Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3474

Marina held her teacup and answered honestly, "Our relationship is a bit complicated. It's not a pure, traditional romance like you're imagining."

Nocturne looked taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Marina didn't want to dive down that rabbit hole. She just offered a faint smile. "Basically, we don't really see each other unless we have a reason to."

Case in point: since parting ways that morning, they hadn't seen or spoken to each other in a whole week.

They only showed up when the other needed them.

It was an unspoken understanding between them.

"That sounds... really bizarre," Nocturne admitted, surprised.

Marina simply shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it.

Nocturne stared straight into her eyes. "Do you love him?"

Marina paused for a brief second before shaking her head. "No."

Nocturne smiled. "Then why stay together? You're young. You should be with someone you actually have feelings for. Otherwise, you're just wasting time."

"But I don't have anyone I like," she laughed.

"What if you meet someone one day?" he teased.

Marina thought about it. "Then I'd end my current setup and date the person I love."

A subtle gleam flashed in Nocturne's eyes. "Then I hope you find that person soon."

She smiled. "Thanks!"

They chatted for a few more minutes before diving back into their work.

After a quick lunch at the teahouse, they spent the entire afternoon sketching and drafting. Since they were both slammed during the week, they used the weekend to build up a backlog of chapters.

They finally packed up as the sun started to set.

When the next weekend rolled around, they met at the teahouse in the morning. Their new story arc had been incredibly well-received, keeping their rankings high and raking in over a hundred million views.

"We need to celebrate!" Marina cheered excitedly. "Lunch is on me!"

Nocturne hesitated. "Sia, I actually have a favor to ask. I'm not sure if it's out of line..."

"Just spit it out!" Marina said breezily. "No need to be polite with me!"

"My mom has been feeling really down lately," Nocturne admitted. "Would you mind coming to my place to meet her?"

Marina was a little surprised. "But I don't know her. Would a total stranger really cheer her up?"

Nocturne nodded emphatically. "She loves having people around. If I bring a friend home, it'll definitely make her day."

Marina was still hesitant. "Won't she get the wrong idea about us?"

Nocturne laughed. "Not at all. I'll make it clear that you're my co-creator. She's very open-minded."