Celia was different.
Rachel was a little envious of Celia, who was as unstoppable as a moth darting toward a flame and just
as capable of sacrificing everything for love.
After a few seconds of silence on her part and continuous sighs from Celia, Rachel slowly gathered her
thoughts and asked, "Why did she ask you to go to the cafe tomorrow?"
"When I came out, I wasn't in the mood to continue shopping, so I wanted to go back. But then, she
followed me out and called out to me."
Celia looked up at her with eyes full of bewilderment. "She said that she would meet me in the cafe
tomorrow and that she had something to tell me. Rachel, what should I do?"
Rachel didn't know how to deal with this kind of situation.
After thinking for a while, she patted Celia's hand and said, "Just take it easy. Don't be nervous. I think
the most important thing is to not make her think that you are afraid of her."
In the afternoon, the cafe tended to be extraordinarily empty, with only a few white-collar workers
rushing in to take away a few cups of coffee and leaving in as much of a rush as their entry.
Standing at the door, Celia took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She kept telling herself not to be
nervous and afraid, but she couldn't keep her hands from trembling.
"Why are you standing at the door? Come in!"
Marcus' mother suddenly said from behind her. Celia nodded, but didn't dare to look over her shoulder.
She wanted to take a seat in the hall, but Mrs. Ji unexpectedly went ahead and entered the private
room. Celia had no choice but to quickly follow the woman.
The private room was outfitted with two sofas and a rectangular table, and the effect was a bit stifling.
Celia smoothed down her dress and sat opposite the older woman. She kept her head down and
stared at her fingers, not daring to up at the other woman.
Each little sound was distinctly amplified inside the small room. Mrs. Ji put down the menu and asked
her coldly, "What would you like to drink?"
"I'd like some warm water, please," Celia quickly answered.
Mrs. Ji ordered a cup of black coffee for herself and returned the menu to the waiter. After she left, she
asked, "Miss Xu, you know full well why I asked you out today, correct?"
Celia licked her lower lip uneasily. "I know."
"Good. I don't have to say any superficial pleasantries, then."
Marcus' mother opened her handbag, took out a check, and pushed it toward her. She said in a low
voice, "You are much younger than Marcus. You're only after his money, aren't you? This should be
enough spending money to last you for a while. I hope that you can leave my son alone."
Just then, the waiter came in with a cup of coffee, and Mrs. Ji refrained from speaking while there was
someone else in the room.
Celia stared at the check for one million dollars on the table and felt burning behind her eyes.
Her hands on both sides tightly clutched the upholstery underneath.
The day before in the office, she and Rachel predicted many possible scenarios that could happen
today. The two of them practiced a few times to get her ready. However, they did not foresee this.
Celia took a deep breath, picked up the glass of warm water in front of her, and gulped down two
mouthfuls. Only then did she feel a little better.
She opened her mouth and was about to say something, but Mrs. Ji raised a hand imperiously to
interrupt. "Listen to me first."
Her mouth curled in contempt. "If you think that this amount is insufficient, let me know your bank
account number. As long as you are willing to leave Marcus, we have an agreement."
Celia was about to reply when Marcus' voice suddenly interrupted, "You may have an agreement, but I
disagree!"
Marcus came in, picked up the check on the table, and tore it into pieces. Without looking at his mother,
he took Celia's hand and walked out. He said coldly, "Mom, go back and tell Dad that these tricks are
useless. Don't you have any shame?"
Afterwards, she went home and told her husband everything that had transpired. Larry was so
incensed that he hurled his favorite ashtray to the floor, smashing it into bits. However, the person he
cared most was still himself. It was not worth it.
Meanwhile, Marcus angrily pulled Celia by the hand out of the cafe. Without a word, he pushed her into
his car's passenger seat. After he slid behind the wheel, he said coldly, "Why didn't you tell me that my
mother wanted to see you?"
"I thought I could handle it." Celia bit her lip to hold back her tears, and her nose was red.
Looking at this pitiful sight, Marcus felt something tug at his heart. He gathered her into his arms and
said, "If Rachel hadn't called me, what would you have done?"
Relieved that he was no longer as angry as before, Celia smiled through tears. "If you didn't appear, I
would have listened to your mother and accepted the check."
"How dare you!"
