Cynthia was puzzled, wondering why Matthew was waiting for her.Matthew looked at her phone as he teased, playing along, "How was it?""What?" Cynthia was utterly confused."Using your phone in the bathroom."Cynthia froze, feeling a bit trapped. She had been careless! How could she forget that Matthew was an incredibly observant person? Even without actively observing, he could effortlessly detect anything unusual.Nonetheless, Cynthia was quick to regain her composure. "I wasn't using my phone. I brought my phone with me because I was worried there might not be tissues in the restroom. This way, I can contact you easily.""Is that so?" Matthew smirked.Cynthia knew exactly what he meant. "You don't believe me?""I do.""You clearly don't." Matthew glanced inside the restroom, obviously amused by her response.Cynthia felt a bit unsettled by his teasing. "It's fine if you don't believe me. I'll head downstairs.""If you want me to believe you next time, remember to flu
In the world of adults, phrases like 'next time', 'another day', or 'in the future' often carry the same meaning—there would not be a next time. Would Sienna John understand this?"Auntie said you're free today, right? She also mentioned that we can hang out for as long as we want," Sienna inquired innocently, seemingly unaware of his hidden message.Kendrick was at a loss for words. Sure enough, his mother wasted no time in tricking him."When she said I'm free, she meant they're free today, and I am not needed. But I still have some personal matters to attend to," Kendrick explained, attempting to clarify the situation."No problem, I'll wait until you're done," Sienna replied with a slight smile.Kendrick was exasperated. He had explained it so clearly, so why could this young lady not understand his intentions?"Oh, by the way, Auntie mentioned you enjoy musicals. I happen to have two tickets for a musical. How about we go watch it together tomorrow?" Sienna added."Thank
It seemed like there was no need for that anymore. If he did not dislike her, he would not have come up with such a lie."I..." Kendrick stumbled for words."It's only been a few days, and you're already cursing me? When did I mention that I got into an accident?" Cynthia walked over, decisively exposing his lie.Kendrick's heart raced in panic. He wanted to explain but found himself at a loss for words."Give me your phone," Cynthia demanded, extending her hand toward Kendrick.Kendrick reluctantly handed it over. After all, he was the older cousin! Why did he always give in whenever Cynthia earnestly asked him to do something?It was unreasonable!Cynthia opened the QR code to Kendrick's Instagram and handed it to Sienna, along with an apologetic explanation, "Sorry, Kendrick is a bit slow in the head. He opposed arranged blind dates, so he's hostile to people who come for arranged dates." "No worries." Sienna gave off an overall comfortable vibe."Let's follow each other o
Sienna understood Kendrick's previous actions and reluctance toward blind dates. She empathized, realizing that if she were forced into such situations, she might instinctively reject anyone, regardless of their qualities.Kendrick was taken aback. "What?""Your Instagram account," Sienna clarified slowly.Kendrick immediately unlocked his phone and passed it over.They followed each other on Instagram. To ensure he was not just going through the motions, Sienna said, "If after spending some time together, you still feel we're not compatible, you can just let me know and then unfollow me.""Okay..." Kendrick hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Though he was not good at unfollowing others, he decided to go along with it for now."Weren't you going shopping? I can drop you off." Kendrick felt guilty about lying earlier and tried to be polite.Sienna declined politely, "No need. If you're available, I'd still like to invite you to the musical tomorrow. Of course, if you're busy
Moreover, if Kendrick were to truly step down from his position at the Yates Group, he would not be able to use company matters as an excuse to avoid arranged dates set up by his parents."Let's forget it then. I can't bear to see my beloved cousin working so hard. You should focus on your relationship with Matthew. Besides, I promised to help you manage things for a few more years, and I don't want to break that promise," Kendrick stated.Cynthia knew he was looking for excuses, but she genuinely wished Kendrick had the freedom to date rather than go through the exhausting cycle of blind dates."I can talk to Uncle and Auntie about it, but you have to agree to two conditions," Cynthia offered."Tell me!" Kendrick's mood instantly brightened.Cynthia uttered, "First, you need to interact with that girl from earlier normally. Don't let your worries get in the way just because you met through a blind date.""No problem," Kendrick readily agreed."Second, help me with something nex
"I can't persuade you otherwise?" Kendrick asked, testing the waters."It's already set. All the arrangements are in place, and postponing would be quite inconvenient," Cynthia explained, not worried about sharing this with him.Kendrick hesitated. If he really did not help, Cynthia would likely go to Shirley. Shirley was quite close to Cynthia and had a soft spot for her. If she found out about Cynthia's proposal plans, she would definitely support her. Moreover, she might even spill the beans about Matthew's plans."Let me make a call," Kendrick said, acting convincingly. Remembering his earlier slip of the tongue, he deliberately added more details. "If my friend's team has enough people, I'll come and help you.""Alright." Cynthia nodded.Kendrick immediately pretended to make a call nearby. While he appeared to be engrossed in a conversation, his mind was racing, debating whether he should reveal a bit of Cynthia's proposal plan to Matthew. After five minutes of internal stru
"Mmhmm.""You didn't talk about anything else?""No.""Really?" Matthew deliberately sounded casual.However, it was precisely this tone and laid-back attitude that made Cynthia's heart skip a beat. Had… Matthew discovered something?"Why did I hear you discussing other matters with him? Were you actually talking to him when you used the phone in the restroom before?" Matthew lied.Just from her expression, he could tell that Kendrick's sudden refusal to help had something to do with Cynthia. What could be so important that Kendrick would decline involvement in helping his beloved cousin's proposal?"Come on, spill it. What did you talk about?" Matthew inquired further.Cynthia felt like a lamb awaiting its slaughter, utterly defenseless in front of this big bad wolf named Matthew. Her mind raced, and she replied, "It's nothing.""Hmm?""Really, it's nothing," Cynthia emphasized once more.Matthew rapidly considered all possibilities, finally fixating on one thing, "Are yo
Cynthia let out a slight sigh, her mood growing heavier. "He hasn't told his family about his girlfriend. My aunt and the others think he's still single and push him into going on blind dates. He managed to decline the previous ones but couldn't escape this time.""Why hasn't he told his family?""Their relationship is quite complicated, and I don't have all the details. He just told me about it and asked me to keep it a secret. If he fails this proposal, don't bring it up to him. He doesn't want anyone to know."Cynthia just said it was complicated for the parts she could not come up with an explanation for. Observing her serious expression, Matthew believed her. After all, he did see Kendrick with Cynthia during their time abroad."Are you disappointed now?" Cynthia suddenly blurted out. She could not outmatch Matthew in terms of power, but she had improved over this period. One had to strike at the other's emotions when facing a certain defeat. However, Cynthia did not reali