Thursday, September 10, 2020

LM CHAPTERS 771 - 775

LM 

CHAPTERS 771 - 775







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Janell Joy was stopped by the bodyguards when she was a few meters away from him. He could see her face and her expression clearly. There was mud on her delicate face. She was probably too busy helping out that she didn't have time to care about her face.


Even though her face was smeared with mud and full of dust, she still looked cute. Her bright eyes were so attractive that she would stand out in a crowd.


This girl!


What should he do with her? He looked at her and he felt very conflicted. He could not let her do whatever she wanted. He had to tie her up and keep an eye on her at all times so that he would know that she's safe.


Janell Joy looked at the two bodyguards who stopped her and smiled sweetly at them. "Big brothers, don't stop me. I am only offering a bottle of water to Mr. President. He was here early, and he had been busy all morning. He must be very tired! As a civilian, I don't have anything else to offer him. Perhaps this bottle of water could be my way of saying thank you."


Brother? Nathaniel was alerted when he heard that word, and he frowned. 


Damn it!! He didn't want to hear her call another man 'brother' with her beautiful voice. This title should be exclusive to him.


"Let her come." When he saw her talking to another man, he didn't feel happy about it.


The bodyguards did not dare to defy his words. They moved aside so Janell Joy could walk past them. A clear path leading to her Brother Lucas!


"Thank you, brothers! I'll bring over another two bottles of water later. You must be tired too!" Janell Joy politely thanked them.


Before Janell Joy was done speaking, the two bodyguards felt that their President was staring at them with a death glare. They probably knew that he was staring at them, but they just didn't dare to look at him. They lowered their heads in silence, as if they were about to hide their faces.


Janell Joy walked towards her Brother Lucas very comfortably and confidently. She came to his side and handed the bottle of mineral water to him, "Mr. President, you've worked hard. I don't have anything valuable to offer you, so please accept this bottle of water. You have to save the victims, but you also need to take care of your body. Your family and those who care about you will also worry about you."


She spoke sweetly, but there was an implicit meaning behind her words. She suggested that if he did not take good care of himself, she would be very worried.


"Alright, thank you!" He took the bottle of water and smiled at her, but his smile was different from the usual smile when he was with her. 


It seemed like this was his "fake" smile that he would put on when he was with others.


"Mr. President..." She was already shorter than him, and at this moment, she was standing in a lower ground than he was. She had to look up the entire time she spoke with him.


Nathaniel bent down slightly as he noticed her discomfort, as he wanted her to look him in the eyes. "What do you want to tell me?"


Janell Joy turned her gaze away and looked at his left shoulder. At such a close distance, she could clearly see that his clothes were stained with blood..


"Mr. President, I just told you that the people's lives are important, but your life is important too, because you are the pillar of the country. If you fall, your people would worry even more, so you must protect yourself first." 


As she saw that he was injured, she clearly felt very distressed, but she tried her best to speak with him objectively. Deep down, she could not wait to tear his clothes away and see how bad were his injuries. She knew she couldn't do so. At this time, he was the President of a country, not her Brother Lucas.


"Are you with the medical team?" Nathaniel was not in the mood to listen to what she said. He only wanted to keep her by his side.


"Yes, I am. If you are injured, I can help you treat it." Janell Joy nodded hard. Brother Lucas spoke about her, and she became really excited.


"Then come with me." After that, he turned around and left.


"Ah..." Janell Joy was stunned for a moment and followed behind him. 


"Okay. Mr. President, if you need anything, you can tell me. I'm here to help you."


He was walking ahead comfortably, but she was chasing behind him. She had to walk very fast to catch up with his pace. Along the way, the roads after the earthquake were bumpy and uneven, but she seemed to be hopping cheerfully as she walked.


She was so happy that she almost forgot what she was doing. She didn't even notice when he stopped, so she bumped into him.


"Ouch..." Her nose hit his back, which was so painful that she almost burst into tears. She really wanted to cry out loud to gain some care and attention.


"Are you okay?" He turned around and instinctively reached out to touch her nose. His movements were very gentle and appeared very natural. This reaction was not typical of an innocent interaction between a President and a civilian.


"I'm fine." She pushed him away and took two small steps back to keep a distance from him.


There were many people everywhere, and there were also many reporters. If they were photographed together by others, it might affect his reputation. She did not want to ruin Brother Lucas's hard-earned reputation.


"Follow me," he said.


He brought her into a tent set up for resting. The tent was set up simply, and inside, there were a small table and two small benches. 


On the table, there were two packets of instant noodles, a cup, a kettle, and a first aid kit. It was a simple tent, with really simple items inside the tent. No one would have imagined that this was where the President rested.


Their Mr. President was such a humble man. That must be the reason why he won the love and support of his citizens.


Janell Joy was sighing deeply in her heart. However, he needed to tend to his wound. "Mr. President, take off your shirt first."


"Take off my shirt?" He raised his eyebrows and asked. 


What was she thinking? Did she think that he brought her here because he wanted to do something to her? Janell Joy looked at her very innocently.


"Mr. President, if you don't take off your shirt, how can I treat your wound?"


It turned out that her Brother Lucas had bad intentions in his mind. When she asked him to take off his shirt, did he think that she wanted to do something?


"How do you know that I'm injured?" He did not want her to know much and did not want her to worry about him. Perhaps, she would not worry about this stranger who had nothing to do with her.


"You're indeed injured. Why can't you let me know?" Did this person think that she was blind? Did he think she couldn't tell the difference between mud and blood on his shirt?


"Put this on, and use this. From now on, you have to disinfect your body every half an hour in the medical room." He handed her a raincoat and a mask. 


"The weather is gloomy, and it may rain at any time. You have to take care of yourself and don't catch a cold again."








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Janell Joy took the things the President handed to her and nodded respectfully. "Mr. President, I will do what you said. I will take good care of myself, I won't let myself get hurt, I won't catch a cold, and I won't let those who care about me worry about me, but..."


"No buts." Nathaniel Cooper interrupted her harshly. He approached her and helped her put on the raincoat and the mask. 


"And most importantly, you must remember that you are not allowed to leave my sight from now on." He always put on a gentle look when he was with her and also when he was facing the public. 


Janell Joy thought that he would never have any angry side to him. But at this moment, he spoke so harshly to her and even ordered her. Was he really the Brother Lucas who loved her a lot?


His voice was harsh because he loved her and cared about her. If he was with someone he didn't care about, he would still put on the calm expression he always had on his face.


"Mr. President, why are you so good to me?" She was in a good mood so she asked casually.


Nathaniel's hand froze slightly as he was about to wipe her face with a wet towel. Then, he put the wet towel in her hand. "Wipe your face first."


"Mr. President, a dirty face is just a small matter. Being injured is a serious matter. If you want me to listen to you, please let me have a look at your wound first." She leaned over to him and said.


The more he hid his injury away from her, the more worried she was. "It's just a small injury. The doctor has already treated it for me." 


Since she already asked several times, if he ignored her again, it would only make her more worried. Hence, he just answered her quickly.


Would a small injury stain the whole shirt with blood? Please, Mr. President! Even if you want to lie, can you lie decently? She was no longer the four-year-old child she used to be. Was it that easy to lie to her?


"Mr. President, please let me have a look." She pulled his sleeve and flirted with him slightly. She knew all men would like this side of her.


She thought that Brother Lucas would like it too. Nathaniel did not know how to respond to her anymore. He shook his head helplessly and said, "Little girl..."


Janell Joy interrupted him. "I'm not a little girl. I have a name. My name is Janell Joy Carter. You can call me Janell."


He couldn't reconcile with her publicly because of his special identity. He still wanted to pretend in front of her by calling her "little girl", but she was indeed his Janell!


Since he could not reconcile with her, then they could try to get to know each other again.


"Little..."


"If you call me little girl again, you are not allowed to call me Janell anymore. You can call me Janell Joy just like everyone else!" Janell Joy was getting agitated over his resistance.


Her words really had a threatening effect. Nathaniel frowned, but he really didn't dare to call her 'little girl' anymore.


She looked down and put on a serious face. "Mr. President, take off your shirt and let me see your wound."


"Janell Joy, did anyone ever teach you the boundaries between a man and a woman?" Nathaniel replied to her with a gloomy face.


She was being coquettish because she cared about him, but he felt that she shouldn't be so close to him. In his mind, she didn't know that he was her Brother Lucas yet.


"Mr. President, please tell me, what did I do to make you misunderstand my intentions and actions?" She knew clearly that he would say such hurtful words because he didn't know that she knew of his identity already, but when she heard his words, she still felt hurt.


Nathaniel did not respond to her question. She did not give him a chance to explain and continued, "You're not saying anything, so that meant that I didn't cross any boundaries here, yes? If I really did something that offended you personally, I'd like to apologize to you. Please don't misunderstand my intention, because I have someone that I already like and I will never like you."


In fact, she wanted to shout at him loudly, "Are you a stranger? When you secretly kissed me last night, why didn't you think you were a stranger then?"


"When you helped me to put on my raincoat and ordered me not to leave your sight, why didn't you see yourself as a stranger then?"


"Hmph, when you want me, you can do whatever you want to me. You do and say whatever you want, whenever you want."


Of course, she could only grumble in her heart. If he knew that she knew his real identity already, he would definitely deport her back to New York.


She didn't want to go back to New York. She wanted to be with him. When he could finally reconcile with her publicly, she would be his Janell.


She predicted that Brother Lucas would feel bad after hearing her words. However, Nathaniel's heart was full of joy because she said that she had someone she liked, and that person was her Brother Lucas.


"I'm only persistent in treating you because it is my duty. I represent this nation by volunteering my time and effort here to treat those who in need. If something happened to you, I have failed my job." Even while being angry, Janell Joy still didn't forget about his injuries. After all, she was still her Brother Lucas. She was willing to look past his mistreatment. 


Nathaniel sat still and did not take off his shirt. Janell Joy was getting a little impatient. "Mr. President, I'm just curious, but do you have anyone you care about?"


"Besides your people, is there anyone you care about personally? If there is, please do this for the people you care about or those who care about you. If you don't want them to be worried, just let me have a look at your wound."


As Janell Joy gave her motivating speech, Nathaniel realized that she was good at persuading and negotiating. He had no choice but to take off his shirt. When he did so, the white gauze that had been stained with blood appeared in front of Janell Joy.


The gauze and bandage on his shoulder had turned red, and Janell Joy's heart dropped. She felt that something was piercing through her heart. 


She bit her lips and suppressed her distress and sadness. She tried to calm herself down and said, "Mr. President, please sit down first. I'll change the dressing for you."


It was rare for him to listen to her, he sat down on the stool as she removed the bandage and gauze. As soon as she removed the bandage and gauze, she saw a deep, long cut on his shoulder. 


The wound had been applied with medication, and it was also stitched. Perhaps he was busy moving around the whole time and didn't rest much, the stitches had already been torn and blood was still flowing.