Holding her face in his hands, Marcus teasingly bit the tip of her nose.
In the wake of that bite came a faint pain mixed with a trace of an itch.
Celia pushed him and said, "Marcus, are you a dog? I was kidding just now! How dare you bite me!"
Two hours later, when Rachel saw the message from Celia, she just came out of the operating room.
There were only two words on the message, "Thank you." Rachel knew then that Marcus must have
arrived on time.
She put away her phone and carefully washed her hands under the tap.
Originally, she had arranged for Celia to contact her if something went wrong. However, she was called
in for an unscheduled emergency operation. She was worried that Celia might get into trouble, so she
decided to call Marcus after thinking about it for a long time.
She knew that it was improper, but she had no other alternative at that moment.
It was already 8 p.m. when she came out of the hospital. There was hardly any light in the sky, with the
moon hidden behind the thick clouds. Even the stars seemed to be on strike that night.
Rachel walked towards her car. She was about to start the engine when her phone started ringing.
Eric said anxiously, "Rachel, my mom just called and told me that she has nobody to accompany her to
dinner tonight. You know how bored she gets when she's alone, but I'm really swamped with work right
now."
"Don't worry. I'll go," Rachel replied helplessly.
"Thank you, Rachel!" Eric's voice immediately brightened.
After hanging up,
Rachel started the car and slowly drove out of the underground garage. As she waited for the light to
turn green, she suddenly remembered that she had promised Jack that they would try the food in a
certain newly opened restaurant that night. But now
she would have to take a rain check.
Meanwhile, Jack turned off his computer and picked up his coat. He was about to leave when he saw
his phone screen showing an incoming call. With a smile, he asked, "Is work over?"
"Um, Jack, I'm afraid I can't accompany you to that new restaurant tonight."
"What's wrong?" Jack went still.
"Just now, Eric called and asked me to have dinner with Aunt Linda. He said that she feels lonely
dining on her own."
Jack thought for a while and said slowly, "Then I'll go with you."
He had been wondering when he could meet Rachel's aunt. Now seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
In the Chinese restaurant of the hotel, there were dozens of round tables neatly placed in the hall. The
place was almost full, with at least four or five people seated around each table except for one, where
only Linda was seated.
Her chin was propped up on one hand, and she was absently pushing around her food on the plate
with her chopsticks.
The two newcomers immediately found her at a glance. Rachel patted Linda on the shoulder and said,
"Aunt Linda, we are here."
"Why are you so late?" Linda frowned and put down her chopsticks, but she lit up at the sight of Jack.
"Who is this handsome man?"
"Hello, Aunt Linda, I'm Jack Fu, Rachel's fiance." He stressed his surname on purpose, his eyes keenly
observing her reaction.
However, Linda showed no visible reaction to it. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and gently patted
Rachel's shoulder several times. "Not bad. You have a bright future with such a handsome man as your
fiance!"
Rachel didn't expect her aunt to speak so plainly. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly changed the topic.
"Aunt Linda, shall we order more dishes?"
Rachel had always known that Jack was good with handling people, but she didn't expect that he could
tame her aunt.
During dinner, her aunt regaled them with her adventures during her recent trips overseas. Jack
expressed some of his opinions and his own experiences, earning him her aunt's praise. When it was
time for them to part ways, she kept saying, "Jack, come to see me often when you have time and talk
with me."
"I will, Aunt Linda. We will come and see you again as soon as we have time." Jack smiled warmly at
the older woman.
Rachel looked at Linda's inscrutable glance, and she didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. "Jack, do
you think my aunt is like a child now?"
"People who are sick may show behavioral changes."
There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Tonight, he tried to steer the conversation to something that
had happened many years ago. However, Linda didn't seem to recall any of it.
He had sent someone abroad to inquire about her injury, but she had been flying all over the world in
the last few years, so it was impossible to completely investigate her condition. Perhaps no one knew
about it except herself.
In the Fu family's mansion, the lights were usually turned off at about nine o'clock in the evening. That
night, uncharacteristically, the lights were still burning past that time.
In the study, Jonathan picked up his second cup of coffee, took a sip, and asked in a low voice, "Who
did you say was back?"
"Linda Shen, Rachel's aunt," Jack answered in a sonorous voice.
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