"Ah! How could this be? Hao Hao, what is that?" Si Si asked in great surprise. "I don't know, it seems to be your handiwork." Du Yunhao picked up a piece of crisp cucumber and stirred it into the porridge. She was first stunned, then ashamed, "Ah, I'm sorry, there are... there are other dishes, you... well, please make do with this." She stammered.
Yuan Ling sighed, "Sisi, you'd better tell us everything that's on your mind so we can discuss it together, otherwise you might end up eating porridge up your nose." Sisi paused for a moment, then finally made up her mind after thinking about it for a while. "Alright! You guys eat your fill first, I'll wait for you in the living room, otherwise I'm afraid I'll end up eating porridge up my eyes."
The two exchanged another glance, then, in unison, picked up their rice bowls and quickly finished their porridge. Afterwards, Yuan Ling led Du Yunhao hurriedly to the living room and sat down on the sofa. "OK, you can speak now." "This situation is a bit special, Lingling… well, it's like this… different from what I've said before…" She truly didn't know where to begin.
"Let me know when you've made up your mind." Sisi clasped her hands together, glancing nervously at her friend. "Simply put, I met Hao Hao's dad." "What?" Yuan Ling exclaimed immediately, then rubbed her hands together, itching to fight. "Where is he? I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
"No!" "Why not?" she asked angrily, her anger still burning. "Although you also lied to him, he not only didn't suffer any loss, but also took advantage of you. In the end, his crime is more serious!" Sisi first spent some time calming Yuan Ling's anger, and then carefully explained the cause and effect to her, while Du Yungang sat silently to the side without saying a word.
"So, Lingling, he's the most innocent person in this whole thing. I'm the only one at fault. I shouldn't have lied to him, and I shouldn't have distrusted him and just run away like that." Yuan Ling opened her mouth, but then closed it again, speechless. If that were indeed the case, it seemed like her best friend should be the one getting punished.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. "So what now? What does he plan to do?" "I didn't ask him." "What do you mean you didn't ask him? Did he say he wanted to marry you?" Sisi hesitated for a moment. "He didn't say it. But we only met for the first day, how could he have had a chance to say it?"
"Oh, really? How long did you two spend together?" "Almost a whole day." "Almost a whole day? And you said he didn't have a chance? So what were you doing?" Yuan Ling's voice rose again. Sisi's face flushed instantly, and she stammered, "I...we were...well, that..."
Yuan Ling's eyes narrowed suddenly. "You're not going to tell me you two spent the whole day 'doing business,' are you?" she asked dangerously. Sisi's head hung low. "Not the whole day, just most...time." "Fine, very well! Enjoyed it enough?" Yuan Ling mocked. "Why didn't you ask for it?"
“Because I’m worried about something else.” “What could be more important than him marrying you?” “It’s… Hao Hao’s matter,” Sisi glanced at Du Yunhao with worry. “If he was just playing with me, then he wouldn’t care about the child. But in fact, he said he’s never forgotten me, so he’ll definitely be angry that I’ve kept Hao Hao from him. Maybe in a fit of anger he’ll snatch Hao Hao away and send me to the ends of the earth!”
“Hmm, we can’t ignore this.” Yuan Ling frowned as well. “No, it won’t happen,” Du Yunhao said, seeing the two women making trouble for themselves. “Actually, the person Daddy really cares about is you. He’s already planned it out. He’s going to take you to get married in the next few days, then leave me at Grandma’s house, and then take you on a honeymoon trip to enjoy some happy time together. He’s even finished handing over most of the company’s affairs.”
The two women stared at him with wide, round eyes. "How did you get here?" Du Yunhao smiled mischievously. "Because this is the result of my careful planning. Think about it, why did I fight for the opportunity to study in America? And think about it, why did I insist you go to Seth? Actually, I knew who Daddy was back in Taiwan, and I even met him two weeks ago. I've also met Grandma, Aunt, and both uncles. They treat me like a treasure; Grandma even cried when she saw me!"