"It's just a small injury. The doctor had treated it for me earlier. It's alright." He said calmly. He seemed unbothered by the injury.


"Shut up!" She yelled at him. Even with such a deep and long wound, he seemed so unbothered. When would he learn to prioritize his needs first?


Even if she was angry, she cared deeply for him. Janell Joy worked swiftly. Her movements were agile and skilful as she helped him clean his wound. She was gentle, so he could barely feel anything when she treated the wound. 


While cleaning his wound, she said, "Mr. President, if you feel pain, don't suppress it and please let me know. I'll try my best to be gentle."


"It doesn't hurt at all." In the past, he almost lost his life to protect her. He didn't feel pain at all then. This little injury was really nothing for him.


"Hiss—" Just as he said that, he suddenly felt pain.


"I thought you said that it doesn't hurt? Is everything okay?" She glanced at him coldly. She pressed hard on his wound on purpose. She wanted to remind him about pain. 


Everyone had the right to express pain. She didn't want him to suppress everything in his heart just because he's a President. He was just a mortal being at the end of the day, like everyone else.







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"It's my tooth! It hurts." Nathaniel Cooper responded defiantly. He was unwilling to reveal his pain from the wound in front of Janell Joy Carter.


"Mr. President, is your tooth on your shoulder? Or do you think that I am only four years old and would believe your little lie? Do you think I will believe whatever you say?" She was agitated that he responded to her like she was a gullible child. Besides, even if she was very young at that time, she was also very smart. No one could fool her easily. 


Nathaniel stopped speaking. He was amazed that Janell Joy was so wise and honest. Janell Joy went back to being gentle with her movements. She picked up the bandage with a pair of pliers and sterilised it with alcohol. She continued to clean the wound before putting the new bandage on.


"Mr. President, do you have someone you care about?"


"Yes." Of course he had. That person was very near to him, but now he couldn't hold her in his arms. He couldn't tell her that she was the person he cared about the most.


She was done cleaning his wound and applied some medication on it. "You're injured so badly and still insist on working, have you ever thought about how would that person feel?"


"I..." At present, he really didn't think so much about it. He only wanted to figure out the best way to rescue his citizens. 


He didn't think about what would happen if the little girl knew about this. Perhaps it wasn't because he didn't think about her, but he thought that the little girl wouldn't know about the work here if she stayed in Coast City, safe and sound. 


He was young and healthy. With such a small injury, he would be fine soon. When he returned to his little girl's side, everything would be fine.


"Mr. President, if you didn't think about it before, that's alright. But if you think about the person you care about, you will cherish your life more," she added.


After she applied some medications, she took a clean bandage to wrap his wound. Her face looked so young, but she spoke wisely. 


He knew that she just turned 18 recently. However, with her words and wisdom, she sounded older than she looked.


"Then do you know that there are tens of thousands of people waiting for me to save them?" His nation was his responsibility. He chose this path, so he could not just ignore those people who were waiting for him to save them.


"Even if a lot of people are waiting for you to save them, you have to protect yourself and take care of yourself so that you can continue to protect the people you want to protect." After she said that, she felt a lump on her throat. 


"Brother Lucas, you wouldn't know how afraid I am. I'm so worried that you'll get hurt, then | will never get to see you again." She thought in her heart.


"I missed you for 14 years and looked forward to growing up quickly every day because I want to be with you as soon as possible."


"Now that I have finally come to you, you haven't publicly and officially reconciled with me yet. If something happened to you, do you know how sad I will be?"


These words were what Janell Joy hid in her heart and wanted to say to her Brother Lucas out loud, but she knew that it was not the right time.


Nathaniel took a deep breath. "If... I mean if..."


"If what?" Janell Joy was anxious. Before he could finish, she continued, "Just tell me. I'm not as narrow-minded as you. I won't easily misunderstand others."


"If the boy you like is of my identity and status, and he was injured because of his work instead of following through your words, would you understand his decision and acknowledge his efforts?" 


After that, Nathaniel held his breath and waited for her answer. How would she answer that?


In the past, he thought he knew her very well and knew almost everything about her. However, after getting along with her for a few days, he realized that his understanding of her was far from enough.


The little child who used to lie in his arms and played with him coquettishly, had really grown up. Now, she was much more excellent than what he thought she was. 


What did he mean 'if'? He was the person she liked. Janell Joy rolled her eyes and said, "Obviously, I would understand him, but I will not forgive him."


Nathaniel asked in a hurry, "Why?"


Janell Joy wrapped his wound up as she replied, "If he gets injured, I will be very sad. He told me that he will keep me happy every day, but he broke his promise. Why should I forgive him?"


Nathaniel's eyes turned gloomy. "I understand."


Janell Joy was anxious. "What do you understand? I'm not done yet."


His eyes lit up again. "What else do you want to say?"


"I want to tell my Brother Lucas... I told you before about him, so I think you still remembered him." She stopped what she was doing momentarily. She glanced at him and continued, "But, if he is my Brother Lucas, no matter what he does, I will still forgive him."


He asked again, "Why?"


She replied, "I don't need any reason. It's just because he's my Brother Lucas." She would be good to him unconditionally. No matter Brother Lucas's loyalty, she would still hold him in high regards in her heart.


"Just because he is your Brother Lucas." Nathaniel repeated her words and suddenly felt a little worried. He thought that she had already confirmed that he was not her Brother Lucas. What if he told her that he was her Brother Lucas one day, would she be disappointed?


"Mr. President Secretary Hart" suddenly rushed in. He was very surprised to see that Mr. President was sitting so calmly as a young girl treated his wound. For a moment, he forgot what he wanted to say.


"What's the matter?" Nathaniel glanced at him and asked, "Who is in charge of the rescue team now?" 


Secretary Hart responded respectfully. "Chuck is in charge of work in the central area, Noah is in the east, while Maine and Hadley are helping out in the west. They're experienced in dealing with rescue and disaster relief work. Everything should be fine."


"Alright, very well." Nathaniel was satisfied with his answer, "Let them know that they need to protect themselves first. The safety of the people is important, but their own lives are also important."


"So, you know that everyone's life is important. I thought you didn't know that." Janell Joy, who had been silent, suddenly interrupted their conversation.


If he knew that others' lives were important, why didn't he know that his own life was also important?


"Mr. President..." Secretary Hart glanced at Janell Joy and looked slightly angry at the insignificant medical staff volunteer. However, Mr. President did not reprimand her, and he couldn't either. 


He realized that the President, who was usually very strict with working standards, seemed to be particularly tolerant of this little girl. 


When he was walking over earlier, he heard a few whispers from the President's bodyguards, as they said that the President had brought a young girl called Little Jar to his tent.


The President had just taken office, and his reputation was very important. He needed to maintain his image and reputation of being the people's President, and he needed to be particularly careful about igniting unnecessary rumours. He would not be so careless as to do something that would destroy his career for a little girl who was so unimportant.


"Secretary Hart, is there anything else?" Nathaniel ignored Janell Joy's remarks and shifted the attention back to his secretary.







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The President didn't get mad at the little girl, so Secretary Hart couldn't interrupt either. He continued to report the situation, "Because of the earthquake, the surrounding roads within the radius of a few miles were ruined. The vehicles that transport the goods couldn't get in, so they were carried in very slowly. Many planes had been sent to airdrop the supplies too, but they couldn't send so much in such a short time."


After a while, Secretary Hart turned his head around and glanced outside. "Mr. President, it's getting dark soon, and it's raining outside. We haven't decided on tonight's plan for the people."


The concerns raised by Secretary Hart were all significant problems that had to be solved after the earthquake. The people's hopes were all on Mr. President. He came to the disaster area, so he needed to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the citizens here.


He said, "Take my tent and also the tents of other officials and distribute them to the people. Distribute our food and water too. Take care of the elderly citizens and children first. Remind the younger and healthier individuals to compromise a little if there are not enough food."


He raised his wrist and looked at the time. It had been more than ten hours since the earthquake, and the relevant departments began to prepare supplies already after receiving the news of the earthquake.


He estimated in his mind, "Tell everyone that there will be enough supplies delivered to us latest by tomorrow morning. Don't panic, as we have tens of millions of people who will support us."


"Yes, I'll pass the message right away." After receiving the order, Secretary Hart turned around and left.


As soon as Secretary Hart left, Janell Joy was done with wrapping Nathaniel Cooper's wound up. "Mr. President, I have wrapped your wound up for you."


"Okay, thank you!" He picked up the dirty clothes that he had just taken off and put them back on, completely ignoring the mud and blood on his shirt.


"Can't you slow down?" Janell Joy looked at him worriedly as he raised his arm and put on his clothes. "Your stitches were torn once. If you don't take care, you may tear it again... Since you don't care about pain, then be wary about possible infections. Think about how sad the person you care about will be."


Since he did not want to take good care of himself, then she would use herself as a bait.


Bad guy! Men are all bad guys indeed! They only cared about themselves, as they do not care much about others' feelings.


Her father was like this, so was her Brother Lucas. Suddenly, she was annoyed by the two of them. If she could, she wanted to change her father and also her Brother Lucas away to men who would acknowledge her worries and fears.


"Thank you, Dr. Carter, for helping me with my wound. I will remember this." He instinctively reached out to pat her head gently. Then he realized that it was inappropriate, so he quickly withdrew his hand. He glanced at her and saw that she didn't show any unusual expression, so he was a little relieved. 


He didn't know that Janell Joy felt the same way as he did. The way he rubbed her head was normal for her, why would she feel surprised.


"Mr. President, I'll go out for a while." She did not wait for his response, and she turned around and left.



When she ran out of the tent and saw the two bodyguards who stopped her not long ago, she smiled at them and said, "Brothers, are you guys always with Mr. President?"


The two of them glanced at her, but they did not dare to respond. They didn't forget their President's fierce gaze when the little girl called them "brother" not long ago.


"I don't mean any harm. I just want to ask you how did Mr. President's shoulder get injured?" She could not ask the President directly as he wouldn't admit anything to her, yet she was very curious about what happened so she could prevent this from happening again.


However, no matter how adorable she looked, the two bodyguards stood still like statues. They did not move at all. She couldn't get anything out of them. She needed to think of another way. She must know how did Brother Lucas get injured.


As soon as she left, Nathaniel came out. He glanced coldly at the two bodyguards and said, "You two don't have to follow me anymore. Help the rescue team over there."


The two bodyguards felt conflicted in their hearts. They didn't do anything wrong, and they didn't respond to 'Little Jar' either. Why did Mr. President punish them?


"Secretary Hart!" Janell Joy ran up to him, "Can I have a bit of your time?"


"What is it?" The tone of Secretary Hart did not sound very kind, and at the same time, he scanned her from head to toe. He thought that this young girl looked like someone that couldn't endure any hardships at all.


"The signal's still down, and we can't make any phone calls. Is it okay if I use your official phone line for a while?" She could have bothered her Brother Lucas if she wanted to make phone calls.  However, she didn't want Brother Lionel to know what she was going to do, so she had to secretly ask Secretary Hart.


