Everyone has their own path. Beyond offering blessings, we have no right to judge.
After dinner with Em, we strolled through the student street. Evie bought a handmade bag. She absolutely loved it. “You’d buy this kind of street stall stuff?” Em teased. “The craftsmanship and fabric are great. And it’s cheap. Why not?” Evie shot back with a smile. The vendor chimed in. “Don’t think cheap means bad. This is a sample piece. Hard to find!” “I really do love it,” Evie said, paying for the bag. Em linked her arm. “The seller has no idea how rich your husband is. Otherwise, she wouldn’t say that.” “This has nothing to do with wealth. The ancients said running a household with diligence and thrift is a virtue,” Evie retorted. Em laughed. She had to admire Evie’s character. Even after marrying into a wealthy family, she remained as humble as ever. Maybe that was why, despite the shock of learning who she married, Em never treated her differently. They joked around just like before. It felt good.
They shopped until around ten. Evie decided to head back. “If I don’t let you go, Mr. Sterling might not let me sign the contract,” Em joked. “How could that be? Your department’s signing has nothing to do with him,” Evie said with a smile. “Right, right. We’re always so professional! Let’s go. I’ll walk you out, then head back to the dorms,” Em agreed. “It’s fine. I can go by myself. You go back.” “I can’t just let you get in a cab alone. I wouldn’t feel right,” Em insisted. “You were never this careful with me before.” “You used to be just Evie Vance. Now you’re Mrs. Sterling. Big difference.” “You’re unbelievable. You can make your unreasonable arguments sound so logical and righteous.” Em just laughed. She walked Evie to the parking spot, watched her get in the car and drive off, then turned and walked back toward the school gate. Well, things were a little different now. At least now she worried about Evie’s safety. She was terrified that if Evie got kidnapped, she’d never forgive herself.
Evie returned to Sterling Manor. Alexander was already back from work. He was making tea on the second floor. Evie walked over, sat on the sofa, and took a sip of tea. “Mr. Sterling is quite leisurely today.” “What can I do? I’ve been abandoned by my wife. I have to find ways to pass the time,” Alexander sighed. “Nonsense,” Evie said with a smile. “I’ve been drinking tea. Lily stewed something for you. Do you want to eat first or shower first?” “I’ll shower first. I’m still a bit full,” Evie replied. “Alright,” Alexander nodded. After drinking two cups of tea to quench her thirst, Evie went into the bedroom to shower. When she came out, Alexander had already brought the stew up to the second floor for her. Evie took a bite, then fed a spoonful to Alexander. “This seems like it’s meant for women,” Alexander mumbled. “It’s for beauty and nourishing blood. Men need that too,” Evie said with a smile. “Why would I need to be beautiful?” Alexander asked, amused. “Because I like it.” “So, you mean if I become ugly one day, you won’t like me anymore?” “That won’t happen. You’re my husband. No matter what you become, you’re still my husband.” “You’ve learned to say sweet things.” “That’s right,” Evie said, feeding him another spoonful. They finished the stew together. Alexander didn’t ask where she went that evening. But Evie kept talking about everything she did with Em. She even showed off her prize. “Guess how much I paid? Thirty bucks. And she gave me change!” “I really did marry a wife who knows how to run a household,” Alexander said with a smile. “Of course. This bag is super practical. I can put my wallet and phone in it and go out. And the strap is really strong. No fear of dropping anything,” Evie continued to boast. Alexander nodded, then asked, “When are you going to buy something for your husband?” “I’m afraid you won’t like what I buy,” Evie said with a smile. “No, I’ll like anything you buy. Didn’t I like the things you bought before?” “Your phone charm is still on,” Evie remembered. She had bought a pair of phone charms and hung one on his phone. He hadn’t taken it off. “Of course. My wife gave it to me,” Alexander raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it too childish? Maybe you should change it next time,” Evie teased. “No. I’ll change it when you give me a new one.” Evie looked at him, smiling. She remembered Em calling him the “overbearing CEO” tonight. She couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s with that expression?” “Nothing. I just think you’re cute.” “That word is used to describe your husband. Doesn’t sound like a compliment.” “You’re overthinking it.” Evie laughed.
Evie’s internship ended in the blink of an eye. She signed the contract smoothly. This was the happiest thing for Evie. Before she decided to sign, she asked Alexander once if he had put in a good word for her. Alexander just smiled and asked, “What kind of person do you think I am?” Evie laughed, satisfied. With her own hard work and ability, she had finally signed a contract with the company. It was a huge affirmation for her. Of course, she invited the whole family to dinner to celebrate her becoming an official member of the Sterling family. Victoria teased her. “You better behave well from now on. Otherwise, people will say you’re just the president’s wife, and you’ll embarrass Alexander.” “Sis, you’re always pouring cold water on me,” Evie said, pretending to be angry. “I’m just urging you on.” Evie looked at her sister and smiled. Victoria could always turn bad words into good ones. William was also happy that Evie had successfully signed the contract on her own merit. In truth, whether she continued to work or not didn’t matter to Alexander. But her ability was something the Vance family should always be proud of.
After the internship, they began preparing for graduation. During this time, the Minister of Arts invited her to perform at the graduation party. She declined. Alexander had asked her after the school anniversary party. He said it was better to turn down such performance opportunities in the future. It showed he didn’t like her performing. And she didn’t want to go against his wishes.
On graduation day, Evie put on the bachelor’s gown for the Economics Department, just like her classmates. Em said with a smile, “This gown is so loose. It could double as a maternity dress.” Evie laughed too. “But I think our gowns are beautiful.” Stella turned her head and asked, “Evie, are you pregnant?”