The Sweet Rival (Mango Shen and Nathaniel Ye)
Chapter 687

Mango was lost in thought after she put down her phone.

She wanted to make Novalee and Walter a couple, but she had never considered the difference between the two of them. Now, she started having doubts about her intentions after hearing what Walter said. Would her decision negatively affect Novalee?

Mango couldn't reveal her true intentions yet as she noticed that both of them didn't have the same idea as her.

She looked at Nathaniel and used the text-to-speech application to ask him, "Nathan, do you think that what I did is right? Walter has spent so much effort on me, and I really don't want to see him spend the rest of his life alone as everyone should find their own happiness. He clearly knows that we aren't meant to be, but is it right for me to pair him up with someone else? I'm aware that Novalee isn't his type as she grew up in an entirely different environment from us, but still, she's an honest and upright person. Once such a woman falls in love with someone, she will surely stay loyal to her partner. I really hope that Walter will have a beautiful love life and find his own

happiness... Do you think that's wrong?"

However, Nathaniel had no reaction.

Mango realized that Nathaniel seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep as nothing could wake him up.

Perhaps she couldn't wake Nathaniel up because she was using the text-to-speech function instead of her own voice?

Mango felt upset deep down at the thought of this possibility.

Her voice...

She thought of Bettany and recalled the Fang family's conditions that Bettany mentioned.

Although Mango didn't know what the conditions were, it must be something bad as the Fang family wouldn't go through the trouble otherwise.

Mango had thought about asking Bettany to come and have a look at Nathaniel's condition as she was Yama Hades after all. However, Mango hadn't made the call as she was well aware of the Fang family's situation.

At the same time, Mango was heartbroken at seeing how Nathaniel was getting thinner day by day. Right now, he was lying there like a living corpse.

She could serve and take care of him for the rest of her life, but that was her last resort in case there was no hope for Nathaniel to wake up.

There was still hope at present, but...

Mango let out a deep sigh.

"Nathan, what do you think I should do? Should I see Bettany? Maybe she has a solution... I'm already like this, and the children can't live without you, neither can I sustain my life alone. Nathan, I promise you that I'll push all affairs aside and just live a happy life with you as long as you wake up, how does that sound?"

Mango looked at Nathaniel as she conveyed her thoughts to him, but he still lay there motionlessly. Hence, Mango had no idea how much he could understand.

Mango was pondering whether her decision was right or wrong, while Walter started becoming impatient on the other side.

Was that stupid woman still waiting for Alfie in the lobby?

At the thought of this, Walter got up and changed into casual clothing. Then, he exited his room and walked toward the elevator.

He decided to take her to have a meal if she was still waiting downstairs.

Walter entered the elevator and the door was about to close when a delicate hand reached in.

"Wait a minute!"

Walter discerned a fragrant scent as a tall and beautiful woman entered the elevator.

"Sorry."

The woman took a look at Walter and was stunned immediately.

Wow, this man was so good-looking!

The locals here were mostly tanned due to the climate, and most of the men were relatively short. It was rare to see a man who was fairskinned and tall, so the woman immediately smiled when she saw how dignified Walter appeared to be.

"Sir, you're not a local, are you?"

Walter acted as if he didn't see nor hear her as he knew very well that this was a woman's way of flirting.

The woman didn't feel discouraged at Walter's behavior, and she leaned closer to him.

"Sir, I'm here for a vacation, and I guess that you're also here for holiday, so can we be friends? Can I have your number?"

"Do I look like a phone book?"

Walter finally spoke, but what he said was really sarcastic.

The woman didn't say anything else, and she wasn't too happy as Walter gave her the cold shoulder. Then, the two of them walked down the stairs and arrived at the lobby.

Walter shook his head the moment he saw Novalee still waiting on the sofa, and he grabbed her arm before leaving without saying a word.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? We can't leave! If Alfie comes out and doesn't see me, he will doubt our sincerity."

Novalee struggled, but she realized that Walter was really strong although he was a pretty boy.

"He would've seen you if he wanted to, and I bet that he isn't even in the hotel to begin with. We'd better have a good meal first before thinking of a way to meet him instead of sitting here and waiting like a fool."

Walter couldn't turn a blind eye to Novalee since he promised Mango that he would guide her.

Novalee didn't quite understand.

"If we can't make contact with him now, how else can we meet him?"

"Listen to me, I have a solution to this, but we must first have a meal as I'm starving. Don't you feel pity for me considering that I drove such a long way here?"

As Walter spoke, he dragged Novalee to a restaurant and they found a seat quickly.

Novalee felt slightly uneasy, so she said, "It's very expensive to eat here, so why not we go somewhere else? I'll treat you."