Among the people around Mr. President, she had only met with Secretary Hart. She thought that he would agree for her to make a phone call.


Unexpectedly, when Secretary Hart heard what she said, he didn't immediately put on a straight face and responded, "Little girl, we are in the disaster area. Every phone call we make is essential and vital, it's not meant for you children to fool around with."


Janell Joy talked to him politely, yet he responded rudely. In fact, she had been here for such a long time now. In order to treat the wounded, she was so busy that she barely had time to breathe. How was she fooling around?


Janell Joy had always been a reasonable person. If you talked to her nicely, she would be polite. If you treated her rudely, she wouldn't just stay idly by.


"Secretary Hart, you are the secretary of Mr. President. Your words and actions don't represent your identity, it represents Mr. President's. I can forgive you for talking to me with this attitude, but please remember that you should be polite to other people in the future. I won't allow anyone to smear the President's image." 


Her righteous words stunned an experienced official like Secretary Hart, and he was at a loss for words. "Secretary Hart, do you hear me?" She insisted on getting Secretary Hart's reply.


"I know." As she appeared tough, Secretary Hart took a step back. He knew her words were right.


Maxton Hart worked as the secretary of the President, and he was in charge of relaying Mr. President's messages. He was an extension of Mr. President. In other people's eyes, the way he spoke and his attitude represented Mr. President's work and image.


"So, can I make the phone call now?" In fact, she still insisted on making her call.


"Do as you wish." Secretary Hart was much more polite to her.


"Thank you!" Since Secretary Hart was very polite, Janell Joy treated him with a smile. 


She remembered her Uncle's words. He encouraged her to smile more as smiling could potentially change the outcomes of one's work.







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Janell Joy would remember every advices that were taught by the elders in her family that she thought was useful. She could apply a lot of their advices in her life.


For example, her Uncle was a psychologist. When she was young, her Uncle always used her as his 'lab rat'. After a long period of time, she could guess what most people were thinking, but often it was not accurate.


Janell Joy wanted to call Andrew Carter. Although she was very unhappy with him, he was the only one who could help her get supplies to help Brother Lucas. In order to help Brother Lucas, she would go to the ends of the Earth for him without hesitation.


"Janell Joy, you really went to the disaster area." After the call was connected, even if the caller ID was hidden, the person on the other end of the phone knew who she was immediately.


"Have you prepared the supplies that I asked you to prepare?" Although she had a fight with him the night before and hung up the phone, she knew that he would help her regardless.


For so many years, it seemed that he had always been like this. He would do everything she asked him to do, but she had to listen to some of his nagging.


"If I said no, what will the almighty Miss Carter do to me? Are you going to ignore me all your life, or have you thought of other ways to deal with me?" Andrew spoke very calmly, but she was in a hurry. 


When she heard his tone, she really wanted to beat him up. "Have you prepared them or not? There are a lot of places that don't have enough water, tents, and thermal jackets in the disaster area." 


There was a light drizzle, and the sky was getting darker and darker. If they didn't get the supplies in time, many people would freeze tonight, so Janell Joy was anxious.


"Ten helicopters are going to airdrop the supplies soon. It's almost time." Before Andrew finished speaking, several helicopters flew over from the sky. The helicopters were different from the military's helicopters. Janell Joy counted ten helicopters, so they must be arranged by Andrew. 


"It seems like the helicopters have arrived. Take good care of yourself and help Brother Lucas out. You don't have to say thank you to me. Anyway, these are from Shengtian, not me." Andrew continued to explain.


"Thank..." Just as she wanted to thank him, Janell Joy swallowed her words back. Forget it, he didn't even want her gratitude. Why should she say so much?


"Secretary Hart, a kind organization sent some supplies over. Send people over to retrieve them." Janell Joy hung up the phone and urged Secretary Hart.


Secretary Hart had also heard what she said on the phone just now. He really wanted to know which kind organization could work this efficiently and graciously?


They had ten helicopters over to send supplies at such a crucial time. It was really a huge relief for them. "Little Jar, what's the name of this organization you mentioned?" Secretary Hart needed to know as he would need to provide a huge reward to the organization to encourage more companies and organizations to do good deeds for their citizens in the future.


Janell Joy smiled sweetly and said, "Secretary Hart, you really want to know?"


Secretary Hart nodded. "Yes, of course."


Janell Joy took the opportunity to request something, "Then, you have to tell me one thing first."


Secretary Hart asked, "What is it?"


"How did Mr. President get his wound on his shoulder?" She seemed adamant to get her answers.


"It was during the biggest aftershock earlier today." Secretary Hart spoke the truth as he didn't think that it was a shameful matter.


"How?" Janell Joy was a little shocked. She had personally experienced the aftershock earlier, so she knew how terrible it was.


"When the aftershock happened, Mr. President and a few soldiers were rescuing a young man whose body was buried. Unexpectedly, at that time, the aftershock came, and everything shook and cracked. He saw that a huge stone was about to fall on the trapped young man, so Mr. President used his body to block the stone for him." 


As he recalled the story, Secretary Hart's face turned slightly pale. It was a really dangerous act.


"I see." Janell Joy felt sad as she listened to his story. Most people's reactions would be to protect themselves in a dangerous situation, but under such circumstances, those who saved others were true heroes.


Her Brother Lucas had a high position and status, but he still wanted to save a young lad selflessly. He was a real hero.


Although being a hero was a very glorious thing, and it is also something that many people would encourage, but Janell Joy was selfish and she did not want him to be so brave.


The stone hit his shoulder today, but what if it hit his head instead? Then, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At the thought of such a scene, she became extremely scared. Moreover, if that really happened, she would definitely collapse.


Therefore, she selfishly asked Brother Lucas to only be her hero. She only wanted him to be her personal hero and not care about anyone else. However, Brother Lucas did not belong to her alone. He belonged to his country, and belonged to his hundreds of millions of citizens.


When she left him earlier, she advised him to have a good rest. Yet, he came out shortly to work hard with everyone again. However, when he was around, the people involved in the rescue team were even more valiant and vigorous, because they knew that the President was fighting alongside them.


"Secretary Hart, among your team, other than Mr. President, is there anybody else who can be in charge?" Janell Joy turned back and asked Secretary Hart.


"Little Jar, you haven't told me the name of the organization yet?" Secretary Hart asked as he looked at the helicopters in the sky.


"About this, actually, I don't know either. Secretary Hart, no matter who sent these supplies, please just distribute them out quickly. We must not let anyone freeze tonight. Remember, Mr. President has injuries on his shoulder, so we must let him rest… Forget it, I'll go and watch him. He could be stubborn."


She was his older brother and she was so much younger than him. But now, she acted like his mother. She was already worried about him at such a young age. What if she became so worried that she aged even quicker, then would he still like her then?


The supplies included the tents, the army jackets, and many bottles of drinking water that everyone needed most. With these things, everyone did not have to suffer from the cold tonight. Some problems were solved, and the crowd thanked the President once again.


When Janell Joy saw that everyone supported Brother Lucas so much, she was really happy deep down. She finally did something to help her Brother Lucas. 


Nathaniel turned back and saw Janell Joy standing on the small slope. She pursed her lips and smiled gently, as if she was thinking of something very happy in her heart.


He was curious to know what could make her so happy? He wanted to know curiously and he walked towards her unconsciously. Then he asked, "What are you thinking about?"


"I'm thinking about my Brother Lucas." She smiled so brightly that she looked like the brightest star in the sky. Every time she mentioned her Brother Lucas, she looked so happy.


He raised his eyebrows, "Him again?"


"Of course it's him. I like him so much that I want to be with him at all times." She knew clearly that he was Brother Lucas, but she still confessed her love out loud.


Wednesday, September 9, 2020

LM CHAPTERS 766 - 770

LM 

CHAPTERS 766 - 770






766


Janell Joy guessed that her Brother Lucas was likely to be Nathaniel Cooper, the President of Country A. She opened her eyes secretly and saw Brother Lucas's appearance clearly through the dim light in the car. Although he had applied some makeup to avoid being recognized, but he stil looked the same. 


In Janell Joy's view, nothing much about him changed. He was the Brother Lucas who she missed very much, and also the Brother Lucas that took good care of her.


She finally understood why he couldn't reconcile with her so publicly. As a President of a country, there probably was too many things that he couldn't control.


Her Brother Lucas was responsible for the growth and stability of the whole country, and he carried the heavy burden of trying to get 200 million people to live a good life in his country. Moreover, he had just taken office, so there must be many tasks and jobs for him, and he had to go through even more trouble than the others.


Thinking of his helplessness and his hard work, Janell Joy's heart ached. She leaned into his arms and reached out to hold him. Even though she had already forgotten his appearance throughout the many lost years, when she saw him for the first time, she was glad that she still recognized him at a glance.


The reason why she could recognize him was because she had been thinking about him for fourteen years. She missed him that much.


The car slowly stopped in front of the house of the Lesley family. Brother Lucas didn't know that she was awake the whole time. He got out of the car first and picked her up. His movements were very light as he was afraid of waking her up.


"Janell, let's go back to the Lesley family." He pressed her head against his chest and whispered in her ear. He wanted to assure her that she was safe.


When he carried her into the Lesley house, his pace was slow. Every step he took, he was concerned about the girl in his arms.


Since he had informed Jason Lesley in advance, Jason had already been waiting at home with his men. When he saw Mr. President coming back with the little girl in his arms, he did not look surprised.


Perhaps in the short period of time, he was already used to seeing his President treating her very well. .


"Sir, is Miss Carter asleep?" Jason glanced at Janell Joy, who was in Nathaniel's arms. 


He was a little envious of this little girl. She was born in a great family, she had family members who loved her, and a President who acted as an elder brother who would accompany her and protect her. That was all you need to be happy in life!


"You guys can rest up. I'll bring her back to her room." The sensible Jason lowered his voice so that he wouldn't wake Janell Joy up. Nathaniel's voice was even lower than his.


"Alright." Jason nodded.


Nathaniel saw Janell Joy in his arms and frowned slightly. He immediately motioned everyone not to make a sound and went upstairs with Janell Joy still in his arms. .


In the Carter family, as long as it was night time, they would leave a light on. They would prevent from a total pitch black situation at home.


After Janell Joy came to the Lesley house, Nathaniel had already ordered Jason to keep some lights on every night, especially in Janell Joy's room. The lights in her room must be on when she was sleeping.


In order to take good care of this distinguished guest, Jason arranged for someone to change the lights to a warmer tone in Janell Joy's room. Moreover, he made other preparations. In case of a sudden blackout in the house, there must be emergency lights, so that she would not be swallowed by the darkness.


She was the President's favorite person, so Jason took good care of her all the time. Nathaniel only went over to their house once when she was sick, but he seemed so familiar with the house as he walked to her room.


He cared deeply for her, and he even studied the house and her room's layout. 


