When she first met Julian, her heart beat faster and she would drift into daydreams upon seeing him. As time went by and they became closer, interactions with him were no different from those with her fellow coaches. When alone with Julian, everything felt natural; her heart did not race, and there were no more wandering thoughts.She thought the relationship with Julian was more of a camaraderie between brothers.She never expected Julian to express his love for her.Quinn felt her face heating up.She touched her face and even gave it a light pat, muttering to herself, “Quinn, are you feeling shy? Is it because a man said he likes you, and now you’re all fluttery? Stay calm, stay calm.”Julian would not worry about future domestic violence issues as her previous blind dates did. After all, he was a formidable martial artist himself, capable of defeating Will.She was no match for Will.If Julian could beat him, it meant his skills exceeded hers. What was there to worry about?
Quinn brought the hot chocolate back to the sofa in her room and sat down.“Quinn, do you have something on your mind?” Zoey sat beside her and asked with concern.“No, not at all.”Quinn dared not meet her mother’s eyes, fearing that her guilt would be exposed.She took a shallow sip and the excessive richness had her exclaiming, “Mom, did you put all the chocolate we have at home in this? It’s so thick, I can’t drink it. I don’t want it.”“Your cycle is irregular and you’ll be prone to cramps, so drinking this might help.” Quinn admitted, “Well, actually, Mom, I lied to you. I’m perfectly fine.”Zoey stared at her. “Lied to me? Child, how can you lie about your health? I was planning to buy you some hormone-balancing tea and even probiotics. I thought you could regulate your cycle with those.“You’re still young and unmarried. If your cycle isn’t regular, you should see a doctor to regulate it. Don’t be shy or avoid medical help.”Quinn replied, “Mom, do you think I’m the k
“Julian is undoubtedly a businessman, but he’s not a simple businessman. He surely has things hidden from us, things he hasn’t told us.”“Everyone has their secrets; it’s impossible to tell everything to others,” Quinn spoke on behalf of Julian.However, Zoey said, “Think about when you first met him. Didn’t he pretend not to know martial arts? You helped him once, and he kept calling you his lifesaver, insisting on repaying the favor, and then treating you so well.“Maybe it’s because I’ve watched too many TV shows, but I always feel like Julian has been orchestrating things from the beginning. Making you his lifesaver so he can approach you openly, treat you well, and you wouldn’t suspect anything.“Who knows, the biker gang you encountered the night you saved him from might have been arranged by him. Nowadays, public security is good, and it’s rare to see biker gangs, let alone a large group of them. Could the police in Wiltspoon let them out at night?”Quinn replied, “Mom… You
Quinn blushed.She whispered, “Just now, Julian brought us fried chicken. For the record, they’re for the kids, not me. Julian always spoils them, buying whatever they want to eat.“I just happened to be there. Then, while I was eating, Julian suddenly told me he liked me. He said it wasn’t the kind of affection between friends but the one between a man and a woman. He said it was love, and that he loves me, and wants to marry me.“Oh, he also gave me a bouquet of flowers. First, he asked me what I thought when I received that bouquet. At that moment, all I could think of was floral pancakes.”Being stared at by her mother, Quinn spoke softer as her innocence overflowed. “He gave me a bouquet of roses. With so many roses, all I could think of was rose pancakes. He asked me what I thought.“So I just answered truthfully.”Zoey, unimpressed, poked her daughter’s head again. “Why are you so clueless? Always thinking about food. If it weren’t for your love of fried chicken, would Jul
Zoey wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her daughter. “You get along very well with Julian, and you can talk freely. He’s sincere about you. Just calmly think about it for a few days, and then you can give him a response.”Quinn nodded, but with a worried expression, she said, “Mom, do you think Julian might just be after something novel? His family is so wealthy, a scion of a prestigious family. He must have seen countless beauties, probably close to a hundred. I might be pretty, but I don’t think it’s my appearance that captivated him.“Could he just be playing around? Maybe he’s sincere now, but after marriage, he might change his mind, cheat, or have mistresses. I can’t accept that. By then, even if I beat him up, I won’t win. Being far away in Wiltspoon, it’s too difficult for you to rush over and support me. What should I do?”After contemplating for a moment, Zoey said, “This, it’s really hard to say. However, marriages depend on how you manage them. If both of you are
“If I’m dating Julian, we can still move out after marriage and maintain some distance from the in-laws, right?”After a moment of silence, Zoey said, “Even if you don’t live together, it will be easy for Mrs. Bucham to find faults with you and try to ruin your marital relationship if she doesn’t accept you. She’s his mother, and he can’t just cut ties with her for you, right?”Quinn remained silent.After a while, Quinn sighed and said, “Mom, are you suggesting that I shouldn’t accept Julian? I had just made up my mind, and now I’m confused again. I don’t know what to do. I feel it might be better to live alone and not deal with these complicated interpersonal relationships.“My temperament is not suitable for dealing with people who are scheming. They say it’s difficult to get along with mothers-in-law in wealthy families. Not many can be as reasonable as Serenity, Jasmine, and their mothers-in-law. I heard from Serenity that when she first got together with Zachary, his mother c
Julian forced a nervous smile and said, “I went to the gym, and Quinn mentioned she had something to do and went out. I thought she went home.“Anyway, is there anything I can help with?”Zoey sat on the couch, and as she turned on the TV she said, “We’re having Italian tonight, and all the ingredients are ready. You don’t need to do anything else. Julian, come over and chat with me.”“Oh, sure.”Julian was happy to chat with Zoey. He believed that the better he behaved, the more his future mother-in-law would like him.Julian poured a cup of water for Zoey and then sat down across from her with a warm smile on his handsome face. He asked, “What would you like to talk about?”“Just casual chatting. Talk about daily life, talk about children. As a housewife, these are the only things I can talk about.”Zoey put down the TV remote, looked at Julian, and suddenly asked, “Julian, you’re in your thirties and still haven’t dated or married. Is it because your parents have high expecta
Julian stood up and said to Zoey, “I’ll go upstairs and talk to Quinn. Regarding the question about my health, I’ll also tell Quinn without reservation.”“Sure, you two have a good chat. I’ll call you both downstairs for dinner when they come back.”Julian headed upstairs.Zoey looked at his back and muttered softly, “I can’t tell that he’s sick. What kind of illness does he have? Is it because he’s sick that he’s still unmarried at this age?”Was it that all unmarried older men must have some problems?Well, if...God knew when her daughter would find a boyfriend.They really liked Julian.Zoey already regarded him as a son-in-law.When Quinn heard Julian mention that he had an illness and was going upstairs, she returned to her room, pretending not to know that Julian was chatting with her mother downstairs.Soon, Julian arrived at the door of Quinn’s room and knocked.“The door isn’t locked, come in,” Quinn responded.Julian turned the handle and opened the door. He entered without