Chapter 129 Putting on Weight
The men present were just the brothers, and the women were Willow Nelson, Daniel, and Ophelia—everyone familiar. Willow Nelson guided Madison to a seat while Matthew went to sit next to Victor.
"Why is he coming to Horizon City?" Matthew asked quietly. There was an unspoken understanding between the brothers, and Victor knew exactly who "he" referred to.
"His motives are unclear at the moment," Victor confessed honestly.
"Keep a close eye on him."
"Yeah, I've had someone on it the whole time."
They continued their conversation, touching on recent work matters while sharing drinks.
Over at Madison's, after Willow Nelson ushered her to a seat, Daniel and Ophelia eagerly engaged in conversation, gushing over the daily life videos Madison took of Quentin and Hannah Garcia at home.
It wasn't long before they noticed that Willow was glued to her phone, tapping away at Facebook messages.
Daniel casually asked, "Willow, who's hitting you up so late?"
Unexpectedly, Willow's composure flickered, particularly because the music in the bar had just died down, and Daniel's question cut through the silence, drawing everyone's attention.
"I'm just a coworker discussing work stuff," Willow explained. Her response was tinged with discomfort, especially as she caught Mitchell's gaze shifting toward her, prompting her to avoid the truth.
The group didn't pry further. As the music kicked back in, they resumed their revelry.
Willow yanked Daniel closer, whispering in her ear, "Why do you have to be so loud?"
Daniel protested her innocence, unable to anticipate the sudden lull in the music.
"I had no clue it would go quiet just then. But you said you were talking shop with a colleague? Is it possible…" Daniel's realization dawned that Willow had been elusive, pressingly curious about who she was messaging on Facebook.
"The guy we met at the barbecue," Willow conceded.
Daniel's memory clicked, "The college kid? What's his name… Jay Law! Right, Jay Law?"
Willow quickly clamped her hand over Daniel's mouth, "Keep it down, will ya?"
"Oh, my bad. I got a little carried away. So, is there really something going on between you two?"
"No, nothing like that. He sometimes reaches out on Facebook, and I feel it's rude not to reply. It's not like he's done anything weird," Willow elucidated.
She remembered the barbecue when Daniel took her phone and added Jay Law as a friend on Facebook. As she left, she declined his offer for a motorcycle ride and vaguely heard him mention connecting on Facebook later. With Mitchell there, she was too nervous to think much about Jay Law's message.
That evening, after Mitchell dropped her off and she finished her shower, she noticed Jay Law's Facebook message:
Jay:【Hey, did you make it home okay?】
Since she had left her phone in her bag to shower, she hadn't seen the message, prompting him to send another a few minutes later.
Jay:【Hey, why the silent treatment? Did you crash already?】
After showering, Willow Nelson politely replied to Jiang Lu's message from her phone, letting him know she had arrived and was ready to hit the sack. She didn't expect an immediate response, but there it was.
His message gave her a detailed account of his situation, and sure enough, her hunch was right – he was indeed a senior at A University.
Since that day, Jiang Lu, or rather as she knew him, "Jay," would often strike up conversations with Willow, occasionally sending her random jokes or funny memes. At first, Willow would only reply once or twice if she had time, but Jay still needed to be encouraged. His messages kept coming as frequently as clockwork.
He had just invited her to watch his final college basketball game. It was the first time he had asked to meet in person.
Hearing Willow talk about it, Daniel was sure about one thing, "The kid's definitely got a crush on you, Willow!"
Meanwhile, Liam looked over at Ophelia, chatting merrily with Sister, and felt an unexpected sense of ease wash over him.
He turned back to Patrick as they continued their drinking contest, saying casually, "Have you noticed that Matthew has put on weight?"
Holding his drink, Patrick squinted at Matthew and nodded, "Seems like it."
Mitchell, usually the quiet one in their group, chimed in, "Definitely heavier. By at least 20 pounds."
Matthew had always been very thin, unlike the others who were lean but not as much. But since Sister returned, his lifestyle seemed healthier. It hadn't been long, but the change was clear. While he hadn't lost his thinness, which was too much before, he now looked almost perfect.
The group was close to Matthew, so he heard their comments.
"I didn't gain that much!" Matthew protested, slightly perplexed. His jeans were tighter, but he had thought he'd gained maybe just five pounds at most – ten seemed like a stretch!
Victor gave him a once-over before saying seriously, "I'd say it's a real possibility."
Patrick called out loudly to Madison, "What on earth have you been feeding Matthew? He's bulked up a ton!"
Madison blinked in surprise. She and Matthew spent every day together, and she hadn't noticed any weight gain.
"Has he?" she asked everyone.
The group nodded in unison.
"Yeah, he's definitely packed on the pounds," Patrick added.
"I haven't really done anything special, just usual home cooking," Madison responded. "Some meatloaf and stuff like that."
"Meatloaf? You gotta let us try some next time." Patrick's eyes lit up at the mere mention of food.
Liam chuckled and teased her, "It looks like Sister's been fattening up Matthew like a pig."
Madison blushed slightly, knowing that Matthew had been quite thin before. She thought he looked just right with a bit more weight on him, though she admitted her tendency to cook spicy dishes might have led him to eat more rice without noticing. She decided to start making milder dishes from now on.
Matthew's eyes widened like saucers. "Pig?" he thought.
Madison's cooking suited him perfectly, and she often made dishes like meatloaf and pastries, all customized to his preferences. He used to eat very little, but recently, his appetite had definitely grown.
Mitchell drawled out a warning, "Matthew, you're the face of JK Group. Don't go morphing into something else."
Matthew snorted. Even if he had put on a few pounds, he was still more handsome than the others. ‘It's just jealousy,’ he thought smugly.
Actually, he had intended to hit the gym more often, as Matthew always took great care in maintaining his physique.
However, one night, as they lay in bed together, Madison, snuggled up against him, said with a contented smile, "Matthew, have you put on a little weight lately? You feel so warm and cozy to hold now. It's really nice."
Matthew valued Madison's comfort over anything else, so if she was content with his weight, he saw no reason to hit the gym lately!
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