Meanwhile, the others didn’t miss out on Ariel’s smile.

Frederick frowned. “I can’t believe she’s still smiling now. It seems like our advice fell on deaf ears!”

Nancy stayed silent, although she was equally dissatisfied.

“She’s just a housewife who doesn’t understand tech–trying to reason with her is just wasting your breath. Don’t let someone like her ruin your mood, Ms. Stanton,” Frederick comforted her.

The contrast only made it clearer to him just how rare someone like Nancy was. She was highly professional, respectful, and someone who truly valued the work of others.

It took a real talent to understand another–he figured she must’ve felt a kind of kinship with the developer behind U.N2.

Zach glanced toward Ariel before shifting his gaze toward Nancy, who looked graceful and composed.

He finally understood how she’d managed to win over Jayson–it was through her charming charisma. No wonder he’d brushed off Ariel’s attempt to flirt with him at the art gallery that day.

However, Zach caught something else.

“Housewife?” he repeated.

Frederick nodded and replied, “She’s married–didn’t see that coming, did you? Mr. Hockney is just the man she’s stringing along on the side.”

He hadn’t explained Ariel’s situation to Zach properly the last time, so this news took Zach by surprise.

Zach turned to look incredulously at Ariel and Chad, who were talking happily.

“Who’s her husband?” he asked curiously.

Frederick hesitated before replying, “That… I’m not too sure of.”

Even Janice had not revealed this to him.

“Enough with the gossip–let’s focus on the products instead,” Nancy calmly interrupted them. She then gracefully turned away to check the detailed introduction.

Only then did Zach really take a good look at her.

A woman like Nancy was rare–she was calm, composed, and never flustered by praise or judgment. She didn’t gossip, nor did she concern herself with other people’s private life.

Even if she disliked Ariel, she’d still steer the conversation away from personal attacks, choosing to only focus on

herself.

It was an admirable trait–no doubt Jayson was lucky to have her.

Perry stayed silent the entire time. He shot a complicated look at Nancy’s back before eventually shaking his head.

Ariel couldn’t care less what they thought of her. She recorded the functions, categories, and system upgrades of the various military tech on display in her notebook.

The field had advanced quickly in the three years she had been away. It stirred something within her–the Fexcitement to catch up, but at the same time, a quiet sorrow.

If Ariel hadn’t fallen ill, she could’ve thrown herself back into all these without hesitation. Instead, she was now living with the threat of her condition constantly hanging over her.

She was still lost in thought when the steady, unhurried footsteps echoed from the entrance.

A soft voice sounded, “You’re here, Jayson.”

Ariel subconsciously looked over to the entrance and saw Jayson, dressed in a loose–cut overcoat, looking sharp and composed.

He handed Nancy a bottle of hot chocolate, which looked out of place against his usual image. “For you to warm yourself up.”

She couldn’t help but smile sweetly. “Thank you. My stomach is not hurting as much now.”

Ariel quietly watched their interaction, figuring that Nancy was on her period now.

She was surprised to find that Jayson was indeed capable of being thoughtful and gentle.

It turned out that there was no such thing as men being naturally clueless or emotionally–unavailable—it all came down to whether he truly cared.

All those were just excuses from either people who were desperate to be loved or those who never really planned on loving anyone at all.

Ariel merely cast them an indifferent glance before looking away to continue with her recordings.

Zach happened to catch sight of the easy interaction between Nancy and Jayson.

Out of amused curiosity, he glanced over to Ariel to check her reaction. Sure enough, he caught the quick look she gave Jayson.

Zach was surprised to find out that even after being turned down, she was still reluctant to give up on someone else’s boyfriend.