This house was chosen for its exceptional location, offering a wide view with a mountain visible not far behind, creating a sense of tranquility reminiscent of the idyllic countryside. The house was already built, and the overall outline of the yard was coming together. Next would be the fine-tuning and gradual detailing, a long process that could be done daily after moving in.
Shirley had a long-missed smile on her face. She and Clarence would enjoy their twilight years here, far from the city’s hustle and bustle. At this age, having gone through so much, they saw things more clearly and yearned more for-
A serene life with each step bringing peace.
Miles of wilderness, a flowing river for the rest of their days, simple meals at sunset, half and half…
The more they lived, the more they understood the meaning of life.
The moon set and the sun rose… Peaceful days repeated one after another until finally, Clarence was released from prison. This was a great joy for both the Russell family and the Han family.
On the night of their reunion, they even invited Ivan and Jennifer over. It was well-known that Ivan had helped in reducing Clarence’s sentence.
One sunny Thursday, Ansel had no classes but appeared in the school’s main office to retrieve some items.
“Mr. Johnsons, don’t you have no classes today?” Susan Clark had just finished her class and walked into the office to find Ansel.
Ansel looked up with a gentle gaze and replied, “Yes, no classes. I’m here to copy some files from my computer.”
Seeing him made the girl quite happy!
Her smile was different than usual. As someone of the same age, Susan had a good impression of Ansel.
She happily sat down at the desk next to him.
“Mr. Johnsons, do you know any good places nearby for sketching?” The girl was an artistic type who liked to find elegant places to draw or relax with some fruit while enjoying the scenery for an afternoon.
The first place that came to Ansel’s mind was his father’s studio, a location chosen twenty years ago with a unique setting by the mountains and water in all of Arkpool City.
So Ansel turned to her and asked, “Are you looking for a place to sketch?”
“Yes, I’ve been in Arkpool City for a while now. Today I received notice that I’ve passed my probation period and my job is stable. So I thought I’d find a nice place nearby to sit and maybe sketch or enjoy the view during my free time.”
Ansel barely hesitated before asking, “Do you have any classes this afternoon?”
The girl shook her head.
Ansel said, “Then how about I take you somewhere?”
Hearing this, she was surprised but also very happy inside. “Really? You’ll take me?”
“Yes,” Ansel replied as he removed his USB drive. “I happen to be free now.”
“Thank you so much,” she said as she took out her phone. “Can I add you on WhatsApp?” Despite knowing each other for so long, they hadn’t had an opportunity to exchange contacts because their work and personal lives rarely intersected.
“Sure,” Ansel said as he took out his phone for her to scan. “It’s my father’s studio; it’s usually not open to outsiders except for friends.”
His father’s studio?
Susan Clark had done her homework on Ansel since she had some interest in him. She knew his father was a renowned painter who had traveled abroad early in his career.
So if it was Ansel’s father’s studio, it must be quite tasteful.
“Mr. Johnsons, are you sure you’re free today?” Susan Clark asked eagerly. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”