Nathaniel gently put her on her bed. She took off her coat, pulled the quilt up to cover her, and then he went to the bathroom. He went back to the room with a wet towel to wash her face and wiped her hands. 


He did these things very carefully, like he was taking care of a child. In his mind, Janell Joy was always a child who couldn't grow up, and he was willing to take care of this child for the rest of his life.


"Janell, I'm sorry. I have to deal with something urgently. I can't stay with you and wait for you to wake up." 


He reached out to touch the chain on her neck and said, "Since I will not be with you, let this take my place and accompany you."


"Alright, I know. It has always been accompanying me anyway." Janell Joy answered in her heart.


"Janell..." When he called her name out, he suddenly lowered his head and approached her closer. She could sense that he was approaching as she felt his warm breath, then Janell Joy was so nervous that she couldn't breathe.


If Brother Lucas knew that she had been awake, and knew that she had seen his face and his real identity.. He would be so angry that he would throw her out of the window!


"Janell..." He called her again. She felt so weak when she heard his voice and she nearly answered him.


"Brother Lucas, what on earth are you trying to do?" She couldn't bear it. She really wanted to ask him out loud.


"Janell, can you hear what I am saying to you?" He asked her suddenly.


"I can't hear anything. I really didn't hear anything." Janell Joy wailed in her heart. Did Brother Lucas find out that she was pretending to be asleep? Or was he only testing her?


While she was answering him in her heart, her forehead was suddenly kissed by a soft and warm pair of lips. He kissed between her eyebrows, and then her forehead. But he didn't think it was enough, so his lips approached her tender lips too...


In an instant, Janell Joy only felt that there was a fire burning in the bottom of her heart... Brother Lucas was a big, bad guy!


He didn't kiss her earlier, that she needed to ask him to kiss her today. Now, he showed his true colors when she fell asleep. Hmm?


He secretly kissed her. She knew everything.


"Janell, you have to be good. Don't be mad when you wake up. I will come back to see you as soon as I am done with work." He spoke as he gently let her go.


"I know!" She answered him in her heart.


"Janell..." When he called her name again, Nathaniel suddenly stopped and reached out to touch her face. "Just give me some time, okay?"


"Okay! Okay! Alright!" Janell Joy wanted to nod desperately, but she had to pretend to be asleep. 


As long as her Brother Lionel was willing to reconcile with her, it wasn't so hard to wait for a while more. She had been waiting for more than ten years already!


After a few nags, Nathaniel left reluctantly. As soon as the door was closed, Janell Joy slowly opened her eyes. She was so excited that she reached out to touch her forehead, and then her face. She could still feel the temperature and the scent of Brother Lucas.


"Brother Lucas, you can focus on your tasks. I won't be afraid. I will wait for you to come back." Thinking of Brother Lucas, Janell Joy was so excited that she couldn't fall asleep.


"Brother Lucas, I've finally found you. You won't be able to escape anymore."


She raised her leg high and hummed a little tune. She made up a song spontaneously in her head with Brother Lucas in the lyrics.






767


She really wanted to share this happy news with someone. Of course, it couldn't be Samantha Lesley. If she couldn't share it with Samantha, then she only had her mother left.


"Mommy, what are you doing?" Janell picked up the phone and called her mother quickly.


"Baby, what time is it there? Don't stay up late every night, you need to take care of your skin. Are you not afraid that Brother Lucas would dislike you if you didn't look after yourself?" Jane Ronan spoke like a caring mother.


"Mommy, my skin is just like yours. It'll always be pink and tender. It won't get old and wrinkly." She did not mean to flatter her mother! 


Her mother was now getting older, yet her skin still looked as tender as that of a 20-year-old. When they went out together, others would say that they were sisters.


"Did you solve the problem between you and Brother Lucas?" Jane chuckled and asked gently.


Janell Joy rolled on the bed happily, "Mommy, you are so smart. I didn't even say anything, how did you know about it? Since you're smart, so I became smart too." 


This girl's mouth was so sweet today, so she must be in a good mood. Brother Lucas definitely played a part in this.


"Mommy, why didn't you ask who Brother Lucas is? Or what he looks like?" What a strange mother, was she not curious about anything?


"No matter who he is, no matter what he looks like, as long as you like him, I will support him." Jane believed in Janell Joy's ability to see through people, and she also clearly knew how much Lucas loved her Baby Janell.


More importantly, the appointment of the President of Country A was a huge news, and of course, Jane had read about it. The newly appointed President looked much more mature than he was 14 years ago, but it was still him. No matter how much he changed, she could still see that it was him.


At that time, Janell Joy was still young and could not remember what Brother Lucas looked like. However, Jane had seen the boy for such a long time, hence, she could still remember,  how he looks like.


"Mommy, I guess you still love me most, not like stinky Daddy... He doesn't care about me at all." 


She had been away for so long, but her father still ignored her. The more she thought about it, the more she felt sad.


"Honey, it's not that your father doesn't love you, but he loves you too much." Jane shook her head. She was really frustrated with the stubbornness of both the father and daughter.


How could Edwin Carter not care about her? He cared about her too much, so he was reluctant to let his daughter stay too far away from him.


"Mommy, you should go about your business then. I'm going to sleep." Janell Joy didn't want to continue to talk about her father.


She still couldn't fall asleep after hanging up the call, so she tried to find someone to chat with through online platforms. However, it was in the middle of the night now, and it did not seem appropriate.


She scrolled through her Twitter feed, and at first glance, she saw a shocking post 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake in Long Cove! Looking at this news, Janell Joy felt numb all over her body, and there was a bad feeling in her heart. 


Not long ago, Brother Lucas said something about lives and disasters in the phone. Was it related to the earthquake?


As a President of a country, it was reasonable for him to deal with such a big matter, but why did he mention about life and death? Was he going to the disaster area?


Janell Joy's hand trembled while holding the phone. She was so scared that she was in a panic.


After huge earthquakes, the aftershocks would happen frequently, and the aftershocks could be deadly too. It was very dangerous to enter the disaster area at this time, and the risks were high.


No, she couldn't just watch Brother Lucas risks his life alone. She couldn't be at ease if couldn't see that he was safe. Janell Joy read more news about the earthquake. After browsing around, she found that some volunteers had organized to go to the affected areas to participate in the rescue mission.


Not anyone could participate in the rescue mission. Those interested must be experienced, and they needed to pass a medical check.


Janell Joy had learned about rescues and first aid every year, and she had participated in a lot of self-defence activities such as saving herself from danger in the wild. 


She believed that her professional skills were definitely qualified for her to participate. She immediately turned on her computer and searched for her resume. Then, she sent it to a rescue team immediately. After she sent it, she had to wait for their reply. Waiting was a very helpless and long thing to do. 


During this period, Janell Joy checked more news on the Internet and quickly found the official news that reported that Mr. President was about to go to the disaster area.


There were a lot of praises and positive encouragements in the comments. Most of the people said that Mr. President's actions made the people feel at ease, safe, and relieved. However, there were also some netizens who sneered at him and said that the President was just putting on a show, and there was nothing substantial from it at all.


Some keyboard warriors said even more outrageous things. They said that a person like Nathaniel Cooper was too young to be elected, and that he must have secretly assassinated many people to claim the position as President.


She then saw that a bunch of keyboard warriors were barking at each other on the Internet. Some of them even said that it would be better if he didn't come back and die at the disaster area. With his death, the country would be at peace.


Janell Joy knew that these keyboard warriors would only hide in the dark to vent their dissatisfaction in their lives, and they would never dare to do this publicly.


She didn't want to get into a fight with these keyboard warriors, but this matter was related to her Brother Lucas, so she couldn't be calm too.


Brother Lucas went to the disaster area, and there would be aftershocks at any time. He was really putting himself in a life-threatening situation. At this time, those keyboard warriors were hiding in the dark and cursed him to death.


Janell Joy was so angry that she was about to explode, but she quickly calmed down and picked up the phone to call a phone number that she was not willing to call.


As soon as the line was connected, the person on the other side answered the phone immediately, but he didn't speak. She pouted and asked in a very unfriendly tone, "Um, I want to ask you something, are you still in Coast City?"


"What do you mean?" A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone. He sounded joyless and uninterested.


"Andrew, don't bully me!" He was always so mean to her. He was like this since they were little. Not only did he compete with her for love from their parents, but he even ruined her photo of Brother Lucas.


"Janell Joy, is this how you talk to your elder brother?" She heard his voice, and at the same time, she heard sounds of someone typing on the keyboard. He should be at work.


"You are not my brother. I never admitted it... Hmph..." Janell Joy could not wait to hang up the phone because she did not want to listen to his voice. But she called him because she had something she needed him to help with, so she needed to endure it.


"Tell me, what's the matter?" He knew that she needed help if she called him. Otherwise, she would never call him.


Every time she said that he was not her brother, he would not argue with her, because she was right. He was indeed not the Carter family's biological child, so he was not her biological brother. And she was the most loved daughter of her parents. 


She had been raised by her father since she was a child. Her mother was not with her when she was very young, so she gave her extra love and care after she came back.


She was loved by everyone. It was normal for her to look down on her brother, who was an outsider.






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"Are you still in Coast City or not?" He did not quarrel with her, and Janell Joy did not want to quarrel with him too. They never got along anyway, so she didn't want to care too much about him.


"What do you think?" Andrew Carter replied after a long time.


"Andrew, can you answer me properly?" Why was he like this? How would she know if he was here?


"Tell me, what's the matter?" She probably did not know that wherever she was, he would definitely be there too.


It had been like that for more than ten years now, and it never changed. Janell Joy was so anxious that she bit her lip and said, "Not long ago, there was a huge earthquake in Long Cove. Have you heard about it?"


"Yes, I've heard about it." He still spoke in a relaxed tone. It seemed that he didn't care about such a huge news at all.


Janell Joy didn't want to argue with him. She did not have the energy to. She added, "You have to think of a way to help me transport a batch of supplies to the disaster area. The situation over there right now must be very tensed, and there will definitely be food shortage and water shortage. The weather is also cold, so they must need some padded jackets..."


"Janell Joy!" Before she could finish, he interrupted her and she could tell that he was suppressing something. 


After a few seconds, he continued, "And you'll be delivering these to the disaster area, right?"


Janell Joy muttered in her heart. She never once bothered or meddled in his business, but it seemed that he could read through her every time. Actually, to know what a person was thinking, you just need to put yourself in that person's shoes and think empathetically.


For example, that was her relationship with Brother Lucas. She did not need to follow him everywhere, but she could always guess what he was thinking. This was because she thought deeply about him.


Janell Joy did not answer Andrew, which meant she admitted to his words. Andrew also understood what she was thinking, so he said angrily, "Janell Joy, do you know how many people in your family are worried about you?"


"Of course I know." When it came to her family, she felt a little guilty. She was not a child that no one loved. She was a child that many people loved. If something happened to her, what would happen to her family? 


