Ice and Fire

Chapter 14 Second Encounter At The Bar

Two weeks later, Jackson's wedding with Cherry was held with the substantial support of the Chu

household. The Shens attended the ceremony. Though Jade was still concerned about the bride price,

she did not know how to bring up this topic. Remembering what Jackson had said to her before, she

held back and remained silent from the beginning to the end of the ceremony.

Seeing Jackson and Cherry walking down the carpet, John was pained, but there was nothing he could

do. He was the one who had hurt Cherry, and now the man Cherry was marrying was his uncle. He

could only watch his beloved get married to another man. This was a pain that he will not forget his

entire life.

After the wedding ceremony, Jackson and Cherry moved to the luxurious villa in the countryside, a Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

wedding present from their grandpa. Seeing the grand house that now belonged to her, Cherry was

pleased. She had been dying to own this kind of a warm house for a long time.

Looking at Cherry's cheerful face, Jackson too felt elated. Unknowingly, this woman's mood could

influence his. He always felt relaxed whenever she was joyful, and he felt vexed when she was upset.

Earlier, every day had felt mundane and Jackson would rather spend time with the troops than go back

home. But now, after his marriage, he wanted to stay at home 24 hours a day, and keep this woman in

his sights all day.

Bringing a bag with her, Cherry planned to go to the bar to visit Emily, who had been her bridesmaid at

the wedding ceremony. She hadn't yet expressed her gratitude to Emily. Today she had the time to see

her. She should not forget her friend just because she was now married!

When she entered the bar, Cherry saw Emily mixing drinks at the counter. She walked towards her,

elated.

"Sweet girl, give me a glass of wine, please." Cherry pretended to be a customer.

Emily was happy to see that it was Cherry, "Cherry, you have come!"

"Yes. What?time?do?you?get?off?work? Let's go shopping." Cherry said, with a smile on her face.

"There is still half an hour left. How about sitting there and waiting for me?" Emily replied.

"Okay, got it."

Cherry sat in the corner and waited for Emily to finish her work.

Suddenly, Cherry heard someone call her name.

"Miss Cherry." She heard the person say.

Cherry looked in his direction and saw that it was Stephen An.

"Mr...Mr. Stephen." Cherry hurriedly replied.

Sitting opposite Cherry, Stephen An looked at her and tenderly began their conversation, "Miss Cherry,

you're waiting for Emily, right?"

"Yes, Emily said she would get off soon and I'm waiting for her." Cherry said, politely. Though the man

in front of her gave off the vibes of being indifferent and unapproachable, she did not feel stressed at

all. She treated him as a regular person.

"Oh, that's how it is." Stephen An asked, "So may I talk with you? Since there is nothing else you can

do but sit here."

Cherry thought it was not a problem, chatting with him. She did not find him to be annoying at all. She

just looked at him as a regular friend and so it was okay to talk.

Cherry nodded.

Cherry and Stephen An sat in the corner of the bar and, as luck would have it, Derek saw them

chatting. He had come there looking for a friend, and did not expect to see Stephen An and Cherry

sitting and talking with each other as soon as he entered the bar. Though they were just talking and

occasionally smiling without any signs of intimacy, he was worried because Stephen An was not a

stranger to him.

Derek eventually called Jackson and informed him.

After hanging up the phone, Derek walked up to Cherry and Stephen An, his eyes filled with anger.

In her peripheral vision, Cherry saw a person coming towards her. Turning around, she saw that it was

Derek.

"Derek, what are you doing here?" Cherry was a bit surprised because Jackson had told her he would

go back to the barracks today. In this case, Derek too should be at the barracks. How could he instead

turn up here?

Derek did not reply. He stood beside Cherry and stared at Stephen An, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Stephen An, what are your intentions?" Derek said, wrathfully.

Stephen An casually turned his attention to Derek, as if nothing had happened, "Master Lu, I'm just

talking with my friend. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Stephen An, you should be familiar with Jackson's views. Don't touch anything that belongs to him." It

seemed that Derek was giving him a warning.

Cherry didn't know what they were talking about, at all. Had they met before? Were they old friends?

Were they familiar with each other?

Stephen An was a bit irritated with Derek's words. He stood up, gazed at him, and replied in a cold and

frightening tone, "Derek, you should know the reason I am doing this."

"If there is anything wrong, you can confront Jackson and me. Do not play?your tricks behind our

backs." Derek said.

Cherry vaguely felt that they were talking about her, but she also felt that their words might have a

deeper, hidden meaning. She stood up slowly, turned her gaze towards Derek, who was standing

beside her, and explained, "Derek, I'm sitting here and waiting for Emily. And we have exchanged just a

few words."

Derek turned to look at Cherry. Though he wanted to tell her the truth, he didn't have the courage and

was afraid Jackson would blame him. "Sister-in-law, it's not like that, I'm not blaming you, " he said to

Cherry, reluctantly.

"So, are you blaming me?" Stephen An said, out of the blue.

Derek turned his sights on Stephen An, his eyes filled with animosity. There was no doubt that he even

wanted to kill him.

His existence was a threat.

"Stephen An, I warn you, do not provoke Jackson." Derek's anger scared Cherry.

Stephen An's face darkened, as well, "You are in no position to threaten me."

"Am I in that position?" A voice said from a distance.

The three simultaneously turned and saw Jackson.

Jackson stepped in front of Derek and Cherry, stared at Stephen An, and the hatred in his eyes was

clearly visible.

"Stephen An, do you want me to repeat my question?" Jackson's presence was so strong, that it

attracted the attention of many people around them.

Stephen An kept clam, "Jackson, since you have come here in person, it must mean she holds an

important place in your heart."

Jackson ignored Stephen An's words as the person he cared most about was Cherry. What Stephen

An said meant nothing to him.

"Stephen An, you will pay for it if you dare touch her." Jackson's words sounded more like a command

than a warning.

"Jackson, I heard you two met on a blind date, so there is no love between you and Cherry. Right?"

What Stephen An said completely annoyed Jackson.

Cherry too was surprised and couldn't help shouting, "Mr. Stephen!"

Cherry hadn't expected Stephen An would use this fact in his squabble with Jackson. She had told him

that she met Jackson on a blind date, but had never imagined that Stephen An would twist the

information in this way.