After returning to Sterling Manor, Evelyn noticed that Alexander's other shoulder was soaked.
"You got caught in the rain. Take a hot shower and change out of those wet clothes," Evelyn said quickly.
"Who held the umbrella but didn't cover me, and even snatched it away?" Alexander looked down at Evelyn with a smirk.
"How could I possibly outmuscle you? It was clearly you—"
"What about me?" Alexander teased, deliberately dragging out the question.
"Nothing. Go upstairs and take a bath!" Evelyn's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Together!" Alexander took Evelyn's hand and led her upstairs.
"What do you mean, together?" Evelyn protested.
"Shower together!"
"You're a grown man. Do you need your mommy to bathe you?" Evelyn's face turned bright red. He was doing this on purpose!
"Together. It's time for a couple's bath."
"Cou—" Evelyn stopped herself abruptly.
She almost blurted out a curse, but then she remembered Alexander's warning. So she started rambling nonsense instead.
Alexander looked at Evelyn, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face. He was only teasing her. He didn't actually intend to force her into a shared bath.
So, once they entered the bedroom, he released her, unbuttoned his shirt, and walked toward the bathroom.
Evelyn watched Alexander disappear into the bathroom. After he pulled the door shut, she let out a sigh of relief.
If he had really made her go in with him, she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't have screamed the whole time!
But then again, it was raining now. Even if she screamed at the top of her lungs, no one would hear her.
Evelyn sat down on the sofa, playing with her phone while waiting for Alexander to finish his shower so she could take hers.
Seeing the text message Emily had sent her, Evelyn laughed unkindly.
Emily had said in her message that she was being forced to go on blind dates during her winter break.
In the past, her family always warned her not to fall in love. Even last year, they asked if she had a boyfriend, and now they were using her studies as an excuse. They'd ramble on and on about principles, all to stop her from dating at school.
How had the situation changed so dramatically in such a short time?
"How did it go?" Evelyn replied, a little smug.
The next second, Emily's phone call came through. Evelyn answered, "What's up? Did you find Mr. Right?"
"Mr. Right? They're either too fat or too skinny. I once read a saying: if you want to know what you look like in other people's eyes, just look at the person they set you up with! Now I finally understand. What the hell are they thinking?" Emily complained excitedly on the other end of the phone.
"No way!" Evelyn was puzzled.
"What do you mean, no way? There was one guy who was even worse. He insisted on going Dutch, and then he expected me to pay for everything! His reason was that my family was richer than his. Which blind eye could see that my family is rich?" Emily continued to complain.
"You do seem pretty well-off!" Evelyn agreed.
"Evelyn, are you making fun of me?"
"No, I'm telling you the truth. You have good taste and you dress well. It's normal for others to think that."
"But at least the matchmaker should have given a brief introduction to my family."
"Maybe that guy's family is worse off than yours!"
"What else could it be?"
"Maybe they think your family needs a live-in son-in-law!"
"..." Emily was choked by Evelyn's words. After a moment, she found her voice again. "My family doesn't have such feudal thoughts!"
"Actually, it's not about feudal thoughts. For example, my sister and I are the only two children in my family. My parents also hope that one of us will stay at home, so the family won't be too lonely after my sister and I get married," Evelyn explained.
"That's true! But my parents don't have that idea. They just hope I don't move too far away in the future. If it's really not good, they can move to the neighborhood where I live when they retire. So the matchmaker is really unreliable."
"Do your parents know? Or did you go alone?"
"Once with my mom, once with my dad, and once with my high school classmates. No one was reliable!"
"No way. You've only been on break for half a month, and you've been on three blind dates?" Evelyn said in surprise.
"Yes. It's not good if I don't go. If I skip one, my mom says I'm being ungrateful and unfilial. It gives me a headache!"
"Your mom just wants what's best for you!" Evelyn said with a smile.
"Don't talk about me. If I had known I'd be coming back for blind dates, I would have stayed at school! What about you? How have you been?"
"I'm doing great!" As soon as Evelyn finished speaking, the door to the dressing room opened. She turned her head and saw Alexander coming out in his pajamas. Evelyn quickly made a silent gesture toward him, afraid he would speak and let Emily hear him.
Alexander glanced at Evelyn, said nothing, and just walked over to sit beside her.
Evelyn suddenly became incoherent, as if she didn't know how to speak anymore.
"Evelyn, what's wrong with you? Are you possessed?" Emily said in dismay on the other end of the phone.
"No, what are you up to?" Evelyn glanced at Alexander's handsome profile.
"I've been talking for a long time. Have you heard a word I said? I've been busy with blind dates!" Emily growled excitedly.
Evelyn was stunned for a moment, then laughed unkindly the next second.
"Cheer up. Maybe the next one will be your Prince Charming!"
"Even if he's a prince, he should at least ride a white horse. What are these ghosts and monsters?"
"It's not as exaggerated as you say. If you lower your standards a little, maybe it'll be better!"
"You try going on a blind date and see how you feel!"
"I don't have that chance!" Evelyn blurted out.
"Yeah, your family is so great that you don't have to go on blind dates. There must be plenty of handsome guys chasing you. I won't keep you. My mom is calling me to eat!"
"Aren't you on a diet?"
"You need to eat first to have the strength to lose weight! By the way, have the results come out yet?"
"No, I haven't checked!"
"Oh, whatever. I'll pass anyway. I'm going to eat. Bye!"
"Bye!" Evelyn said and hung up.
Thinking of Emily's three blind dates in less than half a month, she couldn't help but feel a mix of sympathy and amusement.
"What's so funny?" Alexander asked.
Hearing Alexander's voice, Evelyn turned to him and said, "My classmate Emily. Her family used to tell her to focus on her studies and not to fall in love. But when she went back for winter break, her family dragged her on three blind dates. She said each one was worse than the last."
"It should be similar to what happened to you." Alexander stared at Evelyn.
"Huh?" Evelyn looked at Alexander in confusion, not understanding.
"Didn't Ethan tell you I was old, ugly, short, and gay?" Alexander asked.
Evelyn blushed, lowered her head, and muttered, "I hadn't seen you in person back then!"
She couldn't help but feel that Alexander had a good memory for revenge. When was he planning to get back at her?