He listened for a while, then his brows suddenly furrowed.
"It's not my fault, Mom. You know the situation better than I do. I just didn't want to embarrass her, thinking that time might ease my infatuation. But now I can't wait any longer, and I can't care about her feelings anymore. Mom, I really love this little baby. I... Ah, thank you, Mom... Okay, okay, I know. I'll go back and resolve the issue before taking the baby back... Yes, that's all for now. Bye!"
As soon as Joel hung up the phone, he immediately lifted Sisi's chin and stared directly into her eyes: "What are you worried about? Are you afraid that I won't come back after I go back?"
It's pretty much true. Sisi thought to himself, this kind of trick has been shown on TV series to death!
But the charade had to continue, so she said with a pained expression, "I'm worried she won't break off the engagement with you."
Joel laughed. "So what if she refuses? You don't know the details of our engagement, that's why you're so worried. Don't worry, I'll still break off the engagement with her no matter what."
After lying silently against his chest for a long while, Sisi finally spoke, "When are you going back?"
"My mom will let me know soon, probably in four or five days at most."
Four or five days? Hmm, then we need to hurry. No matter how much she loves him, for the sake of her sister and her future nephew, this kind of man who specializes in seducing girls needs to be taught a lesson.
Perhaps this is something she secretly longs for deep down?
“Well… before you go back, could we have a candlelight dinner?” Sisi looked up at him longingly. “I’ve always envied the romantic atmosphere on TV.”
“Okay,” Joel tapped her nose. “If you like, then tonight!”
She smiled happily.
A candlelight dinner would not only create a great atmosphere, but it would also definitely include drinks. If she gave him a little hint, Joel would certainly not let her slip through his fingers.
Five days later, Sisi returned to her home in the suburbs.
"I hadn't been in touch for several days, and I was worried about you. Why did you suddenly come back?"
Shen Ruyou asked abruptly, while Sisi glanced at her with a disappointed expression before slowly swaying to the living room and sitting down.
"He went back, what's the point of me staying there if I don't come back?"
"He went back?" Shen Ruyou exclaimed in surprise. "Then you..."
"I've done everything I could!" Sisi said fiercely. "Are you satisfied now?"
Shen Ruyou immediately put on a surprised expression. "Really? That's great! I have to tell Lili right away!" She turned around and made the call with great joy.
How awful! Not even a word of comfort. Sisi grumbled inwardly. Four days in a row, she was almost driven to death by his endless demands, and when she got home she couldn't even get a half-hearted look of concern? The difference in treatment was too obvious! Wasn't he afraid that she would turn her back on him and deny everything later?
Sadly, even if she really wanted to show off her power by making things difficult, she didn't have the chance.
Du Lili returned two days later, her face full of anger as she entered the door. She immediately began to curse at Sisi as soon as she saw her.
"What on earth are you doing? We agreed that you were willing, didn't we? If you regret it, just say so, and I can think of another way. Why are you dragging me down?"
Sisi, completely bewildered, looked at her and then at Du Renfei, who had come back with her.
"I...I don't understand what you're saying. I've done everything you asked me to do. I've been reporting my progress to Mom since day one, haven't I? This...I really don't know what you have to be angry about. I'm the one who sacrificed!"
Du Lili stared at her suspiciously for a while before gritting her teeth and saying, "We stopped in New York on our way back to check on Joseph's future plans. After all, we're graduating this year! If he goes back, he definitely won't come back, but..."
She suddenly narrowed her eyes. "I only found out when I got there that Joseph had been called back home by his family to get married two days before I arrived in Connecticut. In fact, he had just returned from his honeymoon!"
Sisi froze as if struck by lightning, and everyone could tell from her expression that something had really gone wrong.
"Good heavens, could it be that Sisi... has contacted the wrong person?" Shen Ruyou murmured.
Du Lili frowned. "Sisi, describe him as follows?"
Sisi glanced at her with a hint of fear. "Black hair, blue eyes, handsome and charming, about 190 cm tall, slender but very strong..."
"Wait!" Du Lili suddenly called out. "You said he's about 190 centimeters tall?"
“Yes,” Sisi swallowed hard. “Is something wrong?”
"Of course not, Joseph is at most 180!"
Upon hearing this, Sisi collapsed onto the sofa with a thud.
"Good heavens!"
Du Lili sat down immediately and asked, "Is his name also Joseph?"
“No, his name is Joe…” Sisi hesitated. “At least that’s what I’ve heard people call him Joe, but… it also sounds like Joel…”
"Oh my god!" Shen Ruyou exclaimed. "How could it have turned out like this?"
Du Lili ignored her and asked to herself, "Did he tell you his last name?"
Sisi looked utterly helpless. "He did say it, but I wasn't paying attention. I thought I already knew!"
Du Lili rubbed her eyes wearily, then tried one last time. "Where does he live?"
Sisi's face fell even further. "Isn't it... New York?"
Everyone fell silent. After a long silence, Shen Ruyou murmured a complaint, "If you had shown her the photo back then, this paper slip wouldn't have happened!"
"Do you think I don't know?" Du Lili said indignantly. "But Joseph always says he's not photogenic, so he doesn't like taking pictures. What can I do about it?"
Just as Shen Ruyou was about to say a few more words, Du Renfei suddenly spoke up.
"Sisi, I think you should have a picture of him, right?"
These words were like a wake-up call, and Shen Ruyou immediately jumped up.