PAMPERED

370 Last night was a dream?

For a long time, the two of them just stood in the same spot, with Zoren hugging her from behind. He kept his head rested on her shoulder while Penny kept her gaze down. The tears in her eyes eventually dried up, replaced by softness and a small smile on her face.

“How did you know?” Her quiet voice broke the peaceful silence. “You didn’t know until now, so…

how?”

His mouth curled up. “How did you know I didn’t know until now?”

Her brows rose while he chuckled. Lifting his head, he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“It’s not that I didn’t have a hunch… or hunch is the right word for it,” he clarified calmly. “I just… I just can’t stop comparing you to the Penny I know.”

His smile widened. “When you told me we’re married, the first thing that came to my mind was… you sound like Penny.”

“Huh?”

“Penny is also direct and wouldn’t beat around the bush. You also have the same eye color. And when I thought of it, you also smelled like toast.”

“I don’t smell toast.”

“Sometimes, you do,” he pointed out, recalling those times Penny would come to meet him with a piece of toast stuck in her mouth. It was as though someone from her home ate toast not just for breakfast. O

“You reminded me of her… so much so I am torn,” he confessed. “Yet, despite all the hints and tests, you were so good at fooling me that instead of being sure, I was even more confused. So, I wanted to get to know you as you and not because you reminded me of someone else.”

Penny pressed her lips together. “I can’t approach you so carelessly, can I?”

“Since when did you know?” he asked.

“Chunchun’s birthday. Thursday.”

“You saw her?”

“Mhm. Did you buy her lie?”

“I wanted to.”

“How did you find out?”

Zoren smiled. “Renny.”

“Renny?” She looked back at him, curious. “What about him?”

“She called him Renny,” he said. “You never knew I changed his name.”

“Oh…” Her lips parted before she smiled. “Right.

The two of them stared at each other with smiles, his arms still locked around her. It took a

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370 Last night was a dream?

moment for Penny to realize he had never let her go.

“Uhm…” she cleared her throat, tapping his arm gently. “Renren, aren’t you holding me for a little too long now?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Twelve years is a long time. Holding you for ten minutes isn’t.” 5

She blinked as if she were thinking of a good rebuttal, and he blinked as if he was thinking of another good rebuttal for her rebuttal.

“Zoren Pierson, weren’t you the one who left to get treatment?” she brought up. “So technically, I was the one who waited for twelve years.”

Zoren tilted his head, his jaw on her shoulder. “But you can’t rest your chin on my shoulder if we switch spots.” 3

That was not what she meant.

Again, Penny went completely silent.

“Do you hug friends like this?” she blurted out. “As far as I recall, we’re friends, not sweethearts who fell apart.” (2)

The corners of his lips slightly curled up until his eyes were squinting. “You’re my wife, weren’t you?” 2

Penny’s face went blank. She looked away from him and then ahead, her eyes slightly dilated, her mouth partially open. More than the butterflies filling her stomach since some time ago, there was one thing she realized with such urgency.

“I need to relearn debate,” she blurted out in shock. “I have to call Grace again.”

“Haha.” Zoren laughed, tightening his embrace around her. His lean cheek squished a bit on her shoulder, finding it too comfortable to let go. “Just give me this one, Penelope.”

Her brows rose as she glanced at him, only to see his sweet and soft smile

–

her heart melted.

“I’m happy,” he expressed from the bottom of his heart. “I feel like jumping and crying because my heart feels so full, but at the same time, that would be wasting time, right?”

“How is that wasting time?” she murmured. “I won’t judge you. Do it”

“Are you dense?”

“I’m not stupid, Zoren. I know you’re trying to flirt with me, but I’m not in the mood.”

He smirked. “What are you in the mood for?”

For several seconds, she didn’t answer and just stared at him. “Seesaw,”

“Now you got me, he clicked his tongue before reluctantly letting her go. As he did so, she couldn’t help but giggle. Zoren cast her a complex look. “Can I hold you again later?”

Maybe?

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370 Last night was a dream?

Penny bit her tongue and shrugged. But before she could answer, she sensed something big charging at her.

“Sir!”

“Renny-”

“Miss Penny-!”

Slowly, Penny turned around, only to see a black figure leaping toward her. Before she knew it, Penny tumbled down and rolled on the grass with Renny hounding her.

“Ack-” Her face contorted at her fall. Fortunately, she landed on the grass, so it didn’t hurt much. Her slight shock, however, didn’t last long at the adorable panther licking and nudging her like a big dog.

–

“Wait–ah–Blacky! No, not there… it’s… Hahaha… tickles – tickles!” Penny laughed, barely able to speak a word because Renny seemed to have mastered all her tickle spots. 2

Meanwhile, Zoren stood there motionlessly. When he saw the bodyguards rushing, he raised a hand to stop them. He couldn’t see the confusion on their faces, but he could feel it.

“It’s alright,” he said. “She’s okay.”

The bodyguards stared at Penny laughing uncontrollably while the so–called vicious panther seemed to have forgotten its identity. Even so, since they were okay, the bodyguards gazed at Zoren again. Without a word, they straightened their backs and walked away to give them privacy.

Zoren watched his bodyguards leave slowly before his gaze fell on the black panther, who was literally blocking Penny from his line of sight. He listened to the excited growls of Renny and then Penny’s lovely laughter.

It made him smile.

Tonight, just when he planned to bid his friendship with that little child, what he got was the one he was waiting to hear from.

[Welcome back, Renren.]

However, he wanted to make it formal. He wanted them to do it just like how it was supposed to.

“It’s a little late,” he whispered before calling Renny to make it stop, watching the two shift their attention back to him. Zoren fixed his admiring and affectionate gaze on her before he said, “I’m back, Penny. Though not completely healed, I can still live a hundred years… as promised:

Penny pressed her lips before the small smile she intended to make became a grin.

Tonight marked the day she was back in his life.

And I hope this isn’t a dream,‘he thought as Renny resumed showering Penny with love and he listened to her unrestrained laughter. ‘Please… don’t let this be a dream, for I do not want to wake up if it is.

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370 Last night was a dream?

The new day began as usual: quiet.

Zoren slowly opened his eyes, only to meet the same ceiling he would always see first thing in the morning. Although his vision was a little clearer than in the past several weeks, his heart suddenly thudded nervously.

‘Last night…‘he panicked, his heart sinking. …was a dream?‘ ↑

His thoughts trailed off as he caught a figure from the corner of his eyes. When he turned his head, his body relaxed, and he heaved a sigh of relief at the person sleeping right next to him.

“No, it wasn’t a dream,” he whispered as he slowly rolled to his side, facing her with a smile. “Good morning, wife.” 19

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These chapters were very important and took me an entire day to finish. (I didn’t slack, I redid it many times till I’m satisfied.)

I hope you enjoy them <3