for mercy, almost foaming at the mouth.

"Hey! Do you need help?" Ethan leisurely leaned against the wall and asked unnecessarily. It seems that even Cotton and Snowflake couldn't stand their owners' love of sleep.

Without him calling, Cotton and Snowflake jumped off Bella's back and ran over to him, affectionately circling around him.

"You're calling me 'hey' again! Ethan, you used to call me 'sister', why did you suddenly change? I'm two years older than you!" Bella complained with sleepy eyes.

Young people these days really have no manners.

Ethan snorted at her words. "Hmph, when you learn not to be lazy one day, I'll call you 'aunty' if you want." She's a twenty-six-year-old woman, but still acts like a child and loves to sleep, absolutely no progress at all.

Bella stretched lazily under the white sheets and sleepily asked,

"Ethan, why are you knocking on my door so early in the morning?" She decided to quickly send him away so she could continue sleeping.

"What do you mean early in the morning? It's already ten o'clock, don't you know? Now come on, get up! You lazy bug, I'm starving." Ethan walked boldly to the side of the bed and pulled away her sheets.

With the cover of the sheets gone, Bella was only left with a tank top and hot pants. When Ethan saw her half-naked figure, his gaze immediately turned deep.

"What does it have to do with me?" Bella fluttered her fan-shaped long eyelashes, trying to blink away the sleepiness in her eyes - because she really couldn't understand what his hunger had to do with her.

"I ask you, why is there nothing in your refrigerator? What's wrong with you, woman? Don't you usually eat?" Ethan had been holding back his anger.

He hadn't eaten anything since last night, and after getting up early to pack and clean the house, he had worked up a sweat. He had planned to cook a good breakfast as a reward for himself, but he was shocked to find only a shriveled apple and a half-eaten expired bread in the fridge. He could only stare in disbelief.

Bella lazily rolled over and flopped onto her pillow, her face full of confusion.

"No...isn't there still an apple?" Apples were her favorite, as they could both keep her youthful and fill her stomach. Just one bite could last her a long time, and they were only ten dollars each. It was really cost-effective.

Ethan stared at her thick black hair, which was cascading down her back, and suddenly felt a dryness in his mouth.

"That apple has been sitting there for who knows how long, and you still have the nerve to say that!" He tried to hide his discomfort with a fierce tone. "Go wash your face quickly, I'm taking Cotton and Snowflake for a run."

After giving instructions, Ethan yelled for the two overly excited big dogs to leave.

"Cotton, Snowflake, let's go."

Upon hearing their names, Cotton and Snowflake happily stuck out their tongues and chased after him.

Bella watched them leave with bewilderment.

What on earth did this strange guy wake her up for?

"Strange little imp..." Bella scratched Shadow's belly. "Isn't that right, Shadow?"

Shadow made a small rumbling sound, showing no objection.

Ethan walked a few steps and then turned back. "Also, if we come back and you haven't changed clothes yet, we'll go down the mountain and have breakfast by ourselves. We won't pay any attention to you."

"Oh, well, go ahead then!" Bella weakly waved her little hand at him. "Goodbye." After careful consideration, she still thought sleeping was more important than breakfast.

Ethan smirked coldly, knowing her reaction in advance. "Then, I'll knock on your door at seven every morning, dig you out, and tell you to go down the mountain and buy breakfast."

Bella stared at him in disbelief with her foggy eyes. "Are you kidding me?!"

"If you don't believe me, give it a try." Ethan snorted coldly and walked away without looking back.

"Demon! This guy must be a reincarnated demon..." Bella groaned and buried her despondent little face into the pillow, almost crying. "Jake, it's all because of you."

She couldn't help but recall her moment of weakness yesterday...

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"Hi! Bella, long time no see."

A handsome, cool man with a very good-looking face stood gracefully in front of the yard, with a truck parked behind him.

"You are..." Bella stared blankly at his sunny smiling face. When did she meet such a handsome guy? How come she didn't know?

"I'm Ethan!" Ethan affectionately ruffled her head and then turned around, waving at a soldier, signaling that they could start moving the luggage.

"Huh? Do I know you?" Bella opened her mouth wide, confusion filling her soft, oval face.

Ethan's tall and strong body stiffened for a moment. Then, he slowly turned around and asked in a slow, resentful tone,

"Don't you remember me?" He couldn't believe that this woman was so forgetful! Even if she didn't remember his full name, she should at least remember his appearance.

He was her first man, after all!