"Wait, Seth..." Yuan Ling was completely baffled; things seemed to be getting more and more complicated. "What does this have to do with Seth?" The mother and son exchanged a glance. "Daddy is with Seth!" Du Yunhao said matter-of-factly, and Sisi nodded in agreement.
Yuan Ling was even more surprised. "Wow! Your dad works at Seth?" "Sort of!" Yuan Ling immediately gave him two big, disgusted looks. "Yes or no, what do you mean by 'sort of'?" Du Yunhao shrugged indifferently. "Then that's it."
Yuan Ling looked back and forth between the mother and son suspiciously. "Judging from your behavior, he must hold a pretty high position in Seth, right? Hmm?" "Of course!" Du Yungang replied with an air of pride. "Alright, let me guess. You two are acting all high and mighty... His office must be at least on the thirtieth floor, right?" The higher the office, the higher the position.
Du Yunhao gestured upwards with his hand. "Above the fortieth floor?" Yuan Ling's tone was quite surprised. He gestured upwards again. "No way? Above the fiftieth floor?" she said skeptically. He gestured upwards again... Yuan Ling immediately pressed that arrogant hand down.
"Don't tell me it's the top floor. I'd rather die than believe it!" Yuan Ling sneered. Was she trying to play a trick on her? "It is the top floor, that's for sure!" Sisi didn't understand why she was angry. "Isn't it good to be on the top floor?" "Yes, Aunt Ling, since Daddy is President Seth, of course he works on the top floor!"
President Seth?! Yuan Ling's jaw dropped. "Actually..." Sisi glanced at her watch. "He's coming to pick me up soon. You can chat; he said he wanted to personally thank you for taking care of my son and me." Hearing this, Yuan Ling's eyes widened, and she slid off the sofa to the floor.
"Daddy!" Du Yunhao happily pulled Joel into the entryway. "Jay, where's Mommy?" Joel habitually patted his head.
"In the living room. Daddy, you'd better show your most charming smile later, don't try to be cool." "What's wrong? Is your mommy unhappy?" Strange, she seemed quite happy when I brought her home last night. What happened?
"No, it's just that Aunt Ling got really nervous when she heard she was going to see you. She kept saying 'big shot, big shot,' and it sounded like she was about to faint." "Okay, fine! I promise I won't scare her, okay?" "Alright, that's the only way."
As a result, Yuan Ling's first reaction upon seeing Joel was— "Wow! Handsome guy!" She stared at him, drooling. Joel, who couldn't understand Mandarin, looked at the smiling Sisi with confusion, then at Du Yunhao. "Aunt Ling calls me 'little handsome guy,' but she just called you 'big handsome guy,'" Du Yunhao said with a smile, translating for his father.
Then, Joel flashed his most charming and seductive smile. "Thank you for the compliment. You're a lovely and charming lady too." "Wow! Even your voice is so sexy! Sisi, you're amazing! No wonder you preferred to spend all day 'doing business' with him on the first day you met, leaving no time for conversation." Yuan Ling forgot to embellish her words with envy.
"Ring ring!" Sisi felt her face turn red from head to toe. Joel looked at She Yunhao again, and Du Yungang burst out laughing. "Daddy, she said... she said your voice is so sexy, and that Mommy..." "Haohao!" Sisi hurriedly stopped him. Could he listen if he kept talking? But the culprit was still intoxicated by Joel's masculine charm without realizing it.
"But Mommy, Daddy hasn't heard the whole thing yet!" Du Yunhao protested. Seeing Daddy blush would be so interesting. "No, you're not allowed to say it!" Sisi tried her best to keep a straight face. "Okay, okay, I won't say it then. Daddy, it's Mommy who told me not to say it."
Joel looked at them suspiciously, then shrugged. He could find out what they were talking about when he was alone with Sisi anyway. "Okay, so, are you ready, Doll?" "Sit down and wait a moment, I'll change my clothes," Sisi said, then hurried into the room.
