Life Through the American TV Show World

Night falls. 

The writers' social event organized by Random House is in full swing. 

"You guys sure have a lot of parties," MAX quipped, linking arms with Adam. "Do you all just have too much free time?" 

"Pretty much," Adam chuckled. "Networking is basically just a bunch of bragging and small talk. Writers often take years to finish a book. The actual writing time is minimal. Most of the time is spent gathering inspiration, collecting material, and structuring plots. And inspiration? Ha!" 

"Oh, I know all about that," MAX said sarcastically. "The Muse of artists, right? Only a goddess could provide you with enough inspiration. One goddess, one book—just like you." 

*Cough.* 

Adam cleared his throat and sighed. "Why does this always come back to me? Weren't we talking about other people?" 

"You're currently publishing *Lord of the Mysteries IV: The Undying*," MAX pointed out, rolling her eyes. "You wrote the first book when you graduated high school. I heard you were obsessed with *Transformers* back then with some girl named Jennifer. 

"The second book was written during your freshman year of college. You were supposedly dating a girl named Caroline and doing charity work together. 

"The third book took you two years, during your sophomore and junior years, while you were hunting all the time with a girl named Heather. 

"And now, you're with me—and you've written the fourth book." 

"It's not what you think…" 

Adam twitched as he met MAX's knowing gaze. No explanation seemed convincing, so he grumbled, "Was it Karen talking about me behind my back?" 

"But is it true?" MAX countered. 

"Of course not." 

Adam shook his head without hesitation. "It's just a coincidence! Yeah, pure coincidence!" 

"You told me that before," MAX teased. "I even remember you quoting an Eastern poem about accidentally wandering into something. Do you really expect me to believe you?" 

"This is different." 

Adam sighed. "Fine, I admit the past wasn't a coincidence. But this whole Muse thing? That really is. I never even thought about it. Honestly, the entire story of *Lord of the Mysteries* has been in my head for years. I don't need a Muse to inspire me." 

"So you're saying I don't inspire you? That I'm not good enough to be your Muse?" 

MAX tightened her grip around Adam's arm and playfully wiggled against him. 

"Uh…" 

Adam suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore. 

"Haha." 

MAX giggled mischievously. 

Adam sighed and muttered, "MAX, you've changed. Be careful or Karen might turn you into a complete troublemaker." 

"I play for both teams." 

MAX smirked. 

"Adam~" 

Just as they were joking around, a familiar voice called out. Adam's heart clenched, and he turned toward the sound, silently cursing, *Of course, it's you.* 

"Amy." 

"Adam, it's been so long." 

Amy Dunn's eyes glistened with unspoken emotions. 

"Yeah," Adam nodded, but he didn't bother exchanging pleasantries. Instead, he casually pulled MAX in front of him and subtly pressed her waist, signaling her. "This is MAX. MAX, this is my high school classmate, Amy Dunn." 

"Nice to meet you," MAX straightened her posture, puffing out her chest slightly, and greeted her with a smile. 

"Nice to meet you," 

Amy's smile faltered for a split second as she glanced at MAX with narrowed eyes. 

"Just a classmate?" 

Amy quickly composed herself and asked in a soft tone. 

"And an ex-girlfriend," Adam corrected with a frown. "But unfortunately, I was the one who got dumped." 

"I had no choice back then," Amy said, looking regretful. "I was moving away for college, and you had just started high school. Texas and Harvard are so far apart… long-distance relationships are tough." 

"You're right." 

Adam nodded. "Long-distance relationships are impossible. Not in this lifetime." 

He then smiled and asked, "So, how's Boston treating you?" 

"It's alright," Amy said, her eyes flickering. "I heard you're studying in New York and publishing *Lord of the Mysteries.* Congratulations! I never expected you to become such a famous writer. New York is a great place. My parents have been thinking about moving there. Looks like they made a good decision." 

"That depends," MAX chimed in, puffing her chest out again. "Big cities have their perks, and so do smaller ones. The key is what suits you best. Adam, for instance, prefers things *big*—which is why he's so comfortable in New York." 

Damn! 

I'm standing right here—do you think I'm invisible?! 

Amy's eyes turned ice-cold as she glanced at MAX. 

A chill ran down MAX's spine, and she instinctively withdrew her challenging stance. 

"Adam, can we talk in private?" 

Amy shot MAX a look of dominance before turning back to Adam. 

"Alright." 

Adam thought about it. He wasn't afraid of her, but it was better to clarify things. 

"MAX, wait for me here." 

"Mm." 

MAX held onto Adam's arm briefly and whispered, "Come back soon." 

As Adam and Amy stepped out of the hall into the garden, MAX watched their backs and scoffed at herself. 

"Damn! What's wrong with me? I've been through so much—seen everything—and I actually let her intimidate me with just a look? Ugh, that's embarrassing!" 

### In the Garden 

"What do you want?" 

Adam got straight to the point, not in the mood for pleasantries. 

"I think we should start over," Amy said, gazing at him tenderly. "I made a mistake before, but I can make it up to you. My feelings for you never changed. I believe yours haven't either…" 

Adam chuckled, resisting the urge to mock her. Instead, he looked her straight in the eyes and said calmly, "The past is the past. We're adults now. Let's not pretend this is some fairy tale." 

"You still blame me." 

Amy sighed. "I understand. But I truly believe we're meant to be. Back then, out of all the guys in school, why did I choose you—a freshman four years younger than me? And you just happened to have a talent for writing? That's fate!" 

"That wasn't fate, or talent," Adam said, pointing at his own face. "It was because of this." 

He narrowed his eyes. "I heard from Juno that you graduated top of your psychology class. And I have a degree in psychology too. So can we cut the mind games? What do you *really* want? A second chance? A backup plan? Some kind of power trip? Sorry, but I'm not interested." 

"So you *have* been thinking about me," Amy smirked, her expression shifting. 

"You know why I've been paying attention to you?" 

Adam's gaze turned cold. 

Amy just smiled without responding. 

Since she refused to back down, Adam decided to be blunt. 

"It's because I want to make sure you stay the hell away from me." 

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