“Mom, I know you did it for me. Back then, we were trapped. We had no other choice. Otherwise, we never would have made such a terrible decision. But look at things now. Dad’s company is doing better. The Sterling family and Alexander have been so good to me. So it’s really nothing!” Evelyn said with a smile, trying to comfort her mother.
“Evelyn, you’re the most understanding daughter a mother could ask for!” Amelia choked back tears.
“Mom, you can’t gamble anymore. If you like playing mahjong, that’s fine. But don’t play for high stakes. Just play for fun,” Evelyn continued.
“I wouldn’t dare go back to that place! I’ve learned my lesson this time, I swear,” Amelia waved her hand dismissively.
“This time was a wake-up call. Don’t dwell on it. Just take it as a warning for the future.”
“I know!” Amelia nodded firmly.
Evelyn smiled and leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder. She felt content. Two million was certainly a huge sum, but if it made her mother more careful, then it was worth it.
That evening, Evelyn talked with her mother until after ten o’clock. Her father still hadn’t come home.
Evelyn told her mother to go to bed early and then returned to her own bedroom.
After taking a shower, she sat on the sofa with a book.
Her phone rang.
She leaned over and picked it up. It was Alexander.
“Hello?” Evelyn answered.
“Are you asleep?” Alexander’s voice came through the phone. It was low, with a hint of tiredness.
Evelyn felt a sudden flashback. She remembered the first time she saw him at the registry office. His voice was the first thing that had drawn her in.
“Not yet. I’m just reading. What about you?” Evelyn replied.
“Just finished work. Is everything ready? What time should I send the driver to pick you up tomorrow?”
“I’m home now. The designer is coming tomorrow to fit the dress. I might need to go back to school in the afternoon to pack up,” Evelyn answered.
She glanced at the clock. He was just getting off work now. No wonder his voice sounded so tired.
“Alexander—” Evelyn suddenly remembered something.
“Hmm?” He waited for her to continue.
“I have less than two months until the finals. I need to focus on studying. I’m really stressed about my coursework. Can I just stay at your apartment on weekends and live at school during the week?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” Evelyn asked in surprise. She could hardly believe it.
She hadn’t expected him to agree so easily.
“Except for special circumstances.”
“What special circumstances?”
“When my mother comes over.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I can cooperate with that!” Evelyn laughed. “Why are you working so late?”
“Time zones. It can’t be helped.”
“Well, you should go home and rest early. I’ll pack up tomorrow afternoon and call you.”
“Just bring your books. You can buy anything else you need there,” Alexander instructed.
“Okay. I’ll just bring some clothes and a few books. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Evelyn tried to read for a while longer, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
It suddenly hit her. Once she moved in with Alexander, what would their relationship be like? Would they act like a married couple? Or just like roommates?
On Sunday morning, the designer arrived to help Evelyn try on her dress.
Amelia and her eldest daughter, Victoria, stayed home to help. They wanted to offer their opinions.
Evelyn tried on several dresses in a row.
Besides the wedding dress for the ceremony, there were also several outfits for the reception.
The Sterling family was very traditional.
The wedding would be in a classic Chinese style.
The phoenix crown and the red bridal gown were essential.
The first dress she tried on was the wedding gown. It was the first time Evelyn had ever worn something so formal.
To be honest, it was breathtaking.
The inner and outer layers were exquisitely embroidered. They looked like museum pieces.
Evelyn had never worn anything like it before. She needed help just to put it on.
When she was finally dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror. It felt like she had traveled back a thousand years and was seeing a different version of herself.
In the mirror, her lips were red, her teeth were white. Her eyes were bright. She looked beautiful.
She could almost hear ancient music echoing in her ears.
Even Victoria, who had seen many things in her life, was stunned when she saw Evelyn in the traditional bridal gown.
She sighed, “This is how a bride should look!”
Amelia’s eyes grew misty. Her little girl had just grown up, and now she was about to marry someone else.