Watching Sisi return to her room, Yuan Ling nervously swallowed. "Mr. Rox... please sit down." "Please call me Joel." Joel smiled and sat down on the sofa with Du Yungang. It turned out she could speak English too. Yuan Ling sat down as well. "Oh, okay, then, Joel..." She was a little embarrassed, but she felt uncomfortable if she didn't ask clearly.
"Is there anything I can help you with? Just say it, it's okay." "You...you're really President Seth?" "Yes, I am." Joel nodded. "Wow! That's so cool!" Yuan Ling moved a little further away to get closer to Joel, her head naturally leaning closer as well. "The handsome young man said you two are getting married soon, is that true?"
Joel's eyes suddenly lit up with undisguised delight. "I'm here today to take the doll to choose a ring." "Really? Where to buy it? Is it…?" "Cartier." 'Cartier? The royal jeweler? Wow! That's so cool!' Yuan Ling's exaggerated expression and movements were breathtaking. "And for a honeymoon trip?"
Seeing Joel nod, she continued, "Where to? Around the world?" "No fixed itinerary. The advantage of having a private jet is that you can go wherever you want, without time or location restrictions." Joel smiled knowingly. "However, could we put this topic aside for now? I have something I'd like to ask you first, is that alright?"
"Ask me a question?" Yuan Ling blinked in surprise. "What do you want to ask?" Joel's eyes deepened to a darker blue, almost black. "The doll doesn't want to say much, but..." He glanced at his son. "I really want to know how she was kicked out by her family back then? She did exactly what her parents asked, didn't she? Even if she got the wrong family, is the Rox family any worse than the Remson family?"
“You're kidding, the Rox family is one of the world's three great families. How can the Remson family, a small local family, compare? The problem is…” Yuan Ling sighed softly. “Nobody knows you're from the Rox family!” He couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise. “But I told her.”
Yuan Ling shrugged. "She wasn't paying attention at all! She already had a preconceived notion that you're Joseph Remson!" "Oh, no wonder..." Joel nodded knowingly. "She can be a little confused sometimes. So, what happened next?"
"And then?" she hummed. "Sisi refused to give your photos to her mother, fearing they would come looking for you and ruin your happiness, so of course they were furious. Then she found out she was pregnant, and her mother immediately ordered her to get an abortion, but Sisi refused again, so her father dragged her back to Taiwan to continue pressuring her."
Yuan Ling sighed. "But Sisi insisted on taking a leave of absence to give birth to her son under her father's anger, and then returned to school to complete her final year of study. What's hateful is that her father was capable but refused to hire a nanny to help her take care of her son. Sisi and I have been good friends from elementary school to vocational high school, and my mother also likes her very much, so that year my mother took care of her son."
A smile played on her lips as she spoke. "I never expected my mother to become so attached to taking care of him. She absolutely refused to let Sisi bring her son home, saying she was worried her godson would be abused by his grandfather." She shook her head helplessly. "But at the end of that year, her father finally achieved his wish and immigrated to the United States, even moving his company there, leaving Sisi with only one house. So strictly speaking, Sisi wasn't exactly kicked out; she was just..." She shrugged. "Abandoned in the back."
Joel lowered his eyelids expressionlessly. "I heard that one of her sisters finally married into a wealthy family, which is why her father was able to transfer the company smoothly. However, they instructed Sisi not to go to them, lest she embarrass them. And now, ten years later, when Sisi informed them that she was also coming to America, they still refused to let her visit them."
“I understand,” he said calmly. “Where are they living now?” Yuan Ling frowned slightly. “I think it’s New York or Washington, somewhere on the East Coast, I’m not really sure…” She suddenly focused her gaze. “What are you planning to do?”
