Leon had also noticed Abigail’s unusual behavior, and the corners of his mouth curved up ever so slightly.
He had honestly thought Abigail was bold and fearless. But seeing her avoid showing her ankle and dodging the gazes of passersby, he realized that despite her carefree demeanor, she was, in the end, just like any other girl.
To spare Abigail any further embarrassment, Leon quickened his pace. Soon, the two of them were close to the entrance of Pierre’s General Store.
Suddenly, Abigail patted Leon on the shoulder. “Alright, Leon, put me down. I can walk this last stretch myself.”
“Don’t push yourself.” Leon looked at her with concern. “I can carry you inside. As long as we explain to your parents, they won’t misunderstand.”
“No.” Abigail hadn’t forgotten their bet, so her answer was firm. “I can really walk on my own.”
“You’re so stubborn.” Leon sighed helplessly, but still respected her wishes and set her down.
Just as Leon was about to offer his arm to help her walk back, Abigail—now with both feet on the ground—bolted forward like a runaway horse.
Her quick and agile movements showed no trace of an injured ankle.
In the blink of an eye, Leon saw Abigail standing at the glass doors of the store, waving triumphantly and calling out, “Ha! I got here first. I win!”
As if that wasn’t enough, she even stuck out her tongue at him, basking in her victory.
Leon finally realized he’d been played. But what could he say now? If anything, he could only blame himself for being too kind-hearted.
Zhang Wuji’s mother was right—pretty women are liars.
Muttering to himself, Leon shot Abigail a middle finger before walking over.
“Ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?”
“What’s that? Never heard it.” Abigail shook her head.
So Leon gave her a brief version of the story. When he finished, he asked, “So, what did you learn from it?”
“That it’s fine to lie, just don’t do it too often,” Abigail replied earnestly.
“Your literature teacher must have been the gym teacher.” Leon sighed again and raised another middle finger at her.
“Huh? What’s literature?” Abigail blinked in confusion.
“It’s like your book club—the one that teaches reading, writing, and thinking skills,” Leon explained.
“Oh. Well, I never really studied that much. I don’t like reading.” Abigail finally understood what he meant, though she clearly wasn’t interested in the subject.
“Forget it. Let’s go inside. I lost this time.” Leon gave up on the conversation. Talking to Abigail really was like a scholar arguing with a soldier—logic was pointless.
Before going in, Leon took the Calico Desert specialties Abigail had bought from his System Backpack, so Pierre and Caroline wouldn’t be startled by him pulling them out later.
With Abigail leading the way, they stepped inside. Most of the lights were already off, leaving only a few dim ones to illuminate the aisles so customers wouldn’t bump into shelves.
“Dad always does this before closing. Says it saves electricity,” Abigail explained awkwardly when she noticed Leon looking around.
“Yeah, makes sense.” Leon nodded. The older generation loved doing this—he’d seen it before and knew the real reason well enough.
“After all, waste is shameful, right? Welcome, Leon.”
Pierre emerged from the shadow of a shelf, greeting Leon warmly.
“Good evening, Mr. Pierre,” Leon replied politely.
“Caroline has dinner ready. We were just waiting for you two. Let’s head to the kitchen.”
Pierre stepped forward, taking the bag from Leon with a smile. “So many gifts—you shouldn’t have.”
“Uh, these are Abigail’s purchases,” Leon explained kindly. Pierre froze on the spot.
Fortunately, Abigail quickly stepped in. “One of those bags is from Leon.”
That smoothed Pierre’s expression considerably, and his smile returned.
While Pierre went to put the items away, Leon teased Abigail. “Does it feel good to fool your dad?”
“It’s not lying. One of the gifts really is for you. I just paid for it.” Abigail smiled. “I knew you’d forget to bring something, so I got it in advance. Aren’t you touched?”
“Considering how thoughtful that is, I’ll forget about you tricking me earlier.” Leon hadn’t expected such foresight from her, and he couldn’t help but look at her in a new light.
“Of course. He’s my dad. I know him well. If you came empty-handed, he’d definitely feel bad for Mom after she went to the trouble of making such a big dinner for you.” Abigail stuck out her tongue again.
“Alright, let’s get to the kitchen. It’s too dark here—it’s kind of stuffy.”
With that, Abigail grabbed Leon’s arm and led him onward.
Her home was indeed spacious. Besides the store’s 300-square-meter storefront, there was also a private living area with a 200-square-meter open hall—probably where Caroline did her aerobics.
The kitchen was no small place either, over 50 square meters—bigger than Leon’s whole cabin.
That confirmed it. Abigail really was a rich girl, and Pierre’s General Store had brought the family a comfortable income.
In the dining room, Leon saw an elegant, beautiful middle-aged woman busy at the stove.
Her long green hair framed a fair, delicate face. If not for the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, he might have mistaken her for a woman much younger. This had to be Abigail’s mother, Mrs. Caroline.
“Mom! I’m back!” Abigail rushed over to help.
“Go wash up for dinner,” Caroline said first before turning to Leon with a warm smile.
“Oh, so you’re Leon. I’m glad you could come visit. Such a handsome young man—very nice, very nice.”
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