However, as a President of a country, Brother Lucas had to go to the front line of the disaster area. She could not watch him risk himself, as she sat idly by. She wanted to do her part for him. Even if she just helped a little and she could not help much, at least she could let Brother Lucas know that she would support him by his side no matter what happened.


"I will protect myself. Don't worry about me." Thinking about this, Janell Joy no longer hesitated. She had grown up and became braver.


"You know the severity of the earthquake, and you also know that there will be aftershocks at any time. In the face of natural disasters, do you know how weak human beings are?" Andrew sounded very stern.


"I know, but I have to go. If you won't help me, then it's fine. Why are you talking so much?" She only thought of asking him to help out of desperation.


Not only did he not agree to help her, instead, he lectured her as her brother. His words implied that she would be a terrible daughter if she went to the disaster area.


She was the biological child of the family, and he was only a few years older than her. She had to address him as her elder brother and she had to be under his control. That was too much!


Andrew said feebly, "Janell..."


"Young Master Carter, take good care of yourself. You don't have to worry about me." After that, Janell Joy hung up the phone. 


She was so angry that she almost threw her phone away. In the past few years, perhaps it was because he had always used his identity as an older brother to pressure her, so she had always been dissatisfied with him.


She was always polite to whoever she talked to, but their conversations always resorted to arguments after three sentences.


He was the only one who could make her angry, and there were a few times when she was so angry that she lost her cool. 


After hanging up the call, Janell Joy was so anxious that she walked around the room. After thinking thoroughly, she knew she had no way to get the supplies. She couldn't send anything, but she could donate to the reliable organizations and have the organizations help to deliver them to the disaster area.


She didn't want to use her father's money, so she used the money that she had saved up over the years. She wanted to use her own strength to help Brother Lucas.


After the money was donated, Janell Joy also received an email from the rescue team, requesting for her to meet with the team first.


Janell Joy rushed out of the middle of the night to meet with them. After passing several regular medical tests, she became one of the official members of this rescue team. 


Long Cove, where the earthquake hit tragically, was located northwest of Coast City. It took the rescue team more than eight hours to get there as the town was 300km away, which was much slower than usual. Fortunately, they set off at dawn and arrived at the disaster area at almost noon. 


The earthquake was much more serious than they had imagined. The road of the town was ruined, so cars could not get in. They got off the car dozens of miles away from the Southern Cove County and carried their medical supplies into the disaster area.


Along the way, they saw professional rescue teams arriving too. Their cars couldn't enter either so they also carried a lot of bags into the disaster area.


Janell Joy used to participate in many self-defense and survival activities in the past, where the organizers would create all kinds of situations for the participants to learn to escape, save themselves or save their companions.


Before she came, she thought that those activities would have prepared her for this. However, the bodies on the road were real, and the deaths weren't just figures. Some of them were hit by stones or collapsed buildings, some had their heads smashed, while some of them had their arms or legs severely injured or crushed. 


Blood was everywhere. Looking at those bodies, Janell Joy felt numb all over her body. She was trembling in fear and cold. 


"Hey young one, are you alright?" Their Captain Yaya saw that Janell Joy didn't look fine, so she quickly reached out to help her.


"Sister Yaya, I'm fine." Janell Joy bit her lip and told herself to be brave. She came to help, not to drag them down. No matter how sad the situation was, she had to grit her teeth and hold on.


"Waa—" Just as she said she was fine, a boy next to her suddenly vomited. 


"Yaya, I don't feel good."


This group of people were all college students who majored in medical sciences and had medical knowledge. They often participated in crisis medical intervention before, but they had never seen such a terrible scene. They had only walked for a few miles but they had seen more than a dozen bodies. Some of the students were on the verge of breaking down. 


Yaya was the leader of their rescue team. She was also a medical major in her fourth year. She was always optimistic and enthusiastic, and often gathered everyone together, so she naturally became the captain of this team.


There were a total of 24 people in the rescue team. They were divided into six groups, with four people in a smaller group, consisting of two men and two women in each group. It was more convenient for them to work in smaller teams.


Although Janell Joy had graduated from university, she was the youngest in this team, so Captain Yaya requested for her to follow her. In their team, apart from the two girls, there were two other boys. One was called Burly and the other was called Shane.


Everyone signed up using their online usernames. When they met, Janell Joy temporarily gave herself an online nickname too. When she was choosing her name, she was browsing through a website selling jars, so she came up with an idea to name herself — Little Jar!






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After getting out of the car, Yaya wanted everyone to walk in their respective groups. They needed to stay close to each other and not leave any member behind.


They had not entered the worst area of the earthquake yet, but Shane seemed distraught already. If he couldn't continue the journey, the three of them couldn't continue either. It was important to save lives, but the premise was to ensure the safety of the team members first.


"Shane, sit down and rest for a while." Yaya helped Shane out and said, "Little Jar, you should sit down and rest for a while too."


"Sister Yaya, I'm fine." Janell Joy hurriedly took a bottle of mineral water, opened the bottle cap carefully and handed it to Shane. "Shane, try gargling. You will feel much better if you think about your goals and motivation for helping those who really need our help."


"Little Jar, thank you!" Shane raised his head and smiled at her. 


Early this morning, when they first saw Little Jar, they saw how young she was. They were a little worried that she wouldn't be able to take this hardship. They were surprised by her tenacity.


When Janell Joy saw the bodies earlier, she also wanted to puke, but she didn't want others to look down on her, so she forced herself to suppress her nausea. If she could not overcome the slightest bit of nausea, then how could she help Brother Lucas out?


When she thought of Brother Lucas, she felt a surge of energy through her body. No matter what kind of difficulties she would face, she could overcome them.


"Shane, take a breather." Yaya looked at her watch. "Let's rest for five minutes and then continue."


After that, Yaya looked at Janell Joy again and said, "Little Jar, if you have any discomfort, don't hold it in. Our task has not yet begun, and our journey would only get harder."


"Sister Yaya, thank you for your concern. But don't worry, I can hold on. My brother has gone to the disaster area too. As long as he is well, I will be fine." When she thought of Brother Lucas, nothing will be difficult for her.


"You have a good relationship with your older brother, don't you?" This young lady spoke about her brother so happily and intimately.


"Yes, we have a good relationship." Brother Lucas kissed her secretly last night and she slept in his arms. She had a great relationship with him.


"Then let's work hard together. Let's do our best to help the people." Yaya patted Janell Joy on the shoulder and stood up.to look at the two boys. "Burly, Shane, get ready. Let's go."


"Come on! Come on!" They tried to appear optimistic as they cheered for themselves and their team members.


"Little Jar, you are the youngest among us. Stay close. Remember, no matter what we encounter, we must protect our lives first." Yaya was a caring captain. As she remembered how young Janell Joy was, she became a bit more cautious.


"Sister Yaya, don't worry. I will take good care of myself." Janell Joy nodded. 


The world was so beautiful, and there were a lot of things she hadn't done yet. She would definitely protect her own life, so that she could be with the person she liked.


Brother Lucas and her needed to come out from this safely, and they also needed to go back safely. Nothing could happen to any one of them.


"I heard that Mr. President went straight to the affected areas by helicopter early in the morning. When he arrived, he personally arranged work tasks and plans with the soldiers in the army. He was not afraid of the hardship or danger. His heart is really with the people." The wounded people walked out of the disaster area as they supported each other, and they were chatting as they were walking.


As soon as Janell Joy heard the words "Mr. President", she became more vigilant, for fear of missing any news about Brother Lucas. Before leaving, the news outlets mentioned that Mr. President had gone straight to the disaster area in a helicopter. She did not hear any more news after that.


After they arrived at the disaster area, all kinds of communication means were destroyed. Without any signal, they couldn't call anyone or surf the Internet. She didn't know any news about her Brother Lucas and she was constantly anxious. Now that she heard some updates, she felt calmer. 


They went deeper into the disaster area, but they hadn't reached the center of the affected area yet. They saw the troops of military relief teams and injured people everywhere.


The medical staff from the government was not enough for the rescue missions, so the medical staff from these non- profit organizations played a great role.


Janell Joy and her team helped any wounded person they saw. At that moment, everyone was busy thinking about ways to serve the people. 


Shane, who had just felt sick and nauseous, had recovered quickly and worked fast to help save the injuredbcitizens. He even carried some of these citizens.


Burly and Shane were boys with great strength. They were responsible for carrying the injured to the flat, empty area, where Yaya and Janell Joy would treat them.


Janell Joy's experience in first aid and crisis work was less than Yaya's, so Yaya was in charge of the main work. She helped Yaya out, and the two cooperated very well.


After doing this, Janell Joy no longer thought of Brother Lucas so much. She only wanted to save more people.


Boom, boom, boom...


When everyone was busy for about an hour or so, the ground began to shake again, and in an instant, the ground shook so violently that they felt cracks.


Their bodies fell to the ground uncontrollably. Some rolled along the ground, and some tried to hold on to things and stabilize themselves.


Fortunately, it lasted only about two or three seconds. The ground stopped shaking, so did the hills and mountains. Everything turned calm again, but from time to time, they could hear the sound of buildings collapsing.


The earthquake only lasted very briefly, but it was enough to destroy this city and citizens' lives. The people who fell to the ground wanted to get back up, but many of them were so scared that their legs were too weak to support them.


Some people were so scared that they burst into tears. Those who had never experienced the feeling of surviving a disaster would never know this felt. .


"Will the people at the epicentre of the earthquake be okay? Will Mr. President be okay?" Janell Joy got up. She didn' even brush the dirt all over her body. She only wanted to know if her Brother Lucas was okay.


In the past, she felt bad and scared just by hearing about earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. But now, she was experiencing this horrible earthquake with the person she cared about the most.


Her Brother Lucas was at the center where the earthquake happened, yet they were a few miles away from there. Usually, it will only take a few minutes to drive there. Now that they had passed through a pile of ruins, no one knew what they would experience next. 


She did not know her next plan, nor was she sure where he was. She looked ahead in a daze, and her face turned pale with fear. She was so afraid that something would happen to Brother Lucas, and her body was becoming weak.


"It's all right. The aftershocks have passed. Let's continue to do our work to save these people. Mr. President will come to us later." Someone came out and spoke up.


Since Mr. President would come later, that meant Brother Lucas was fine. Hearing this, Janell Joy breathed a sigh of relief and she was so excited that she wiped her tears.


As everyone nearby heard the same announcement, some of them who were afraid regained their composure and got up. Everyone carried on with their work.


Soon, everyone appeared slightly more optimistic and everything returned to normal. Gradually, more and more people came to join the rescue, so they each split up into different roles. Some were searching for survivors, some were carrying the survivors and some were treating the survivors. 


All kinds of professionals and citizens gathered together as they worked hard to save the people!







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Of course, there were also a lot of reporters at the scene. They risked their lives to document the disaster, so that people all over the country could follow to the development of the relief work and citizens' safety.


In this place, everyone was like family. All of them were united and they worked together with the purpose to rescue. Everyone worked hard to provide the most effective and efficient care to those who needed.


