"I've already checked. Don't worry, everything is well-prepared." At that moment, Matthew had already brought Cynthia to his room. He seldom returned home. However, the room was still impeccably clean, reflecting the constant care of the housekeepers. "I didn't expect them to be so welcoming. They must be really excited to meet you." Matthew poured her a cup of hot tea, his tone steady and unhurried. "What do we do next time?" Cynthia asked directly. It took Matthew a moment to respond. "What do you mean by 'next time'?" "We can pretend once, but we can't pretend twice. What if they ask about you during the holidays, how would you answer?" Cynthia took a sip of the hot tea, maintaining her poise. This was indeed a problem, one that Matthew had not fully considered. His previous idea was to let Cynthia impersonate his girlfriend for this visit and then proceed with his strategy, hopefully turning Cynthia into his real girlfriend. Looking at their current progress, it w
The following conversions mostly revolved around Matthew's childhood. Tracy truly regarded Cynthia as her daughter-in-law and eagerly shared various interesting stories about Matthew. She also inquired about how they met, and Cynthia did not hide anything. When Tracy learned that Cynthia had been a teammate of Matthew's, she immediately felt sorry for her. "My poor baby… Matt is tough when it comes to training. You must have gone through a lot under his hands.""It's alright. His strict training was for our own good," Cynthia assured the concerned Tracy."You can't bully Cyn anymore, got it?" Tracy reminded Matthew.Matthew enjoyed this, and he nodded with a smile. "Got it.""Let's eat first," Tracy urged as she held Cynthia's hand, showing her affection. "I wasn't sure what you liked. When I asked Matt, he said you weren't picky, so I made various dishes.""Thank you," Cynthia responded.During the meal, Cynthia sat next to Tracy and Matthew. At first, everyone was just eati
Hank quickly retrieved the gift and told Tracy, "Let's go! We might still catch up to them."However, when they reached the doorstep, the car's tail lights were already out of sight. They both felt uneasy, fearing they might have left a bad impression on Cynthia. It was her first time visiting their home, and they did not show proper hospitality.Matthew was really a little rascal.Tracy thought it over and hurriedly texted Matthew, [Prepare another gift for Cyn and say it's from us. You both left too quickly, and we didn't get a chance to give her the one we prepared.]When Matthew received this message, he had already driven quite a distance. He was driving and talking to Cynthia at the same time, "Thanks for today.""You're welcome," Cynthia replied. However, she decided never to help Matthew pretend to be his girlfriend again. After all, Tracy treated her so well. If she found out later that it was all an act, it might hurt her feelings."What's wrong?" Matthew caught a gli
Most importantly, when Cynthia first met the retired Matthew, why did she think he was unfamiliar with society? Why did she develop the idea of guiding him?"Getting some experience, adjusting to society. Although the Quier Group is my family's business, if I, someone who knows nothing, were to inherit it, what do you think the old-timers in the company would say?" Matthew continued his playful nonsense.Cynthia pondered and thought they might not be too friendly toward Matthew..."When I fully adapt to this society and understand management better, I'll return to inherit it. It's better for both me and the Quier Group," Matthew spoke in a lighthearted tone. His pleasant and magnetic voice was soothing."That makes sense," Cynthia agreed with the reasoning.Matthew was amused at the naive yet adorable Cynthia.Cynthia genuinely trusted him. "Here's the deal. After the New Year, you can become the Executive President of Arch International Group, with Momo and me assisting you. I
This was so worrying!While they were chatting, Cynthia was already urged by Matthew to enter the house. After changing her shoes, she looked at the two standing by the window.Confused, Cynthia asked, "What are you doing over there?""Checking out my future brother-in-law.""Checking out my future son-in-law."The words slipped out of their mouths, and they both reddened with embarrassment. Jonathan coughed lightly and hurriedly explained, "Well, he treats you well and could be considered as a candidate for a future son-in-law."Cynthia was at a loss for words. As she went upstairs, she replied, "He's just my captain."Then, she changed her clothes and returned downstairs.Shirley rushed over, smiling innocently, asking, "Cynthia, did your fake-girlfriend act go smoothly today?""Pretty well.""Will you do it again next time?""No. It's not good to keep fooling others."Shirley exchanged a glance with Jonathan. Jonathan thought it was time to educate Cynthia as he di
"It's a complicated process, but also a very important part of one's life," Shirley explained and asked, "Didn't you experience it while studying?"With Cynthia's appearance and personality, many people should have confessed their feelings to her. It did not make sense.Cynthia pondered and replied, "No."Actually, there were.During her school years, Cynthia dedicated all her time to serious studying. Apart from classroom knowledge, she was busy with various competitions and challenges. She carried study books to school every day and left with only her own books. As for those love letters and such, she never paid them any attention. Cynthia seemed to have always been on a different wavelength from her peers. From a young age, she was responsible, mature, and self-taught in many subjects during high school.As a result, her relationship history was quite blank."So, you never liked anyone?" Shirley asked.Cynthia questioned earnestly, "Does Joshua count? I did like him.""H
Moses was also there.Joshua calmly followed Cynthia's instructions.Old Man Neal, having a good understanding of chess styles by now, remarked, "You little rascal, when did you learn Cynthia's moves? Did you secretly play chess with Cynthia all these months in Nexuria?""Knowing that you miss her, I studied her playing style, so I can accompany you on her behalf," Joshua said convincingly."Hmph." Old Man Neal had already returned to his usual self with Joshua. "If only you had listened to me from the beginning, you'd still be married. What a fool.""Yes, you're right," Joshua complied obediently.Old Man Neal glared at him.This was not fun! Before, he could vent his anger properly, but now, Joshua's simple agreement had effectively shut down any further scolding.It was simply frustrating!They played two more rounds, and toward the end, Old Man Neal was clearly distracted. "Do you... still want to win Cynthia back?" "Yes.""Aren't you afraid of getting rejected?"
After the chess game ended, Cynthia cut off contact with Joshua. She hesitated whether to call Old Man Neal but decided against it as she thought it would be better to call him the next day to avoid any suspicion. Cynthia did not want Old Man Neal to feel uncomfortable or blame himself if he thought Joshua had asked her to call. It would be more natural to wish him well on the New Year without any ulterior motives.Cynthia put aside those ideas for the time being and went downstairs. The next day, Cynthia, Shirley, and Jonathan went to the Addams family to have a meal and returned to Old Yates Manor for dinner. The Yates family gathering was small, and surprisingly, Old Man Yates did not mention anything negative about Cynthia.The family enjoyed the reunion dinner together, full of joy and laughter. After dinner, Cynthia called Old Man Neal to send her greetings. He was overjoyed to receive her call, like a child, and showered her with blessings and good wishes, not letting go o