Joel gave a deep smile. "It's nothing, it's just that the honeymoon might..." He paused. "But it's best not to let the doll know for now, I want..." "What can't I know?" Sisi asked with a smile at the doorway. She wore a simple white dress with lantern sleeves and a mid-length skirt that formed soft waves. The most attractive feature was the low sweetheart neckline, and a gold necklace adorned her neck. A delicate opal pendant dangled from her cleavage, subtly revealing it and sparking the imagination.
Joel was immediately drawn to her. "You're so beautiful!" He stared at the spot where the opal pendant dangled, swallowing hard. "I want to swallow you whole." His gaze lingered on her alluring figure, slowly moving up to her face. Her Diana-style short hair had grown to shoulder length, and her rosy cheeks were accentuated by the curls, making her even more charming. Her lips were lightly painted with crimson, and her misty eyes shimmered with a dreamlike light.
"My God! You're so charming!" He gently embraced her, whispering as he pressed his lips to hers. "So fragrant and sweet!" he said, and then eagerly pressed his thirsty lips against hers, greedily demanding her sweetness... "Do you know if they're going out today?" Du Yunhao asked with a precocious air.
Yuan Ling pouted as she pondered. "Half and half. Your daddy's probably eager to get married, so he'll definitely need to buy the wedding ring first. It just depends on whether he has enough self-control to suppress his male instincts." "Probably not! Otherwise, I wouldn't exist."
“That’s right!” Yuan Ling agreed wholeheartedly. “Then what do we do?” “What do we do? Watch the show!” “Bang!” The office door was pushed open forcefully. “I’m sorry! President, I tried my best to stop her!” Jasmine helplessly glanced at the red-haired beauty standing in front of the desk, her face full of remorse for neglecting her duties.
Joel frowned at the furious Helen before him. "It's alright, Jasmine. Leave this to me, you can go back to your work." "Yes, Mr. President." Jasmine responded and carefully closed the door behind her as she left. "Is there anything I can help you with?" Joel continued reviewing official documents.
“How could you do this? How could you let your mother gossip about my parents? What right did you have to send Rosanne to tell me not to come to your house anymore? What right did you have to make your whole family my enemy? What right did you have?” Helen shouted desperately.
“Why should I?” Joel glanced at her coldly. “You should know very well. Even if you’ve forgotten what you did, I’m sure my mother and Rosanne reminded you.” “It was just a small thing,” Helen said, a little uneasy, but she covered it up with a tough attitude. “I just fend off a boring woman for you, what’s wrong with that? You should be thanking me.”
"Thank you?" His face suddenly darkened. "Thank you for driving away the woman I love so deeply?" "You love her?" Helen's voice was sharp, her face turning grim. "No! You don't love her! You love me, not her!" "No, Helen, I've never been with you! I love her! I've always loved her, and I will always love her, only her! Do you understand?" Joel's voice was calm and firm.
“No! You don’t love her, you just think you do,” her fierce tone suddenly softened into tenderness. “Joel, don’t you know I’ve always loved you deeply? No one could love you more than me! Joel, how well-matched we are, can’t you see?”
Lost in her own fantasy, she murmured dreamily, "We will be the most loving couple. I will help your career, I will bear your children, and our children will be the most beautiful babies in the world. And you will shower me with all your love. Joel, marry me! I know your mother has always wanted a grandchild, and I am willing to get pregnant for you as soon as possible, Joel." Her blue-green eyes gazed at him tenderly.
Joel frowned in annoyance. “Helen, many men are devoted to you, willing to go through fire and water for you. Go find them. I’m not right for you, I don’t love you, and we won’t have a future.” “No! Joel, think about it carefully, and you’ll understand. Only I am the most suitable partner for you. My beauty, my figure, my intelligence, my abilities, my family background—no one can compare to me in anything, and it’s all yours. Marry me! You won’t regret it, Joel.” Helen’s almost pleading tone and earnest attitude stirred Joel’s pity; after all, she was someone he had watched grow up.