Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl (Pearl and Richard)
Chapter 689

The winds were strong during that season, and the chill in the air was palpable.

Hugo noticed Pearl sitting on the stairs near the garden, looking fragile as if a strong gust of wind could easily knock her over. She appeared thin and not dressed warmly enough for the weather. Hugo draped the coat he had been holding over her shoulders, and as she felt the weight of it, she didn't look up.

"Cry if you have to. I know you must be feeling terrible after finding out."

Pearl spoke calmly, "I'm not upset at all."

"I'm sure you know if you're upset."

"I said I'm not."

"Alright. If you want to put on a strong front, I won't force you to do otherwise."

Pearl stood up and tossed the coat back to him. "How could you be so heartless?"

Hugo took the coat and regarded her with a faint smile. "Life would be dull if everyone was nice."

"That's a ridiculous perspective." Pearl didn't want to spend a second more with him. Just standing around him would make her feel cold.

Hugo, however, didn't seem bothered by her distance and took a seat on the stairs next to her. "Let me ask you something. What kind of person do you think I am?"

Pearl tilted her head and then settled down at a distance from him. "Cold-blooded. You always make jokes, but they tend to be cruel. You're a wolf in sheep's clothing, and you can be quite unpredictable at times."

As she spoke, another word came to her mind: possessive.

Hugo's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was even. "Is that all?"

"That's all," Pearl replied, knowing she should stop there to avoid pushing things too far.

Hugo toyed with his phone, allowing the moonlight to illuminate his face, revealing a clear and pristine complexion. "Do you know why I'm like this?"

Pearl smirked. "Why else? Because you're only interested in your own gain."

Hugo laughed. "Who told you that? Richard?"

Pearl froze. Richard seemed to have given her that idea, but was it wrong?

In terms of memories, Hugo had much more to share. "What he said is true. When I was growing up, I wanted to compete with him in many ways. I used to be chubby and not as good-looking as he was. As time passed, the gap in our intelligence became evident. I was quite anxious, but he was simply too exceptional." It wasn't pleasant to reminisce about those memories.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up those memories," Pearl said, feeling like she had touched upon a sensitive topic.

That aside, Hugo was indeed a highly motivated person. It was just that his approach to self-improvement was somewhat unconventional.

"Don't try to change your mind about me just yet. I'm really not a good person," Hugo admitted, turning his head to meet Pearl's gaze with deep and calculating eyes. "I've framed him numerous times since we were children."

Pearl paused, a sense of coldness creeping into her heart.