Bella racked her brains for a while and finally shook her head apologetically.

"Erm... I don't remember. I'm sorry, my memory isn't good."

Bella couldn't help but feel embarrassed, as she had actually forgotten about this charming guy she once knew. What a waste of being a woman!

"I'm a friend of Jake White. We used to hang out at your place a lot when we were in the military. Don't you remember?" Ethan gritted his teeth.

This woman knew exactly how to hurt a man's pride. It was really too much!

Bella immediately brightened up with her soft black pupils and responded happily.

"Oh... you're my little brother's military buddy!"

Although these energetic and passionate young men would rampage through her house every time they came, causing lots of destruction, and she still shuddered at the thought, they did bring her some fulfilling times.

Whenever they were on vacation, they either stayed at her house to eat, drink, and play, or they ventured into the mountains and sea for adventures. And without fail, they always dragged her along, causing her both distress and helplessness because she didn't really enjoy going out. She just wanted to stay at home and be a contented sleeping pig.

However, looking back now, those crazy days were quite interesting. 

"Hmm." Ethan's handsome face looked sour, not very happy about being classified as Jake's "army friend". "Come help me move things." 

Forget it! It's not the time to argue now, I'll deal with her later!

He walked through the front yard towards the tail of the moving truck. 

"Ethan, where should we put these things?" A rugged big guy, holding a heavy cardboard box, walked towards him with sweat all over his face. 

"Let's put them in the living room for now!" Ethan patted his shoulder. 

"Copy that." The big guy grinned and couldn't help but tease Bella, who still looked clueless. "Sis, how come you look more beautiful as you get older? Are you secretly keeping your beauty?" 

"Um... thank you." Bella couldn't figure out if this big guy was complimenting her or insulting her, so she politely thanked him. 

However, he does look a bit familiar! At least more familiar than Ethan, but what is the name of this big guy? 

Then, these "movers" passed by her one by one like dumplings, each one warmly greeting her, making Bella feel overwhelmed and extremely guilty. What should she do? She can't even remember half a name.

"Sister, I miss you so much!" an exaggerated guy dropped the cardboard box in his hand and spun Bella around. 

All the "movers" stopped in their tracks and stared at the clueless frog with the most disdainful eyes. How despicable! He actually dared to spin their sister around with his dirty hands in front of everyone's eyes. This appalling behavior is absolutely unforgivable.

Bella used to be their idol back in the days! Just a slight touch on her hair and they would probably be silly and laugh for ten days, and then go without washing their hair for a month. How could Ryan just do whatever he wanted without their permission? He doesn't want to live anymore, does he?

"Brothers, beat him!" someone shouted, and immediately everyone dropped their luggage and turned Ryan Mitchell's already unattractive face into a pig's head.

Bella stood there in shock. If she remembered correctly, these boys should be around the same age as her brother. In other words, their "advanced age" was already 24 years old. But why are they still so violent and childish, always fighting each other?

"Sister, why are you standing here dumbfounded? Lost in thoughts again, huh?" At this moment, Jake, responsible for driving the truck, coolly walked up to her.

"Jake, your soldier friends are fighting!" Bella nervously told him.

"Don't mind them, the more they fight, the better their relationship becomes." Jake White shrugged, looking unfazed. 

"What about Ethan?" 

Bella pointed to the person who was fighting the fiercest on the grass. "He's also down there fighting." In fact, he was the first to charge forward. 

"He's not tending to his own business, why bother getting involved?" Jake White muttered. "Sister, Ethan hasn't been doing well lately, could you take care of him for a while?"

He always found Ethan's request a bit strange, because no matter how you looked at it, he couldn't see what was wrong with Ethan. This guy was still as ambitious and accomplished as before! 

Well, even if he's not doing well, shouldn't he just stay in the South and let his wealthy businessman father take care of him? Why come all the way to the North and insist on living in their old house?

Hmm... there must be something fishy about this!

If his sister wasn't already past her prime and if Ethan didn't dislike women, he would have thought this guy had his eyes on his sister! 

"Oh, no problem," Bella's sympathy immediately overflowed. "Poor Ethan, his days must be very difficult."

Jake couldn't help but chuckle a few times. His sister probably didn't know about Ethan's background, which was why she said such funny things.

"By the way, Ethan said he will give you ten thousand yuan rent per month, so just accept it!" 

"Well, I don't think so!" Bella quickly shook her head and refused. "He is already desperate, how can I have the audacity to collect rent from him?"

