Chapter 55

Biting the straw, Audrey stared intently at Melanie Chisholm, who was smiling brightly in front of her. Audrey loosened her grip on the straw, licked the juice from the corner of her mouth, and said softly, "Melanie, slander is a criminal offense."

Melanie covered her mouth and laughed, "You said it would rain in Manchester today. I just called a friend there, Audrey. It didn't rain in Manchester today, and it's sunny!"

Audrey slapped her forehead and caught a glimpse of Victoria, who had already walked away. The young spicewoman was enthusiastically calling a friend on her phone, boasting in a slightly "dumb" tone, "Guess who I am..."

Audrey's gaze returned to Melanie's cunning face. She shrugged and said, "It's only three in the afternoon. Can you guarantee it won't rain in Manchester by midnight?"

Melanie shook her head and laughed, "No."

Audrey's lips curled up, "So, you're still slandering!"

"But I have a feeling you're a liar! I'll expose your lie today!"

Melanie waved her phone, clearly indicating that if it rained in Manchester, she would know by phone.

Audrey shook his head and fell silent for a moment, then raised a smile and said, "Got it. I have a new follower today, let's go."

After saying that, he slightly raised his right elbow. Melanie looked at him in confusion and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Look at the people on the street."

Audrey nodded his head, and Melanie looked around. She noticed that most of the men and women on Bond Street were in pairs. She covered her mouth, blushing, took a deep breath, and then defiantly lifted her chin, wrapping her arm around his.

They had only taken a few steps when Melanie was attracted by a fashion display in a shop window. Just as she was about to go in, she noticed a shop assistant peering out the door and quickly closing it.

"Do we look like robbers?"

Melanie was shocked.

She had already stepped onto the stairs outside the shop.

Audrey laughed and pulled her forward, saying, "Probably a celebrity just walked into that shop. That's how Bond Street is. If you see a shop suddenly close, it's usually because a big star has come in."

"Oh, I see. Let's go check it out. The shop window isn't covered by curtains."

"Too embarrassing!"

Audrey and Melanie wandered around Bond Street for an hour, window shopping without spending any money. When they both got bored, Melanie dragged Audrey to a fitness club in London.

On the boxing ring at the club, Audrey was surprised to see Melanie wearing a sports tank top and boxing gloves, staring provocatively at him.

Audrey also put on the gloves. Melanie's fists collided repeatedly, and she laughed, "Mr. Liar, I heard you're a coach. Show me what you've got."

Although Audrey didn't have much athletic talent, he had maintained a regular exercise routine for years, and his physical condition was excellent. He treated Melanie's challenge as a joke and played along, enjoying her unique charm in her current attire.

However, he didn't expect Melanie to be a trained boxer. With her fists protecting her chin and her center of gravity lowered, she moved with the agility of a professional boxer.

After being hit by a few combinations, Audrey was pushed to the corner of the ring, forced to defend his head.

"Hey, Audrey, is that all you've got?"

Melanie stepped back, spreading her fists, and raised her chin arrogantly, her eyes showing disappointment.

Audrey twisted his neck and said teasingly, "What a joke? You took me seriously? It's too easy to take you down."

"Bluffing!"

Melanie swung another punch, but Audrey calmly and quickly ducked, then grabbed her waist and pushed forward. Melanie lost her balance, her feet left the ground, and with a thud, she landed on her back on the ring, with Audrey on top of her.

"Hey, give me a kiss!"

Audrey looked down at Melanie, who was blushing and avoiding his gaze, and she shouted, "Pervert!"

Audrey was surprised, "Hey, if I really hit you, do you still want to make it in the industry? If I ruin this pretty face, I'd be disappointed too."

Melanie, her face flushed, growled at him, "Your arm is pressing on my chest! Pervert!"

Audrey then realized his arm was pressing on something soft and immediately jumped up, grinning sheepishly, "I didn't mean to! I'm not a gentleman, but I wouldn't take advantage of you like that."

Melanie stood up, pouting, and hurriedly changed her clothes, then asked Audrey to leave with her.

In the evening, as the sun set, Audrey and Melanie sat side by side on a bench by the Thames, facing the famous Tate Modern.

Melanie asked listlessly, "Do you often go there?"

Audrey snorted, "Of course not. I've never been there. What a joke, a vulgar soul like mine, how could I appreciate masterpieces? But if I suddenly had an epiphany and my soul was elevated by masterpieces, and I stopped using foul language, my life would be over. I'm destined to be unrefined."

Melanie turned to look at Audrey helplessly and said, "You're shameless. I can't help but feel you're praising yourself, as if you'd become a saint just by going in and out."

Audrey said seriously, "Who knows? Only God knows, but I don't believe in Him."

"I don't believe it! Let's go in. If you don't come out with wings on your back or a halo on your head, I'll beat you up!"

Melanie tried to pull Audrey toward the Tate Modern, but Audrey calmly rolled up his sleeve and looked at his watch, "No chance today. The Tate Modern closes in two minutes. Look, the security guard is closing the door."

Melanie turned and saw that the museum was indeed closed.

She sat down dejectedly and said angrily, "Audrey, why are you so cunning?"

"It's a job requirement."

"Aren't you a football coach?"

"Why do you keep doubting my profession?"

"You win. I'm hungry. Let's go eat. Manchester still hasn't rained, so as punishment for lying, you should buy me dinner."

Audrey looked up at the darkening sky and said seriously, "But it's still hours until midnight."

"But I'm hungry..."

"Alright, you win. What do you want to eat?"

"Guess."

"Let's wait a bit. Maybe it will rain in Manchester in an hour."

Melanie pouted and glared at Audrey, "If I say what I want, you'll eat it?"

"No, it's what you want to eat, and I'll join you. If you say you want to eat feces, I'm not a fool. Of course, if you insist on eating feces, I won't join you."

"Ah! Audrey, you're so gross! Let's eat Chinese food. Hmph, you probably can't handle it. My mom's Chinese food is great."

Audrey was surprised and turned to look at her, "You like Chinese food? Correction, 'cuisine' is a Japanese term. Proper Chinese people never call Chinese food 'Chinese cuisine.'"

"Hmm? Oh, are you scared?"

"Hmph, hahahaha, sorry, you probably haven't even tasted the most authentic Chinese food. Chinese cuisine is diverse, with sweet in the south, salty in the north, spicy in the east, and fresh in the west. Mentioning Chinese food to me is like showing off your skills in front of a master."

Melanie's eyes lit up, and she pulled Audrey, smiling, "You seem experienced. It's rare to find someone with similar tastes. Let's go, let's eat a lot..."

After a day out, Audrey took a shower and listened to the news on the radio when he got home that evening.

He was in a good mood, having wandered around with Melanie and had a hearty dinner, making him feel light and carefree. He hummed a tune while soaking in the bath.

"Manchester had two more rains today, and the weather is expected to continue until the weekend. For the Premier League, which is in a heated title race, a rainy match at Old Trafford this weekend is not what manager Ferguson wants to see..."

Audrey's singing abruptly stopped, and his relaxed expression turned stiff.

From the bathroom, his moan could be heard, "F**k! Melanie, you're the big liar!"

At the same time, in a London apartment, Melanie, holding her phone, was lying on a single bed in her pajamas, staring at the phone number on the screen, her thumb hesitating over the call button.

She ultimately decided not to make the call, recalling the events of the day, and buried her increasingly hot face in the pillow.

PS: Thank you to "sllinerber" for the generous tip! Twelve thousand is a lot, I need to prepare some saved chapters.

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