Aria wanted to stop herself. But she couldn't. Finally, she burst out laughing.
Emma's voice was so lively. With her exaggerated expressions and tone, the scene felt real. Aria couldn't help picturing the vice president covering his nose and rushing out of the car.
"Don't tell my brother, okay? He'll say I don't know when to talk nonsense and that I'm not ladylike enough!" Emma stuck out her tongue.
"I won't," Aria said, shaking her head with a smile.
"But honestly, I shouldn't have said that while eating. I should have gone to the supermarket to watch the durians. That would have been even funnier!" Emma finished and started laughing again.
Aria nodded, still smiling. To be honest, it really was hilarious. She was about to cry from laughing so hard.
"Sister Aria, if you ever want to know anything about my brother, just ask me. I know him best!" Emma betrayed her brother without hesitation.
"Ah?" Aria looked at her in surprise.
"I'll tell you a secret." Emma's face turned mysterious.
"What?" Aria couldn't help being curious.
"My brother has never been in love. You're his first love!"
"Emma, you've misunderstood. There's nothing between the vice president and me—"
"Don't hide it from me. I've been in love eighteen times. If I can't see it, then my eyes are useless, and so is my brain!"
"No, really. There's nothing between us!"
"Could it be that my brother hasn't managed to win you over yet?"
"..." Aria didn't know how to answer.
"Sister Aria, my brother is actually a really good person. He takes care of people. But he has no experience with love, so maybe he's not very good at chasing girls."
The more Emma spoke, the more Aria didn't know how to explain. Her face turned red.
Just then, the dishes started arriving one after another. Aria had to change the subject. "Let's eat first!"
Emma nodded. She took Aria's bowl and helped her serve rice. Then she sweetly said thank you.
Emma ate like a proper lady, chewing quietly. She didn't seem to want to eat much. Aria ate slowly too.
Then she heard Emma say, "Sister Aria, don't you think eating without talking affects your appetite?"
Aria looked up at Emma and suddenly wanted to laugh. But she nodded. "A little bit."
"Is it okay if I chat with you while we eat?"
"Sure. I'm used to eating with my friends."
"Great! At home, I can only eat. I can't talk!" Emma pouted.
"The ancients said, 'Don't talk while eating, don't speak while sleeping.' It means your family has good manners."
"I understand that. But my mom won't let me talk."
"Why?" Aria asked curiously.
"She says I always say something disappointing when I'm eating. So she doesn't allow me to talk at the table!" Emma pouted again.
Aria wanted to laugh but held it in. Could she say that she thought Emma's mom was wise?
"Let's talk when we eat out. When we go home, we'll eat more and talk less."
Emma nodded with a smile. "Sister Aria, what do you usually like to eat?"
"I'm not picky. I like everything."
"There must be something you prefer."
"I really like desserts!"
"That's the same as my mom. She loves desserts the most. But my dad doesn't let her eat too much. He says she'll get cavities. My dad always treats my mom like a three-year-old." Emma answered with a smile.
Aria listened and thought the Sterling family seemed really warm. Then the next second, she remembered. Wasn't Emma's father the chairman?
"Isn't your father the chairman of our company?"
"Yes! Why?" Emma looked at Aria.
"Nothing. It just suddenly felt strange."
"That's normal. I heard my dad is very serious at work. Everyone is afraid of him. But actually, he's not fierce at all. My mom is fiercer!" Emma said.
"Mrs. Sterling looks very gentle," Aria replied.
"Have you met my mom?" Emma was surprised.
"Once. That day, I went to have a snack with the vice president. I ran into her at the restaurant," Aria explained.
"Is this meeting the parents in advance?"
"Uh..." Aria almost choked. She looked at Emma awkwardly. "It's not what you think. Anyway, it's a long story."
"Sister Aria, take your time. I love listening to stories!" Emma looked at her expectantly.
Aria felt embarrassed. Looking at Emma's eager expression, she thought, you don't like stories. You like gossip.
Aria had to tell Emma about how she and the vice president got trapped in the elevator that day. And because of that midnight snack, she still owed the vice president over five thousand yuan. It was all tears.
"My brother saved the beauty. Sister Aria, weren't you excited at all?" Emma blinked and asked.
"..." Aria was immediately stumped. Admitting it was wrong. Not admitting it was also wrong.
After a moment, she changed the subject. "This soup is delicious."
"Sister Aria, do you often use this move on my brother?"
"What move?" Aria asked.
"Changing the subject. Avoiding the important and taking the trivial."
"Emma, it's like this. Your brother and I are not in the relationship you think. We are just a simple boss and subordinate. Your brother might have good feelings for me. Of course, I also have good feelings for him. But it's just good feelings. He doesn't know me well. And I don't know him well either. I personally think that for two people to be together, besides good feelings, they also need compatible personalities and values."
"Sister Aria, I think what you said is quite reasonable. But there's one thing I don't quite understand." Emma rested her chin on her hand and looked at Aria.
"What don't you understand?"
"How do you know if your personalities and values fit if you haven't been together?" Emma asked.
Aria was immediately stumped again. The question was so simple and crude that she couldn't answer it at all.
After a moment, she said, "If it's fate, we'll naturally be together."
"Well, Sister Aria, you win!" Emma raised her thumb in admiration. She was completely defeated.
Aria laughed. She had blurted that out without thinking.
After dinner, they went shopping.