Chapter 22 - 22 22 Return to Hometown

Words : 1353 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

22: Chapter 22: Return to Hometown 22: Chapter 22: Return to Hometown Gina Lopez never expected that James Brown would speak to her in such a tone. She was initially quite annoyed, seeing it as a massive disrespect to her status as the CEO. But upon careful contemplation of what James had said, she found his words to hold a somewhat compelling logic. In that kind of situation, if a person still thought about taking advantage, they must have immense confidence in themselves. Having come to this understanding, Gina’s expression calmed down, and she followed him out of the bedroom, to see James chatting with her parents who were all smiles, continuously praising him. Meanwhile, Emily sat beside James, looking so content and happy. Gina looked at the two of them and suddenly felt that James and her sister were quite a match. At the very least, despite Emily’s wild antics and frequent outings with friends, the number of guys who caught her fancy was very limited. She had never seen Emily gel so well with another man. The thought of Emily and James being together seemed rather nice to Gina… but no sooner had this idea formed than she dismissed it as ridiculous. Not to mention James’s modest job as a security guard, he was currently pretending to be her boyfriend. Under these circumstances, it was impossible for her parents to accept him being with Emily. “Move over a bit,” Gina said as she reached the couch and stood between Emily and James, giving her sister a little kick. Emily chuckled, “I’m not competing with you for your boyfriend, why are you acting all sour?” She scooted over, making space. Mrs. Lopez laughed and scolded, “You girl, always talking nonsense.” The Lopez sisters had fought over everything since they were kids, always demanding to have the same things. If one received something the other did not, it surely led to a fight. As they grew older and each got their own jobs, they stopped fighting so much, but competition was still ever-present. Then more visitors arrived. Little Dave, who had left earlier, had apparently spread the word about James’s act of heroism. Those who had been saved by him came to express their gratitude, earning Jonathan Lopez and his wife plenty of face. At the Lopezes’ age, they were no longer much concerned with their own achievements; they cared most about their children. As long as the kids were doing well, they could rest easy. Now that James was receiving so much appreciation from neighbors and friends, it proved their daughter had a good eye, and, of course, it also reflected well on them. Particularly, James’s act of rescuing people without seeking fame pleased Jonathan a great deal; such unexpected praise was the most satisfying. One auntie praised, “Gina really has an eye for men, finding such an outstanding boyfriend.” Mrs. Lopez immediately responded, “Hehe, I don’t care much about that. What I value most is that James is very considerate, and he’s great with household chores. He prepared the meals for the new year; this year has been the most relaxing one for me.” “Girl, you’re really blessed then, unlike my son-in-law, who acts like a lord when he’s at my place, not lifting a finger.” Mrs. Lopez’s smile grew even brighter, “As long as our children are doing well, we’re satisfied. Hehe, now that Gina has found a good match, all that’s left is for Emily. I’m just waiting for her to find a good family too.” Emily’s face darkened immediately, saying hastily, “Mom, my sister isn’t even married yet. Can we not drag me into this?” “Why not involve you? You’re only two hours younger than your sister. She’s getting married this year; you should start looking too. I’d be able to rest easy if you were married off sooner.” Emily let out a wail, “No way, mom, are you already so eager to marry off your dearest youngest daughter?” At that moment, Gina watched Emily with a sense of triumph. She knew that after bringing James home this time, it would be Emily who endured their mother’s nagging, and she herself would finally be free. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Lopez family arrived at their ancestral home in the suburbs, where Jonathan Lopez’s elderly father resided. Their grand single-story residence with five rooms was indeed quite impressive. The Lopezes had lived here for decades, with many relatives in the area. As Jonathan was the most successful member of the Lopez family, their arrival immediately drew all the “aunts” and “uncles” of the family together. And what they were most interested in was James Brown, Gina Lopez’s boyfriend. They bombarded James with questions, and he responded appropriately. However, when they learned that James was just a security guard, they couldn’t help but be somewhat unimpressed. But when Mrs. Lopez mentioned James’s heroic act of saving someone the night before, and his impressive cooking skills, coupled with his attentiveness to Gina, everyone eventually approved of James, the soon-to-be son-in-law. After the large family finished lunch, James retreated to a room on the west side and finally let out a sigh of relief. For him, dealing with this situation was even more challenging than facing terrorists. Gina and Emily Lopez were also in the room. Emily chuckled and said, “James, feeling a bit overwhelmed, are you?” James replied with a forced laugh, “Everyone is just so warm and friendly, I’m not sure if I did something wrong and embarrassed your sister.” Gina nodded and said, “You did quite well.” James chuckled and said, “Thanks for the praise, boss.” However, before James could relax for a moment, his peers dragged him into playing cards. Naturally, he couldn’t refuse, and after dinner and more games past ten o’clock, they finally let him go. The New Year is all about the festivities, especially in the countryside where the holiday spirit is even stronger; but it has to be said, it can be quite exhausting. Today, everyone was resting here. Jonathan and the others had already retired, but at this point, James was unsure which room he should sleep in. Just then, Gina came over, and James immediately asked, “Where am I staying tonight?” Searᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gina made an awkward face and led James to the west side room. Seeing the room’s condition, James immediately understood why Gina looked that way. There was only one bed in the room, with a cement floor—definitely no place to sleep on the ground again. The bed, only one and a half meters wide, would be just enough for two people. But that meant he would actually be sharing a bed with Gina tonight. “You’re not going to tell me you’re staying here too, are you?” James asked cautiously. Gina didn’t reply but went to close the door and lock it, answering James’s question with her actions. James’s breathing suddenly became rapid. Indeed, sleeping in the same bed with a beauty like Gina was a challenge—especially since she would surely not allow any liberties. This wasn’t good fortune; it was sheer torment. “You better behave, or you’ll have me to answer to,” Gina said coldly, then got onto the bed. There were two blankets on the bed, not separated, but spread out together. The rooms in the countryside were quite cold, and one blanket wasn’t enough to keep warm, so two were provided for the both of them. After getting onto the bed, Gina immediately separated the blankets. She took off only her jacket and lay down. James turned off the light and climbed onto the bed. He too removed only his jacket, pulled over a blanket, and the room quieted. But James could distinctly feel Gina’s breathing was uneven, clearly signaling that the beautiful CEO was extremely nervous, even more so than the first time they shared a room.

Chapter 22 - 22 22 Return to Hometown

Comments (0)