Just as everyone was so engrossed in their respective work, there was a sudden commotion not far away. Someone shouted, "Oh my god, it's true. Mr. President is here!"


Someone answered, "Where? Where is he? Where is Mr. President?"


As soon as she heard the word "President", Janell Joy was always the fastest to react. She looked up and saw their President, who was surrounded by people not far away.


Because he was very tall and surrounded by a group of people, Janell Joy saw him right away. He was still wearing the beige, casual jacket he wore the night before.


It seemed that he left immediately after receiving the message last night. He must be so anxious that he didn't even have time to change.


His shirt was stained with dirt and mud, and he even had dirt on his face. However, he still looked stunning, and the imperfections even made him look more handsome and dazzling, as if he was the center of the universe.


"That's our Mr. President. He looks more handsome than he looks on TV." Yaya spoke out beside Janell Joy, and she sounded like a fangirl too.


"Of course, I also think that he is very handsome. He is the only man who can be compared with my father." Janell Joy proudly exclaimed, as if the man who was coveted by everyone, was already hers.


Yaya looked at her, "You're right. A father who can have such a good looking daughter like you, can't be that bad."


"My father is not only handsome, but he loves me very much." She just complained about her father treating her badly the night before to her mother. The next day, she was praising her father a lot. 


Both of them were very stubborn, they were not willing to be the first to call each other, but they knew that they were very important to each other.


"Little Jar, where did you get your confidence?" Yaya was very curious as to how Janell Joy became so confident.


"Because my father told me from an early age that I am the smartest treasure in the world, and I'm also his treasure... It is because he dotes on me that I can become who I am today." 


Because of the loving and motivating environment where she grew up in, she became confident, independent, and had good self-esteem.


"Please settle down. Mr. President wants to announce something to everyone." The secretary, Maxton Hart, shouted with a megaphone in his hand. Those who were close to him were almost deafened. 


Mr. President took the megaphone and gave everyone a big salute. He said calmly, "You've all worked hard. Thank you for coming to the disaster area in such a short time!"


As soon as he said that, everyone clapped hard. The applause lasted for a long time, and he couldn't continue to speak. In fact, as the President of the country, his presence brought tranquility to the hearts of the rescue workers and the victims of the disaster.


With him here, the victims could feel at ease and the rescue workers would be more motivated. This was the main reason why he insisted on coming to the disaster area to join them in the disaster relief work.


He waved his hand to gesture everyone to be quiet. When everyone stopped clapping, he went on to say, "I could see everyone's efforts. Everyone across the country has seen it too. At this time, any words of gratitude will not be enough to represent my gratitude to everyone here."


After saying that, he took a bow to everyone again and said, "I just want everyone to know that in the next few hours, I will continue to join everyone in the rescue work. Our goal is to do our best and try our best to save every living person. We will not give up until the last moment!"


Janell Joy stood in the crowd and looked at the dazzling man in the distance. He did not sound like he was reciting his official speech that his secretary prepared for him, but instead, he spoke true from the depths of his heart.


She just looked at him and couldn't move her eyes away. This man was the leader of Country A, the spiritual pillar of the country, and also the point of tranquility in Janell Joy's heart.


With him around, the country would feel at ease. With him around, she could also feel at ease. Why was he so outstanding? Why was he so charismatic?


Even at such a young age, she already knew that he was outstanding, and wanted to be with him forever. Hence, there must be a lot of adults who could see how outstanding he was. She was sure that there would definitely be a lot of people who would try to take Brother Lucas away in the future.


Thinking about it, she was actually a little excited. No matter how many people tried to take him away, Brother Lucas only belonged to her.


After Nathaniel Cooper finished speaking, he looked around the crowd. Surprisingly, he saw a figure in the crowd, but he never thought that he would see this person here.


When he left last night, he told Jason Lesley to take good care of her and make sure she stayed in the Lesley house. After that, he went directly to the heliport. 


Before dawn, he arrived at the disaster area and hurriedly discussed about the relief work with his men. After the plan was made, they joined the rescue team and worked hard together.


They were so busy that they didn't have time to stop until now. He did not expect that he would see the little girl here too! How could she be so capricious? Did she not know how dangerous the disaster area was? Did she know how many people were buried in the aftershocks earlier? Did she know how worried he was when he saw her here?


Nathaniel shook his head, and the blue veins on his forehead were protruding, but he tried his best to restrain his emotions to prevent others from seeing through him.


She clearly did not know the severity of the situation. He wanted to pick her up and throw her back to New York, so that she wouldn't mess around anymore.


When their eyes met, Janell Joy instinctively wanted to smile at him, but when she reminded herself that he still did not know that she knew about his identity, she quickly put on a poker face.


He looked at her as if he had just seen a ghost, and he looked very unhappy. However, just when she was looking at his unhappy stare, she realized something. He wasn't just covered in dirt, but there were also bloodstains. He was injured!


Janell Joy's heart ached so much that her heart skipped a beat. He was injured. Was he seriously injured? What was his condition?


She really wanted to rush over and ask him, but at this time, if she ran over, he would definitely not treat her well. What should she do? What could she do to prevent him from driving her away, yet she could see how serious his injury was?


She was anxious. When she got anxious, she didn't know what to do. No, she couldn't go on like this. She needed to calm down. She told herself to calm down and took a few deep breaths.


After calming down, Janell Joy immediately thought of a way. She looked at her backpack, found a bottle of mineral water in it, and walked quickly towards Nathaniel. However, before she could reach him, she was stopped by his bodyguards.


Tuesday, September 8, 2020

LM CHAPTERS 761 - 765

LM 

CHAPTERS 761 - 765






761



"You don't have to say it. It's good that we understand each other in our hearts."


Looking at Janell Joy Carter's hands on her legs, Dominic Cooper was so tempted to hold her. Just as he was about to touch her, Janell Joy suddenly turned to him and said, "Brother Dominic, you should know why I came to Country A."


Janell Joy knew what Dominic wanted to do. It seemed that the warning she gave him just now was not harsh enough, he still wanted to take advantage of her. What a joke!


Her body was reserved for Brother Lucas, not for others, and especially not for this guy who had evil intentions.


Dominic withdrew his hand and smiled awkwardly. "... I don't know, but I'm willing to listen."


"I came to find my Brother Lucas, but my Brother Lucas thought that I didn't recognize him. So he didn't want to reconcile with me too." Janell Joy bit her lip. She was really sad when she mentioned about Brother Lucas, but at this time, her sadness was somewhat exaggerated. She was putting up a dramatic show for Dominic.


"Janell, I..."


"Brother Dominic, some things, if I don't say it now, I will never be able to rest. I want to tell my Brother Lucas that I didn't forget him. I've been looking for him all this while." The more Janell Joy said, the more sad she looked. She looked like she was about to cry.


Humph, it was only acting. Her Little Aunt was a famous film and television actress and she had taught her well. Her Little Aunt had won countless awards as best actress before and as her Little Aunt's favorite niece, Janell Joy learnt a little acting too. It was enough to fool these people.


After listening to Janell Joy's words, Dominic was a little excited, but there were some doubts after that. After all, he was not a fool. He was born in a rich and well-known family, he grew up in a competitive environment.


Dominic desperately wanted to know if she really believed that he was Brother Lucas or was she just testing him? The best way was to get close to her and get in touch with her body.


So, Dominic moved closer to Janell Joy. He raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder, gently pushing her into his arms. At the moment when his hand touched hers, Janell Joy wanted to break his hand. But if she did so, it would be a waste of her acting skills this whole afternoon.


She decided to allow him to hug her for a while. Anyway, she was wearing thick clothes, so he couldn't take advantage of her... However, a while later, Dominic's hand suddenly moved even further. He touched her waist and even shamelessly held it... 


Janell Joy gritted her teeth and told herself to endure it. Just as she was about to explode, Dominic retrieved his hand. He looked at her and said affectionately,


"Janell, the Brother Lucas you are looking for, is in front of you. I am your Brother Lucas."


She thought that his acting skills weren't that bad too. If she hadn't met the real Brother Lucas in advance, it was very likely that she would have been tricked. He finally falsely admitted that he was her Brother Lucas, what was he going to do next?


Was he going to seduce her? Or was there a ploy against Brother Lucas? Or did he have other ulterior motives?


Janell Joy could not guess the man's intentions for the time being. But it didn't matter. She would be in Coast City for a period of time. She had a lot of time to spend with him as she observe his tricks.


She also guessed that Aaron might be the mastermind behind the scenes. It was lucky that she had held back, otherwise, this sly fox would have continued to test her.


"Brother Dominic, I know, I knew all along that it was you." At this time, she should have thrown herself into Brother Lucas's arms, but this Brother Lucas was a fake. He was an imposter, a fraud, so she refused to be near him.


What should she do? She knew she needed to act happy and close. She threw herself into his arms and let him hug her. She quickly retreated after a while as she spoke joyfully, "Brother Dominic, so many years have passed, but you still remember me. I'm really happy about that."


He was a little disappointed that Janell Joy left his arms so quickly and he wanted to say something, but Janell Joy quickly pointed to the show in front of them, "Brother Dominic, is that Romeo?"


On the stage, Romeo and Juliet was playing... one of the plays that Janell Joy disliked the most. She just didn't like tragedies. She thought that people must try their best to strive for something they want.


Everyone should learn to aim for the stars. Just like the relationship between Brother Lucas and her. He could not openly reconcile with her and if she did not come to her Brother Lucas, in this life, both of them could only miss each other secretly. 


When they got old in the future, they would regret this. Therefore, no matter what, she would do her best to find Brother Lucas and be with him in the open. No matter how hard that would be, he could only belong to her in this life.


Dominic kept trying to get closer to her. "Janell..."


"Brother Dominic, I know that it has been so long ago, and everyone has changed. I'm sure you have changed too, but I will always remember that you have always been good to me." 


She smiled and continued, "Brother Dominic, I have grown up. I'm no longer the same Little Janell as I used to be. I can't be pestering you all day long. And you, you're not young anymore. Have you found me a sister-in-law yet?"


Her words were clear enough. Even if he was pretending to be her Brother Lucas, she told him that they were grown ups now. They should be aware of the intimacy between a man and a woman, and should not hug each other so closely like when they were children before.


Her refusal made sense. Dominic had to control his desire to be close to her and that he should try to be a good brother. "I also want to tell you, that no matter how long time had passed and how people would change, I will protect you as long as you need me."


"Brother Dominic, thank you! I'm so lucky to be able to meet you in this life." Of course her Brother lucas would protect her, so he didn't have to mention it explicitly.


Dominic said, "Janell, I have prepared something for you." 


Janell Joy pretended to be in high spirits, "What is it?"


"Don't worry. You'll know in a while." 


Dominic smiled at her gently and snapped his fingers as a gesture to the staff. Just then, the lights in the room suddenly went out, and the whole place fell into silence. After a few seconds, she heard romantic music being played.


