“This is my uncle’s prized tea,” Ethan Sterling said, pouring a cup. “He barely drinks it himself. I steal a pot every time I visit.”
“Why steal?” Evelyn asked, puzzled. “Doesn’t he let you have any?”
“Exactly. He’s so stingy,” Ethan complained. “No coffee, no tea. Evelyn, you need to teach him to be more generous. Especially to his favorite nephew.”
“Oh, I don’t think I can say that to him,” Evelyn replied, at a loss for words.
Ethan looked up at her, noticing her discomfort. He laughed and continued, “Evelyn, if you can make my uncle fall for you, you’ll be amazing. You’ll be the queen of this house.”
“Why would I want to be a queen?” Evelyn asked. “I think being a princess is happier.”
“Don’t you have any ambition?”
“It’s not about ambition. It’s about what makes you happy.”
Evelyn set down her cup. “I think being a princess is better than being a queen. Do you really want to be an emperor? Don’t you think that’s exhausting? The most important thing in life is to be comfortable yourself, to make those around you comfortable, and to have a happy family. You can be happy eating porridge with pickles. If you’re always trying to surpass, compare, and compete, it’s just hard work.”
“Evelyn, I give up,” Ethan said, defeated. “I can’t argue with you.”
“I’m not arguing,” Evelyn said sincerely. “I’m just speaking from my heart.”
“What you said makes a lot of sense,” Ethan replied seriously. “I need to learn from you about your attitude toward life.”
“We can learn from each other,” Evelyn said with a laugh. “Not everyone has the same ideas.”
Ethan had thought Evelyn was naive at first. Now he realized she was clever. She was the type who didn’t say much, but when she did, it was worth hearing.
Evelyn took a sip of the tea Ethan had brewed. It was bitter at first, and she wasn’t used to it. But a moment later, a sweetness spread across her tongue. The taste grew better and better. She couldn’t help but drink a few more sips, savoring it.
“Do you like tea?” Ethan asked.
“I don’t know if I like it,” Evelyn replied, still drinking. “I hardly ever drink it.”
“Drinking tea is good for your health,” Ethan said. “It also helps you appreciate life. You should drink it more often.”
“Why do you sound like you’ve seen through the world?” Evelyn put down her cup. “Ethan, you’re only nineteen. You should be enjoying your life.”
Ethan laughed immediately. “Where do I look like I’ve seen through the world?”
Evelyn set her teacup down and looked at him seriously. Finally, she said, “I don’t think you’re truly happy.”
Ethan was stunned.
After a few seconds, he came back to his senses and asked with a smile, “What does true happiness look like?”
“It’s the joy that comes from your heart, without thinking about anything else.”
“And you?” he asked. “Have you ever been truly happy?”
“Of course,” Evelyn nodded. “And very often.”
“Happy to marry my uncle?”
Evelyn shrank back and gave him a dark look. “Why do you have to bring that up? But even if I’m not truly happy now, it doesn’t mean I won’t be in the future. And I did what I did. At least I helped my family get through this. From that perspective, I’m very happy.”
Ethan nodded.
They continued chatting over tea.
Chloe Ward came to invite Evelyn to the main room. When she saw Ethan, she greeted him first. “Hello, young master.”
“Is my grandmother looking for Evelyn?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, the old lady asked me to fetch the young lady,” Chloe replied truthfully.
“Take your time, then,” Evelyn said, standing up. “I’ll be right there.”
“Young master, I’ll go to the main room with the young lady now,” Chloe said.
Ethan nodded.
After Evelyn and Chloe left, Ethan sat in the Sterling Manor for a long time. He finished his tea before leaving.
Chloe led Evelyn to the Sun Room.
Eleanor Sterling wasn’t drinking tea. She was just sitting at the tea table. When Evelyn arrived, Eleanor asked her to sit across from her. “Evelyn, how was your lunch break?”
“It was very good,” Evelyn replied honestly. “I didn’t sleep. I met Ethan and walked around the garden. Your home has a wonderful environment.”
“This will be your home soon,” Eleanor said. “You’ll come to love it. Do you know Ethan well?”
“I’ve met him once before,” Evelyn explained.
She didn’t mention that Ethan had avoided meeting her before. But since she didn’t understand the situation fully, she decided it was better to say less.
“Ethan is a good boy,” Eleanor sighed. “But sometimes his goodness worries me.”
“Why?” Evelyn asked, puzzled.
She was even more surprised. She couldn’t see where Ethan was so good. He seemed rebellious and independent, like any other teenager. But maybe in every grandmother’s mind, her grandson was the best.