"Don't worry, sister." Jake patted her arm, struggling to hold back his amusement. "Even if Ethan is not doing well, he is still better off than you. You should worry about yourself first! Don't let Cotton and the others starve."

Bella hesitated and bit her lower lip. "Alright, here's what I'll do. I'll take the money for now, and if he needs it later, I'll give it back to him."

Since her father and mother were taken to live in Canada by her elder sister, she had been living alone in this old house built during the Japanese occupation. Living alone was not a big problem, but she was worried about taking care of Cotton and the others. So she quit her job and relied on her meager savings to become a contented "rice worm".

However, every contented rice worm faces the same difficulty - lack of money, especially when she has to feed two pets with enormous appetites.

"Suit yourself." Jake let out a bored yawn. "Sister, if you have some free time, go and clean up the old room. Don't just wander around here."

Only when his sister disappeared from their sight would this group of amorous "hunting dogs" calm down.

"Me?" Bella's delicate face drooped.

"Of course it's you, I'm not the one collecting the rent," Jake couldn't help but feel both angry and amused when he saw her pitiful expression.

It's just asking her to do something, but she's showing such an exaggerated expression of being bullied.

"Oh, fine then!" Bella turned around and walked back into the house in despair.

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A gentle breeze, carrying the coolness of the mountains, blew in. The summer sun was strong and hot, making people feel pleasantly warm after being in the sun.

Bella stood in the front yard, tilting her pretty face to enjoy the sunlight.

So comfortable!

She had changed into a sleeveless green jumpsuit. The linen fabric looked refreshing, and her beautiful green hair fluttered in the wind, without any trouble of hair accessories. On her feet, she wore a pair of essential summer sandals.

"You still love sunbathing as much as ever," Ethan, panting heavily with two dogs, ran up to her and sat down.

This woman must have been a cat in her previous life, otherwise how could she love sunlight so much, as well as sleeping, especially taking naps in the sun.

"Is it strange?" Bella sat next to him with a smile on her face, and gently patted the big heads of Cotton and Snowflake with her small hand.

As soon as Cotton and Snowflake saw their owner sit down, they immediately jumped into her arms, enthusiastically licking her clean face. Bella couldn't help but laugh, her joyful laughter sounding like the clear and melodic ring of a silver bell.

"Of course it's strange, don't women usually hate sunbathing?" Ethan pursed his lips, his mood seemed to have recovered quickly, as if he had forgotten about the incident this morning.

Bella shrugged her fragrant shoulders and didn't answer him, instead she started playing with Cotton and Snowflake on the lawn.

"Wait for me, I'll take a shower and come back right away." Ethan stood up, brushed off the dust from his jeans, and coolly walked back into the house.

"Oh!" By the time Bella thought of a response, Ethan had already disappeared from her sight. "Cotton, let me ask you, why is it so troublesome to have breakfast?" She held Cotton's big head, whispering softly.

"Woof!" Cotton helplessly let out a bark.

Bella lowered her head, looking frustrated as she alternately rubbed the bellies of Cotton and Snowflake. Oh, she was really afraid that Ethan would start making her get up for breakfast every morning.

Shortly after, Ethan came back refreshed, his hair still slightly damp at the ends.

"We can go now." He held a set of car keys in his hand.

"Can I...?" 

"No!" Ethan refused her straight away. Even if he used his belly button to think, he knew that this woman must be struck by laziness and didn't want to come down the mountain.

"I haven't asked yet!" Bella blinked her beautiful eyes in confusion. Why did he refuse so fast?

"You don't even have to ask me, I can guess." Ethan's tall and straight figure stopped in front of her, reaching out to her. "Get up, stop being stubborn."

Bella angrily glared at him and reluctantly placed her small hand in his palm.

"You're so fierce, Ethan. You used to be so gentle." 

"Don't you remember me anymore?" Ethan's heart stirred, his dark and sharp eyes shining with delight.

"Even though my memory is bad, I still remember that you and the other kids used to be very good to me." What are we doing? Bella suspiciously stared at her fair hand placed in his palm, suddenly feeling like a dog shaking hands with its owner!

Ethan's handsome face darkened and he roughly pulled her up. "Idiot!"

This woman actually called him Little Rascal, it's infuriating.

Bella innocently looked at the two large dogs. How is he cursing at people?

"Ethan, your... your temper seems to be a little big!" Bella subtly hinted.

Ethan snorted coldly. "Let's go! I'm starving to death."