From the moment John introduced himself, shook hands with Sophia, and engaged in conversation, he displayed an air of strong gentlemanliness.
Very decent.
The problem, however, was the misunderstanding that had occurred earlier.
First impressions were crucial, and Sophia's initial perception of John had been quite negative. She'd thought he was just pretending—acting like a gentleman for show—no matter how serious or polite he was later on.
John could only smile bitterly, touching his nose in resignation.
It was hard to explain himself, especially since he had peeked at the gap between Sophia's denim shorts a few times. He had no excuse. He deserved to be scolded for that.
When Sophia noticed that John remained silent, she assumed he felt guilty, which only fueled her contempt.
She had encountered many men like him before—men who pretended to be decent on the outside while hiding their true intentions. If John wasn't Anita's god-brother, Sophia wouldn't have given him the time of day, let alone stand here chatting with him.
A silence fell between them, thick and awkward.
But only for a moment.
John, never one to let discomfort linger, broke the silence with a smile, undeterred by the earlier misunderstanding.
Finally, Sophia spoke again, her tone serious.
"As a member of the Long family, I have no reason to interfere in Anita's personal affairs. But I'll still say this: if you want to protect her, you should stop visiting her so frequently. It could raise questions and make things complicated."
It was Anita's personal matter to reconnect with her brother, and it wasn't really any of the Long family's business. However, Sophia couldn't resist offering her opinion.
At first, the atmosphere had been tense, but hearing Sophia's words, John found himself intrigued. He tilted his head and grinned. "You're worried about details? I thought our recognition had been made public already. What can people find?"
"Naive," Sophia sneered, crossing her arms. "You don't understand the complexities of the entertainment industry. Even if you're innocent, people will still slander you if they want to. Your frequent visits to Anita aren't helping. You're just creating trouble for her."
"Wait, you mean Laura, right?" John asked suddenly.
Sophia blinked, surprised. "Now you know it's Laura? Then you should be even more careful. Keep your distance from Anita."
"Is Laura really that powerful?" John asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't care if she's powerful or not. The important thing is, you can't provoke her."
"Well," John grinned, "I think I've already done that."
Sophia's eyes widened. "What did you say? Are you serious? That's not a joke, John. You've already angered Laura?"
"Of course," he replied casually. "I've already offended her, no big deal."
Sophia was visibly shocked. "Do you know who you're messing with? Laura may not be the biggest threat, but her connections are. The Swift family, and more specifically, their backer—the White Dragon King. Do you understand the significance of that?"
John nodded, unfazed. "I know exactly what that means."
There were two prominent rumors about John. One was that he was a martial artist, the other that he was a monk.
The martial artist rumor had spread among people like Amelia, who had seen him carry Anita up a mountain. On the other hand, the monk rumor had come from paparazzi who had caught glimpses of him during his visits to the set, although they never got clear enough shots to make a solid conclusion.
Despite hearing from Amelia that John was a martial artist, Sophia couldn't help but curse him.
"So what if you're a martial artist?" she said scornfully. "You're nothing compared to someone from the venerable realm."
Sophia's expression turned cold as she scolded him. "You think you're helping Anita, but you're only making things worse. How can you act proud of yourself for this? And how could you be so stupid—laughing like it's all a joke?"
"Stupid?" John's face shifted slightly, a strange expression crossing his features.
It was the first time anyone had called him an idiot—The King of Horizon.
Interesting.
John didn't feel anger, though. Instead, he found it amusing.
The woman before him reminded him of an old friend—Amy. There was a similar fire in her eyes. Amy had also been relentless in her own way, though for different reasons. But Sophia, despite her sharpness, was more concerned for Anita, which made John soften toward her.
Despite being called an idiot, he couldn't bring himself to dislike her.
He chuckled, the smile returning to his face. "So, you're telling me I should just do nothing while Laura keeps tabs on Anita? Even if I'm being targeted by paparazzi, I should just sit back?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, her voice dismissive. "If you don't want to be watched by paparazzi, why are you visiting Anita every day?"
"Because she's my sister," John replied, his voice firm. "I'm visiting her because I care. What's the problem with that?"
Sophia's lips curled into a sneer. "You're just an idiot! Even if you're a martial artist, you're still a damn idiot!"