Chapter 278
Darkness had fallen, and the mountain air grew colder. Zark retrieved his phone and returned to find Ashley and Dandan huddled together, eating and chatting. He went back to the tent and returned with two thick coats–one large, one small. He offered the larger one to Ashley.
“I’m not cold-” she began.
“Put it on.” He draped it over her shoulders, then gave the smaller one to Dandan. Ashley wasn’t so she accepted it. cold, but the coat blocked the wind, making her warmer, After dinner, they headed to the bonfire. Someone exclaimed, “Wow, what a striking family!” Ashley corrected them, “We’re not a family.” They chuckled, suggesting that they might become one someday.
Dandan joined other children. Others chatted, played cards, built snowmen, and had snowball fights. Ashley and Zark, barely acquainted, fell silent. There wasn’t much to talk about. Family matters, particularly involving Chase and Tanya, were off–limits. Work talk risked revisiting their unpleasant encounter at XunDu.
Finally, Zark spoke.“How’s ChangMo? Are you settling in?”
Ashley, idly weaving a butterfly from grass, replied, “Fine.”
“Tim takes good care of you.”
“Mm–hmm.”
“You majored in AI?”
“Yes.”
“How did you meet Tim?”
Ashley didn’t answer. Zark saw her reluctance and the distance she maintained. He understood why. He didn’t press further. He took several calls during the evening. By the time he returned, it was late.
