When Love Breaks (Josephine)

Ethan nodded in agreement. "Hence, over the years, I've taken up calligraphy, painting, music, and anything that might help me keep things fresh for her as long as possible."

Woah, that was... a lot. Josephine couldn't help but feel a little envious of that woman. Up until now, no man had ever liked her this much or put in so much work for her. No, she was getting ahead of herself. The truth was, she hadn't even met a man who was willing to be devoted to her.

This realization made her feel a little miserable.

As they got closer to the community garden of the residential complex, the sound of musical instruments being played filled the air. Just a little ahead, a group had gathered in the gazebo.

Ethan seemed familiar with the place. "Let's go take a look."

As the couple neared the gazebo, they spotted a crowd of elderly folks surrounding a stone table, all engrossed in a chess match. One of the players was Nick.

Despite his age, he carried himself with an undeniable elegance. His long, narrow eyes hinted at the handsomeness of his youth. His physique was well-maintained, and even beneath the light gray turtleneck sweater he wore, the outline of his chest muscles was still visible. He looked, at most, in his early 50s. But in reality, he was pushing 70.

Josephine hadn't expected him to be in such good shape and couldn't help but have some doubts. The character he was supposed to play in the script was nothing like this—an old man down on his luck, scruffy, rummaging through trash bins, even picking up vegetable scraps to eat. Could Nick really pull that off?

She wasn't the type of director who would cast a big-name actor just because of their fame.

Ethan was about to call out to him, but Josephine hurriedly grabbed his arm. "Never interrupt someone in the middle of a chess game."

Josephine was so nervous that she didn't even realize she was still holding onto Ethan's arm. And, of course, Ethan had no intention of pointing it out. Hence, the two them just stood there quietly blending into the crowd, each lost in

ernet

their own thoughts as they waited for the match to end.

Josephine silently rooted for Nick to win. If he won, he'd be in a good mood, which

meant their conversation afterward would go smoothly.

Ethan, on the other hand, had his eyes on the chessboard, but his mind was elsewhere. His entire focus was on the spot where Josephine's hand clung to hisnoveldrama

arm.

She wasn't gripping him too tightly-just holding on, as if she needed something solid to anchor herself. Her fingers would tighten and then relax, over and over again, like a teasing scratch against his heart.

In the end, he gave in and glanced at her hand. Her nails were painted with a faint, almost imperceptible shade of pink-so natural that one

wouldn't notice unless lookinget

closely. It matched the subtle flush on her cheeks, brought on by her nervousness.

"Nick, you never disappoint!"

The match ended, and Nick emerged victorious. He looked nonchalant, but the moment he won, a bright, triumphant grin spread across his face. "Well played, well played!"

His opponent, an elderly man with a ruddy complexion, huffed in frustration. "Let's go again!"

"Next time. My student is here to see me." With that, Nick rose from his seat and turned his gaze toward Ethan and Josephine. But his attention soon drifted to Josephine's hand, still resting on Ethan's arm.

From his perspective, the gesture looked far more intimate than she realized— almost like she was holding onto him the way a lover would. Usually, only couples did that.