"Janell, look at the stage." Dominic reached out to grab Janell Joy, but he failed to grab her.


"Janell, where are you?" He knew she was right beside him before the lights were turned off. How could she disappear so fast?






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"Janell... Janell..." Dominic Cooper shouted several times, but no one responded to him. Janell Joy Carter seemed to have disappeared in an instant.


"Janell, don't fool around. You can't see in the dark. Don't hurt yourself." It was impossible for her to disappear. He guessed that she was messing with him.


Bang-


The door of the private room was suddenly kicked open, and then a tall figure rushed into the room. Before Dominic figured out what was going on, the man rushed to the corner of the room like a gust of wind.


"Who are you? What do you want to do?"


Because the lights were turned off, Dominic couldn't see anything. He didn't know who barged in. However, he knew that the person who broke in must be skillful. 


The room was dark, and he could not even see his fingers. Yet, the person could rush into the room and went to the corner. 


The man did not answer him. It seemed that the person who broke into the room was looking for something. Dominic yelled out loud, "Who are you? What do you want? I'm telling you, don't touch the young lady. You can't afford to."


Dominic didn't know much about Shengtian Corporation Inc, but he heard some things about the company. In particular, he knew that the leader of Shengtian was regarded as a legend.


However, even if he was a legendary figure, he still had a soft side to him. His wife and his daughter were his weaknesses. He heard that he had spoiled his daughter so much that he would do everything for her, even if she wanted to go to space.


How could anyone else afford to hurt his wife and his daughter? Not long later, the lights lit back up. When the lights were turned on, he saw clearly the tall, handsome man who came in barging in earlier.


Although he had put on make-up and looked completely different from his original appearance, Dominic recognized him at a glance.


It was him! It was the newly elected President! Nathaniel Cooper! He wore casually instead of his usual formal outfit. The attire looked common and casual, however, due to his good looks and tall physique, he looked like a supermodel.


As a man, Dominic had to admit that Nathaniel was a very attractive man. However, he didn't take advantage of his looks. Instead, he made a living using his wisdom and political mind.


"Third Brother, what, what are you doing here?" Dominic asked with fear.


However, when he saw Nathaniel's cold gaze, he shut up immediately. His Third Brother had the image of a gentle and approachable president in front of the public. In private, his gaze could frighten people to death.


Nathaniel quickly glanced around and saw Janell Joy curled up in another corner of the room. She curled up with her hands on her head and her body was trembling. She looked so pitiful.


"Janell..." Nathaniel rushed to Janell Joy's side immediately and reached out to hug her, but she rejected him. It was as if she had entered a dark world and she was alone.


There were horrible people in that world. They would hurt her and scold her... As a little girl, she was helpless and powerless.


Later, she became smart. She thought that as long as she hid, the bad guys could no longer hurt her.


"Janell, it's me. It's Brother Lucas! I'm here to save you. Don't be afraid!" He said softly.


That time, he saved her from the hands of the bad people. He knew better than anyone what she had been through when she was a little girl.


"Brother Lucas?" Upon hearing Brother Lucas's voice, Janell Joy did not look so afraid anymore. However, her slender body was still shaking uncontrollably.


"Janell, don't be afraid, I'm here to save you and bring you home!" He reached out again to hold her carefully. He was afraid that he would scare her.


"Brother Lucas?" She was not so resistant towards him anymore. She raised her head slightly and blinked her big eyes at him. "Are you my Brother Lucas? Are you here to save me?"


Her eyes were filled with fear, replaying the scene when Brother Lucas found her in a similar state many, many years ago. Nathaniel held her in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. He was comforting her in a way that she would not be afraid.


In the past, when she was taken away by the bad people, she was very young. She had no ability to fight back, so the bad people took her away easily. 


She had long forgotten what had happened that day. She only remembered that a lot of bad people locked her up in a dark barrel. It was pitch black inside the barrel and she couldn't see anything. 


She was spinning in the darkness, which made her head ached and it injured her whole body. She wanted to cry, but she was scared that she couldn't cry.


Her father and mother were not there, and Brother Lucas was not there either… There were only bad guys around her. All of them were bad people. No one came to save her.


Since she didn't have any support, she didn't dare to cry! She was stuck in that scary state for a long time. When she was about to give up on hope, she heard a familiar voice,


"Little Janell, I'm here. Don't be afraid!" She was so afraid that she just fell onto his warm embrace the moment she saw him. 


The memory that was firmly engraved in Janell Joy's mind happened again. At this moment, she fell into his warm embrace again.


Nathaniel hugged her tightly and stroked her back gently with one hand. He constantly comforted her, "Janell, it's alright. You're safe. I've chased away the bad guys already."


"Brother Lucas, I'm scared..." She spoke like she was still the four-year-old Little Janell, and he was the only person she could rely on. He made her feel safe, that was why he was her safety net.


"Janell, it's okay now. I'm here, and I will help you drive away all the bad guys." Nathaniel comforted her with patience, over and over again. Seeing the horror and fear in Janell Joy's eyes, his heart ached.


He hugged her tightly as he comforted her patiently, "Nothing will happen, everything will be okay."


When she was taken away that time, not only did the incident leave a scar on her forehead, but it also left an emotional trauma. She was afraid of darkness ever since. If there was no light, she would hide in the corner alone because she was afraid.


Over the years, her father sought assistance from many psychologists before, but none of them could help alleviate her fear. She didn't want to tell anyone about the memory, so the psychologists couldn't do anything to help her too.


They probably didn't know that she was a little resistant in treating that emotional trauma. She was afraid that if she recovered from that, she would never see her Brother Lucas again. She would not remember how Brother Lucas saved her like a superhero.






763


Brother Lucas arrived! Brother Lucas , like many other times in the past, appeared just in time when Janell Joy needed him. He came by her side to protect her.


Since she knew that she was safe in Brother Lucas's embrace, so gradually, Janell Joy Carter was not so scared anymore. She buried herself in Brother Lucas's arms. As she listened to his steady heartbeat, her heartbeat became calmer too.


"Janell, you see, there are lights everywhere, if you open your eyes, you will see." Knowing that she was afraid of the darkness, he guided her gently and patiently out of the darkness.


"Brother Lucas, I am not afraid anymore."


Just like many years ago, she said that she was not afraid anymore, but her hands were still holding onto the corner of his clothes tightly. She was so afraid that she did not dare to let go.


She was obviously afraid, but because she did not want the people who cared about her to worry about her, she would try her best to pretend that she was not afraid.


"Okay, then I will take you home now." Nathaniel Cooper carried her up and pressed her head close to his chest to prevent her from seeing Dominic Cooper's face.


"Third..." Just as Dominic opened his mouth, Nathaniel shot a death glare at him. He watched as they left the room. He knew he was in trouble. He was going to give the little girl a surprise, but he didn't know that she was afraid of the dark. 


Judging from how scared she was, something must have happened in the past. It was not easy for him to persuade her to believe that he was her Brother Lucas.


He managed to make some progress, then Nathaniel came. If Nathaniel didn't show up, he would comfort the little girl, and then their relationship would've gotten better.


He tried to recall what happened earlier. When he said that he was her Brother Lucas, he sensed a little repulsion from her. However, when Nathaniel said that he was her Brother Lucas, she threw herself into Nathaniel's arms so quickly.


No matter his doubts, perhaps Janell Joy was in a state of extreme shock, she would grasp the man closest to her very tightly anyway.


Dominic was now thinking about how strange it was that Nathaniel appeared at such a perfect timing? As soon as the lights were put out, Nathaniel rushed in, as if he had always been by their side watching them closely.


Dominic's guess was right. Nathaniel had always been with them. After he was done with work, he rushed over to where Janell Joy was. He had been in the private room next door.


He could not openly reconcile with her, but he could accompany her quietly. He just wanted to know that she was safe, and that was enough.


Unexpectedly, the lights of the theatre suddenly went out, and the whole place turned pitch black... At that moment, he was so worried for Janell Joy that his heart dropped


He knew that his baby Janell was afraid of the dark! Whenever she was afraid, she would hide in the corner. She would resort to hiding herself from everyone else, so no one could not find her.


Nathaniel did not delay for a single second. He did not care about anything else. There was only one thing in his mind; he needed to save her and comfort her. But he was still a little late.


She hid in the corner, her body curled up into a ball and she kept shaking. Her eyes were full of fear as if she had seen a demon... At that moment, he wanted to kill himself for letting her suffer.


He clearly knew that she was afraid of darkness, but he did not anticipate this in advance. It was his negligence that caused her to be traumatised again.


At present, Janell Joy was resting in his arms, and her hands were still holding onto the corner of his clothes, tightly. "Janell, I'm hugging you tightly now. Don't be afraid!" 


He patted her back and lowered his head to kiss her head. She nestled in his embrace, her whole body clinging close to his body. He could even feel her skin and curves pressed against his skin.


"Brother Lucas, I want to see your face, can I ?" Janell Joy asked softly and carefully, but she did not look up at him.


She was eager to see her Brother Lucas, and she was eager to know what Brother Lucas looked like in her memory. She was eager to firmly remember Brother Lucas's face in her mind. 


In the future, if she encountered something terrible like this, she would think of Brother Lucas. If she could imagine that he was right beside her, it was enough to give her strength too.


Her mother often told her that love was not as passionate as she had imagined. Instead, it was just plain and comfortable. "No matter when and where you are, as long as you think of a person, you will no longer be afraid, you will no longer be lonely, and you will feel very happy. That's when you know you have found someone you could love your whole life."


Brother Lucas could give Janell Joy all of the things her mother mentioned before. Even if she did not know his real identity, she could trust him.


Would Brother Lucas be willing to let her see his true face? Would he be the one who could accompany her for a lifetime?


He did not respond to her questions, instead, he hugged her even tighter. "Brother Lucas, if I can't see you, I will be afraid!"


Janell Joy really wanted to say that out loud, but she couldn't. She didn't want to be a burden to Brother Lucas, and she didn't want him to hate her.


Brother Lucas once said that it was not the right time for them to reconcile yet. He asked her to give him some more time. She had been waiting for more than ten years. Couldn't she wait for a while more?


She loosened the grip that was grasping the corner of his clothes, and she held his waist as she spoke softly, "Brother Lucas, then can you kiss me?"


He did not say anything nor did he react, and she did not know what he was thinking. Her heart was in a mess, and she was still very scared. "Brother Lucas, you can still cover my eyes, and promise I won't look at you."


"Silly girl!" Nathaniel rubbed her head and lowered his head to kiss her head.


He was secretly aching too. In front of him, she could fool around and pester him like when she was a child. In the past, he would watch cartoons with her, practice Taekwando with her, and sing to her....


In this life, he was willing to do anything for her. He thought that she could act foolishly while he protected her from afar, but she seemed to want more than that...


"Brother Lucas..."


"Shh..." He reached out to cover her eyes and raised her head a little. He lowered his head and pecked her lips ever so lightly.