Eleanor looked up at Evelyn and smiled. “He’s too docile. I’m afraid he’ll be bullied outside.”
“Grandma, no,” Evelyn replied with a smile. “Docile people are usually more popular. People with good popularity don’t get bullied easily.”
“Is that like you?” Eleanor asked with a smile.
Evelyn blushed, feeling embarrassed. “I always think that if I treat others well, they’ll treat me well too.”
“That requires the other person to be grateful,” Eleanor said. Then she changed the subject lightly. “Did you stroll through the garden at noon?”
“Yes,” Evelyn replied. “The garden is very large. There are many flowers and trees. Some of them I don’t recognize.”
“If you like, let Alexander show you around in the future,” Eleanor said with a smile. “Some of the valuable plants in there were bought by him. He takes care of them himself.”
“Really?” Evelyn blurted out in surprise.
“Yes,” Eleanor replied. “When Alexander is free, he likes to play with these plants. So does Ethan. His hobby is almost the same as his uncle’s. Their relationship is as close as brothers.”
“That’s how a family should be,” Evelyn nodded.
Eleanor looked at Evelyn, feeling more satisfied with her. She asked, “Evelyn, when you move in, will you take care of the Sterling family?”
Evelyn was stunned. She shook her head the next second. “Mom, I might not be able to handle it. I have no experience.”
“That’s okay,” Eleanor replied. “Take your time. I’ll teach you, and the housekeeper will help you. There aren’t that many things to do. You make the decisions on the major items. If you’re not sure, just discuss it with Alexander and make a decision. It’s not that difficult.”
“I’ll study hard first,” Evelyn had to say. “When I learn, you can give it to me. That’s safer.”
“Okay, take your time,” Eleanor said softly. “We’re not in a hurry.”
“Good,” Evelyn nodded.
“Stay for dinner,” Eleanor said. “They’ll all be back in the evening. I’ll introduce you to everyone. Originally, you should have been introduced to all the family members on the day you and Alexander registered your marriage. Unfortunately, the company had something that day, so we had to move it to today. You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, thank you, Mom,” Evelyn answered obediently.
But her heart was pounding.
If she could, she would have skipped this procedure entirely. She would have preferred to get to know everyone gradually. But clearly, she had thought too much.
In the evening, although Alexander was away on business, it was basically a formal family dinner for the Sterling family. Eleanor meant to introduce her to all the family members at the dinner. Evelyn couldn’t help feeling nervous, but she couldn’t escape.
In the afternoon, Eleanor talked to Evelyn about some family affairs. Evelyn listened carefully. She knew these things would affect her future family life. As long as she and Alexander were husband and wife, she was the daughter-in-law. She had to abide by the family rules.
This was the first time Evelyn felt that a wealthy family was as deep as the sea. Nothing was as simple as she had first thought. She had thought she would marry Alexander, live in peace, and when he wanted a divorce, she would be free. Now it seemed things weren’t so simple. Taking care of the family was a big family. The number of people was large. In other words, the big family was more complex. It was clearly not so easy for her to live a good life in the Sterling family. What’s more, Eleanor had just hinted that she would be in charge of the big family in the future. Evelyn was scared at once. How could she manage such a big family?
Now she could only take one step at a time. She hoped she wouldn’t mess things up. At least she hoped she could get along well with everyone, even if she wouldn’t be with Alexander in the future.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for dinner.
Chloe entered the Sun Room and told Eleanor that dinner was ready. The second young lady, the second elder sister, the third young lady, the third elder sister, and young master Ethan were all back.
Eleanor nodded and said, “Get ready for dinner.”
Then she turned to Evelyn and said, “Evelyn, let’s go to dinner.”
“All right, Mom,” Evelyn said, getting up to help Eleanor.
Eleanor patted Evelyn’s hand, indicating she didn’t need to be nervous.
When they entered the dining room of the Sterling family, Evelyn saw many people sitting at the table. When they saw them coming in, they stood up one by one and called out “Mom.” Ethan called out “Grandma.” Then they nodded and smiled politely at Evelyn. Evelyn didn’t know what to call them, so she nodded and responded with a smile one by one. Then she helped Eleanor to the throne.
“Evelyn, sit here,” Eleanor pointed to a chair.
“Thank you, Mom,” Evelyn said, sitting down in the empty seat beside Eleanor. She felt a little stiff and embarrassed.
“This is Evelyn,” someone said with a smile. “She’s very beautiful. No wonder my fourth brother likes her.”