New World with Four Husbands

"I wasn't planning on bringing Quizen along with me, but due to certain circumstances, I ended up deciding to bring him as well." Coco said, half stating the truth and half lying.

She could tell that Quizen did not want to reveal to Heiren or Alhai that he asked Coco if he could come with her and Zaque to the main city so all she could do is twist her words, silently taking the anger of the two mediators before her.

"Did you ask him if he wants to come with you?" Alhai asked, his teal colored eyes narrowed into a displeased glare, "You can't take him with you if he doesn't want to."

Coco turned her gaze towards Quizen, who was sitting beside her, her eyes flickering between his face and the others.

As Alhai's words filled the air, she noticed the way Quizen's expression hardened and turned blank, his face immediately turning expressionless, doing his best to not let his facade break.

The third husband's question lingered in the air like a lingering perfume, the room's tension still thick and uncomfortable.

Quizen shifted in his seat, his gaze locked onto Coco's, his eyes silently pleading while not keeping his expressionless facade break, silently begging her not to reveal anything to Alhai.

His hand moved to hers under the table, fingers snaking across to her hand, their touch feather-light, the touch subtle yet firm, the gesture meant to be discrete because he didn't want Alhai to catch onto his silent request, to keep the moment private and free from suspicion.

He was hoping she would catch on to his subtle message, his grip tightening just enough to convey his desperation.

Alhai had already cried because he was hurt, he did not want to cause any more pain on him by letting him know that he asked Coco himself to bring him to the main city with her.

Coco's gaze flickered as she felt Quizen's hand discreetly reach for hers, the touch sent a warm shiver down her spine, the sudden contact unexpected yet not unwelcome.

Her eyes widened momentarily, her mind trying to process the unexpected gesture, her heart rate quickening ever so slightly, but still, she kept her composure, her expression betraying no signs of surprise or discomfort.

She looked discreetly over at him, her gaze flickering between his face and their joined hands, confusion and curiosity warring within her, but she knows what he wants.

Coco looked away from Quizen, her gaze shifting to meet Alhai's eyes directly.

Their gazes locked, the intensity of his stare causing her to swallow hard, her throat bobbing slightly— there was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite decipher, a mixture of anger and hurt that seemed to pierce through her defenses.

It was a look that is different from how Zaque looks at her so she could tell that he doesn't like her, but would tolerate her enough because his friends wanted him to.

"Just like what I said earlier, I figured that Zaque would be lonely if he's alone so I decided to just bring Quizen with me to accompany Zaque whenever I'm not with him." Coco repeated what she said a few moments prior, keeping her story straight.

Coco knew that Quizen doesn't want Alhai to know, but she's confused as to what the reason was.

Would it cause a huge rift between the four of them? Coco wondered, shifting her gaze away from Alhai and turning to Heiren instead, not letting Alhai speak even just for a moment.

"Do you two want to come with me to the main city? You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of it." Coco said, her eyes flickering between Alhai and Heiren.

"The travelling expenses, the budget for the whole month while staying in the city, and anything else, really." Coco stated, smiling softly as she did her best to look as convincing as she could.

She was trying to keep a blank face earlier because Quizen looked like he needed a scapegoat, but now that it was out of the way, she could relax.

"Who will take care of the house?" Heiren asked, earning a look of surprise from Alhai.

Alhai knew that Heiren was considering the possibilities if he were to come with Coco, but he already showed them that he was hurt— shouldn't they be taking his side now?

"I can hire someone from Mrs. Tani's people and have them check here everyday." Coco answered, making Heiren blink and relax in his seat, which gave him away that he was more worried about the house more than anything else.

"Won't that cost too much money?" Heiren mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"You don't have to worry about money." Coco was quick to push his worries down the drain, "All you have to worry about is the things you have to pack and what to bring with you. That's all."

Heiren perked up as Coco reassured him that he didn't have to worry about anything except himself.

His heart skipped a beat, a surge of relief washing over him, his body physically relaxing as the tension in his shoulders eased.

The reassurance was unexpected, though it was not really surprising, but it took him a moment to fully process the significance of her words, his heart feeling lighter, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Alhai's gaze shifted to his friend, his heart lurching in his chest as he spied the smile lingering on Heiren's face.

It still felt like a betrayal, seeing Heiren smile at the one who inflicted cuts and bruises to their skin on a daily basis, and as much as he wanted to throw insults on Coco's way, he pushed them down.

He can't cause any more trouble to his friends, he already created enough conflict between—

"Make sure to pack your things, too, Alhai."

Alhai's inner turmoil ceased, perking up when he heard Coco's voice pierced through the chaos in his mind.