764


He only gently pecked her lips, and Nathaniel Cooper quickly pulled back. Janell Joy was not satisfied. She pouted and said, "Brother Lucas, you didn't kiss me like this yesterday."


Nathaniel was at a loss for words. Janell Joy pleaded with her innocent voice, "You have to kiss me like how you did yesterday. Then, maybe I won't be so scared."


Nathaniel fondled her head and said softly, "You silly child, do you know what it meant when I kissed you like that yesterday?"


"Of course I know." Janell Joy nodded, "Because you like me, that's why you kissed me like that. I should let you know that I like you too."


Yesterday, she forgot to confess her love to him personally, but it was not too late to tell him today. She must let Brother Lucas know that she also liked him.


She told him that she liked him, and she had a different kind of feeling towards him. She no longer liked him like a child, but she really liked him and adored him now.


Nathaniel was so excited, "You won't regret it?"


Janell Joy answered with absolute certainty, "Why should I regret liking you?"


"Alright." He covered her eyes and lowered his head to kiss her lips. 


He did not kiss her lightly anymore, but instead, he kissed her like he did last night. He kissed her carefully, trying his best to match her pace and comfort level, as he did not want to scare her.


He kissed so gently, yet she could feel his passion and love. The kiss felt so real and so right. Nathaniel didn't know that Janell Joy was secretly smiling under her breath, and she was beaming with a little pride because her "shameless plot" succeeded.


Well, it turned out that her Brother Lucas was easily tricked. She just had to persuade him a little, and he would kiss her like she wanted. If Brother Lucas knew that she was no longer afraid when they left the theatre, would Brother Lucas throw her out of the window of the car now? Would he abandon her?


She figured that since Brother Lucas loved her so much, he would not do so. Then, she decided to throw more tricks in so he would accompany her for a while more. That was her plan now.


However, there seemed to be something wrong. Yesterday, Brother Lucas told her that she could not be distracted during kissing. However, she got distracted and thought about other things again.


Therefore, Brother Lucas bit her lower lip as a punishment. She brought herself back to reality. She had to quickly learn how to kiss affectionately, otherwise, Brother Lucas might not like her so much.


If she had known that her relationship with Brother Lucas would advance so quickly, then she would have found someone to practice kissing with in New York. She didn't know how to kiss, but Brother Lucas's kissing skills seemed to be very good. Why can he kiss so well? Did he practice it with other girls before her?


Thinking of this, Janell Joy suddenly felt a little lost and uncomfortable in her heart. Brother Lucas belonged with her and she wanted him alone. She did not like others to touch him.


"What's wrong?" As they kissed, Janell Joy acted a little weirdly.


"Brother Lucas, did you kiss other girls before? Like how you kissed me" 


When she asked that, her eyes were still blindfolded. She could not see his eyes, but she could feel his body tremble slightly. He appeared uncomfortable. That meant that he really did kiss other ladies before Janell Joy. He might have liked other girls before too.


She also felt a little uncomfortable too. She did not want him to like anyone else. He could only like her, just like how she only liked him


"Brother Lucas, if you kissed other girls before me, then it's fine, but in the future, you can only kiss me." She may be domineering or unreasonable, but in a relationship, she was absolutely certain of her conditions.


Of course, Janell Joy did not think that his discomfort came from some other factor. He had a fiancee. He knew her well, and he knew that she would not accept the idea of him having a fiancee.


"Brother Lucas..." Since he did not answer, Janell Joy was a little anxious. Did he not want her anymore?


"All this while, I only have you in my heart." As he spoke, he pressed her head closer to his chest, so she could listen to his heartbeat. Did she hear that?


When she was still very young, he loved her like a little sister. Now that she had grown up, he wanted to treat her like his own woman and dote on her. He only had enough space in his heart for one woman.


"Hehe..." Janell Joy was so happy that her eyebrows appeared more relaxed and she said happily, "All this while, I only have you in my heart too."


He had a big heart, as he loved and respected citizens of his country well. Yet, he only had enough space in his heart to love one woman truly and loyally. 


She was the same. .


As he hugged her, they did not say anything else. She nestled in his arms and tried to feel his chest and abdomen, as if she was admiring his physique. Nathaniel grabbed her hand and said, "Janell, stop moving around!"


Janell Joy said innocently and naively, "Brother Lucas, if I touch you, you can also touch me. I don't mind."


Nathaniel was a little shocked. Most of the time, he couldn't figure out if she was very innocent, or was she just fooling with him with her innocent face?


"Brother Lucas, then I won't play around anymore. Can you stay with me tonight? If you are not around, I might be afraid."nJanell Joy pouted slightly and put on a very pitiful face.


"You can sleep peacefully. I will accompany you." He wanted to accompany her during her sleep, until dawn, and the rest of her life too.


"Brother Lucas, don't lie to me." She hooked her pinky with his, like when she was a child. "Brother Lucas, since we've pinky promised, you must keep your word."


"Yes, go to sleep." Nathaniel patted her back gently, then he hummed the children song that she liked, and coaxed her to sleep very gently. Fortunately, his car was spacious enough, so he could put down the back of the seat for her to sleep peacefully while lying down.


However, just as he moved, she suddenly became alerted and held his wrist tightly with both hands. Her strength was so strong that she almost hurt him. 


Nathaniel quickly grabbed her hand and comforted her, "Janell, don't be afraid! I'm only putting down the seat and making it more comfortable for you to lie down. I won't leave you."






765


"Brother Lucas..." A semi-conscious Janell Joy muttered anxiously, "You promised you won't leave me behind, you can't lie to me."


"Alright Janell, I'm a man of my word. I won't leave you behind." He patted her hand gently and coaxed her to sleep.


"Alright, then I'm going to sleep now." Hearing his gentle voice, Janell Joy closed her eyes and fell asleep again. He put her down and then put his seat down. He lay beside her as she leaned onto him. She took the opportunity to rest in his chest and sighed comfortably, "It's so good to have you around!"


Nathaniel Cooper didn't know if she was fully awake or was she just muttering in her sleep. He was willing to spoil her with love and care, regardless.


Janell Joy gradually fell asleep. Nathaniel gently poked the plum blossom mark between her eyebrows. This mark was left behind many years ago, when she was only four years old and was taken away by the bad guys.


Since she was a beautiful young girl, the scar was a huge blow to her self-esteem. This scar looked similar to the shape of a plum blossom. Later, the doctor altered the scar a little and made it look like a plum blossom mark on her forehead.


He knew everything about Janell Joy. Even if he was not with her for the past few years, he still knew everything about her. For example, on the first day of elementary school, she punched her friend in her class until his nose bled.


She had beaten someone up, but no one suspected that she was the one who did it. Because she sat quietly in her own seat, and her chubby look was particularly attractive. The teachers adored her very much. Who would be willing to believe that she was the one who beat others up?


But later, because of some witnesses and the recording from the surveillance video, it turned out that she really beat someone up. At that time, the parents of the other child couldn't accept it and requested for her parents to come to the school. However, the little one gave a pitiful and innocent look. The parents actually sighed and just forgave her after giving her a warning. After that, Janell Joy did not use violence ever again. 


She practiced Taekwondo since she was a child, and her punches were very powerful. When she fought with her peers, her peers would get hurt. Later, when Janell Joy got into trouble with her friends, she no longer used violence to solve them. Most of the time, she didn't even need to get involved and the matter would resolve. 


Her grades were good, and she skipped grades very frequently. Gradually, she made friends from different age groups.


She was young, but she was not uncomfortable being around students older than her. Over the years, she had slowly become the leader of many groups and cliques. She only needed to voice her thoughts or opinions, and her plans would execute her plans. 


She went to college early and had not fully matured yet. There were older boys in the class that pursued her. She tactfully rejected those males, and she would explain by saying that she had a boyfriend. However, she had never appeared with her boyfriend before, so others thought she was being arrogant.


Since she was young, she was a smart, confident, and lively. Under the care of her family, she grew up healthily and well. She was good in everything she did and she was not afraid of anything, but she had a fatal weakness.


She was afraid of the dark. Well, if there was a glimmer of light in the dark, she would not be afraid. What she was afraid of was being trapped in a confined place in total darkness.


That was the trauma that was engraved in her heart, which was also where Brother Lucas was engraved. Brother Lucas was like the plum blossom mark between her eyebrows, which could not be wiped out her whole life.


Buzz! Buzz!


Just as he was thinking about Janell Joy's past, his phone rang. It was his working phone. He had two phones for his work. One was for the day, and the other was for the night. 


If there was something urgent, his 'night phone' would ring. At this time, what urgent matter could it be?


He didn't think much about it and immediately picked up the phone. He heard the voice of his secretary, Maxton Hart, from the phone. "Mr. President, it's not good. Something bad has happened."


Nathaniel raised his eyebrow and asked, "What's the matter?"


Maxton coughed softly and reported the situation to him in an orderly manner. "Five minutes ago, there was an earthquake with a 7.6 magnitude at Long Cove. It shook the entire Southern Cove County. It's midnight now, so many people must still be at home. We are expecting a high number of casualties."


A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the epicenter of Cove County. Some people in the county might be buried alive. Nathaniel became a bit more worried,

and at the same time, he ordered, "How's the work for disaster relief? We need to act swiftly in the next 72 hours. Save those that are alive first, and try to rescue as much as possible."


He had only been in office for a few days, but he had already encountered such a disaster. This earthquake would be a major test for Nathaniel in his political career.


"Yes." Maxton replied and then he asked, "Mr. President, you do you think we should send some teams over to the affected areas to comfort the people?"


Hearing Maxton's question, Nathaniel tilted his head and looked at Janell Joy, who was lying next to him. She slept soundly because her Brother Lucas had promised to stay with her. She was not afraid, so she slept soundly.


He didn't want to break his promise, but as a President of a country, he still had his citizens. As much as he didn't want to leave, he had to. He said, "Make preparations, I'll go over myself."


Maxton worriedly said, "Mr. President, the situation over there is very unstable now. There may be serious aftershocks at any time. Please think twice."


Nathaniel replied sternly, "If my life is that important, then what about the lives of other officials and citizens?"


"Yes, I'll make the preparations now." In fact, Mr. President had just taken office. At this time, if he took the risk to visit the affected areas, the affected citizens could feel at ease and they would calm down. Other citizens would be watching over him too. .


This could be regarded as one of Nathaniel's political strategies, but this also showed that he really took good care of his people well, and this was the basic task of being a President of a country.


He stroked Janell Joy's face. He believed that she could understand him and support him. He reached out his hand and pressed the intercom in front of him, "Drive over to the Lesley house."


Janell Joy was awake. She woke up when Brother Lucas received the call, but she chose to pretend to stay asleep because she wanted to know more about him.


When she heard Brother Lucas mention 'disaster relief', and also 'citizens', she could almost confirm her hypothesis. Her Brother Lucas was probably the President of Country A. 


At that time, she asked him whether he was Brother Lucas in his face. He didn't admit it, so there must be something he couldn't say.