"Forget it, I'll treat you instead. You should broaden your horizons and stop being so wary of spending your money since you're on a business trip. Besides, Ms. Shen is rich and she wouldn't mind you spending a little."

"Regardless of how wealthy Ms. Shen is, I shouldn't spend her money so carelessly, as her money belongs to her and not me."

Novalee's words made Walter glance at her once again.

He thought that Novalee had no merits at first, but he started to have a good impression of her now that she expressed her consideration for Mango.

"I just realized that you're actually quite goodlooking even though you're quite tanned."

Novalee's mouth twitched.

"In my village, we regard tan skin as a commendable feature."

"What do you mean?"

It was the first time that Walter heard that a woman with darker skin color was considered beautiful.

Novalee noticed that Walter was genuinely interested, so she told him about the customs of her hometown. Furthermore, she explained their local culture including their marriage traditions. Walter found it extremely eye-opening.

"Wow, that's so interesting, especially your marriage customs! Does that mean that a man only needs to live with a woman from the village for a certain period of time, and then he can leave after she gets pregnant?"

"That's right."

Novalee nodded.

Walter asked again, "What about the child? What happens to the baby after the woman gives birth?"

"Haven't you heard of the Nakasara legend? We live in a matriarchal society where the mother raises the child after giving birth, so she will bring the kid with her to look for another partner."

Walter couldn't understand the purpose behind their customs.

"What about the child's father? He also has the right to raise the child."

"As I said, this is tradition, and there's no answer to your questions. Isn't it a good thing for you men anyway? You can leave right after having fun without having to care about the consequences." Walter shook his head after hearing Novalee's

words.

"I would never do such a thing as I want my child to live with me. Why would I ever let other people raise my child? It's not like I don't have the money to take care of my kid, and I should definitely take up the responsibility as a father."

Novalee was stunned as she looked at Walter.

She didn't expect Walter to be such a responsible person.

"I suddenly realized that you're not that bad as a person."

"I'm a good person to begin with, okay?"

Walter glared at her before he ordered a few dishes for her.

It was right at this moment that the woman in the elevator approached Walter once again, and she looked at Novalee in disgust. "Hey, handsome, what's wrong with your taste in women? Ah...I got it! You must've come here to explore new romantic experiences, so you found a local lady to accompany you, isn't it?"

Walter was displeased as this woman kept pestering him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Zendaya Liu, a jewelry designer. Baby, you can contact me if you're interested in jewelry as I can tell the fakes from the genuine pieces. Many scammers sell jewelry that looks exactly the same as the real product here, so foreigners who aren't experienced will get scammed easily."

Zendaya said with a smile.

Walter found that her name somewhat familiar, but he was disgusted by her behavior and the way she mocked Novalee.

He didn't like Novalee, but she was still Mango's subordinate after all. Furthermore, he was the one who brought her out, so he didn't want others to slander her.

"I have something to say to you."

"Yes, handsome?"

Zendaya replied with a smile.

Walter beamed charmingly and said, "Get lost!"

Then, Zendaya's expression darkened.

Novalee felt angry initially, but she couldn't help but chuckle when she saw how Walter treated Zendaya.

"Why are you laughing, you country bumpkin? You should order more of the dishes here as you probably won't be able to afford it a second time!"

Zendaya did not get angry with Walter, but she was enraged by Novalee.

Novalee's expression soured.

"Miss, are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

Novalee was petite, but she was not afraid of getting into trouble.

Surprisingly, Walter liked how Novalee had the courage to get into fights whenever she met someone who didn't click with her.

"You have my support! It's not a big deal anyway as I'm here."

Walter mischievously laughed and cheered for Novalee.

However, Zendaya felt that her reputation was ruined.

How was it possible for someone not to recognize her?

Everyone treated her respectfully as many of them needed her help to appraise their pieces of jewelry.

However, some country bumpkin not only got the support of the man she liked, but the woman also had the nerve to provoke her. This was absolutely outrageous!

Zendaya tried her best to suppress her anger as she said coldly, "That really rude of you... A courteous lady like me will never start a fight in this place. I can tell at first glance that you're a wild animal who came from the mountains. I'm really curious about how you become friends with this gentleman as you're so uncultured! I'm sure you can't even afford the shoes that he's wearing with your lowly status!" Anger rushed through Novalee's veins as Zendaya repeatedly belittled her.

"I have no idea whether I can afford his shoes, but at least I showed you something."

Zendaya frowned at that instant.

"What did you show me?"

"I've shown you my respect!"

Having said that, Novalee gave Zendaya a slap without hesitating and she hit her so hard that her palm went numb.