Love's Cunning Ruse novel Chapter 168

From Payne's place to where Julie and Kieran are staying tonight, it's just a short stroll that takes less than ten minutes.

Having just hung out at Payne's for a while, they stepped out to find it was already frosty. The chill of late autumn hung in the air. The dim streetlights glowed hazily through the frosty mist, casting a blurred light on the surrounding villas, making them appear vaguely visible.

When they left, Kieran casually grabbed a coat for Julie. Now, she draped it over her shoulders, but it didn't do much to ward off the cold. The night wind carried a desolate chill that seemed especially piercing.

They walked side by side, maintaining a small distance between them.

After leaving Payne's, they had been walking like this for about half a minute. You could tell that Kieran had deliberately slowed down to match Julie's pace.

"What's on your mind?" Kieran asked out of the blue.

Julie paused before answering, "At first, I was wondering if you had anything to do with No. 49, but now I've dismissed that idea."

"Can you guess what I'm thinking?" Kieran asked, inching closer to Julie without her noticing.

Julie, too engrossed in the conversation, replied, "I don't want to guess."

Kieran seemed to anticipate her response, a playful smile playing on his lips. "I was thinking… what would have happened if you hadn't stopped me from bidding for that ring. Who would have ended up with it and for how much? If you hadn't interfered, who do you think would have gotten the ring?"

Julie glanced at the ring box in her hand and then smiled at Kieran, "I guess, in the end, it would still be mine."

Kieran laughed, "My wife's got a point here."

Julie shot him a look, "You seem quite comfortable calling me your wife. You don't have to be in character all the time, there's no one else here."

"True, my wife is definitely not a stranger." Kieran reached out and playfully ruffled Julie's hair, a casually affectionate gesture.

Julie dodged to the side, a bit uncomfortable. "You can talk, just don't touch me!"

She took a step away from him, adding, "Never mind, you don't even need to talk. I can't out-talk you anyway!"

"Let's change the subject." Kieran suggested cooperatively.

Julie fell silent, unable to fathom what his next topic might be.

"Do you know about Platonic love?" Kieran asked out of nowhere.

Julie didn't answer.

So Kieran started rambling, "Platonic love, also known as spiritual love, named after the philosopher Plato, is a kind of spiritual love between people. It seeks soulful communication, rejects carnal desire, and is a rational, pure love..."

Before Kieran could finish, Julie interrupted him, "Actually, according to the Symposium, Platonic love refers primarily to love between people of the same sex, which was in line with the social mores of ancient Greece. Greek scholars believed that love between the same sex was the true love, and heterosexual marriage was just for societal construction. So, the core of Platonic love is homosexuality. So, let's leave it there."

"Joyce," he looked at Julie, asking earnestly, "In your eyes, I'm a man, right?”

What a profound question!

"Do you not know whether you're a man or not?" Julie quickened her pace, trying to get away from this crafty and mysterious man.

But he caught up easily, grinning cheekily, "You just said that the core of Platonic love is homosexuality, so since you acknowledge that I'm a man, why do you want to have a platonic love relationship with me?"

What Kieran meant was: if he were a woman, then Julie should have a platonic love relationship with him. But since he was a man, they should have a deeper relationship. Basically, whether he was a man or a woman, Julie was his.

So Julie sidestepped Kieran, who was blocking her way, and retorted, "When did I acknowledge you as a man?"

Kieran kept pace with Julie, "So, you're saying you don't see me as a man?"

"Get lost!"

"My wife..."

"Call me by my name!"

"My dear..."

"My name is Julie!!"

"My sweetheart..."

Finally, Julie had had enough. She stopped, turned to look at him, "What are you up to? Weren't you so cold and aloof when I was pursuing you? Where's that aloofness now?"

"I'm not sure, probably fed it to Coco," he shrugged innocently.

Julie retorted, "Don't blame Coco, Coco is only interested in your conscience."

He took the hint, she was mocking him for being conscienceless.