Evelyn spread her arms naturally and turned around in place. The designer studied her for a moment. He confirmed that the cut was perfect. Only a few small details needed adjusting. He explained the changes to his assistant and noted them down. Then he asked Evelyn how she felt. Was she comfortable? Was there anything she didn’t like?
Evelyn shook her head. “I think it’s perfect!”
The designer smiled. “Mrs. Sterling’s satisfaction is the highest compliment for us.”
Evelyn blushed at his words.
Next, she tried on the reception dresses.
All the outfits came with matching jewelry. The makeup was also coordinated with each dress.
So even the fitting process was extremely complicated.
They only stopped for a short lunch break.
By the time she had tried on everything, and the designer had finished taking notes, it was almost three in the afternoon.
After the designers and their assistants left, Evelyn took off her makeup, washed her face, and changed back into her own clothes. She grabbed her small bag and went downstairs.
“Mom, Victoria, I’m heading back to school,” she said.
“Can’t you wait until tomorrow morning?” Amelia looked up.
“No, I have something to do later,” Evelyn replied.
She didn’t have the courage to tell her mother that she was moving in with Alexander tonight.
Living together. Just sharing a roof.
And Alexander had agreed. She would only stay on weekends. In two months, winter break would start. She wouldn’t be staying at his apartment for very long anyway.
After that, she would have the wedding. Then she would have to move into the Sterling mansion.
She didn’t want to talk about it now.
“I’m heading out too. Wait for me. I’ll drop you off at school,” Victoria said, standing up.
“Is it on your way? If not, I can just take a cab,” Evelyn asked.
“It’s no trouble,” Victoria replied without looking back. She went upstairs to change.
After leaving home, Evelyn and Victoria drove straight back to the university.
Her roommates weren’t there. Evelyn took out her bag and started packing.
She grabbed two books she was currently reading and the textbooks she would need for tomorrow morning’s class. She left the rest behind. She would only be staying there one or two days a week anyway. If she needed anything else, she could just bring it later.
She packed two sets of clothes.
She didn’t need to bring any toiletries. The apartment had everything.
She also packed her laptop and phone charger.
Evelyn finished packing her bag in no time.
After she was done, she called Alexander.
He said he would meet her downstairs in half an hour.
Evelyn suggested meeting at the school gate instead. That way, he wouldn’t have to register with the security.
Alexander said it would be inconvenient for her to walk to the gate with her luggage.
She told him she only had one bag.
He didn’t argue. He told her to wait at the west gate.
The west gate was the closest to the girls’ dormitory.
After resting for a moment, Evelyn slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out of the dormitory.
She headed straight for the west gate to wait for the Sterling family driver.
She sat down on a bench at the bus stop and played with her phone while she waited.
She sent a text to Emily, saying she wouldn’t be back to the dormitory tonight and would just go straight to class in the morning.
Emily replied, asking if she needed her to bring the textbooks.
Evelyn said no, she already had them.
Evelyn was typing a reply when a car pulled up beside her.
The window rolled down.
She heard someone call her name.
She looked up and saw Alexander sitting in the driver’s seat.
She immediately smiled, put away her phone, and carried her bag to the trunk.
She put the bag inside, then walked around to the passenger seat.
“I thought the driver was coming to get me,” Evelyn said as she buckled her seatbelt.
“I was passing by anyway,” Alexander said.
“Are you going to work today?”
“I work 365 days a year,” Alexander turned to look at her.
“Aren’t you a robot?” Evelyn blurted out.
The next second, she realized what she had said. She added awkwardly, “Isn’t that too exhausting?”
She thought about how he had to take care of such a huge company all by himself. No wonder he worked so hard.
And on top of that, he was gay. He didn’t want to get married or have children. No wonder Mrs. Sterling was so anxious that she had made such a desperate decision.
But even now that Evelyn had married him, it didn’t seem to help much.
“I’m used to it. I’ll try to spend more time with you in the future,” Alexander replied.
“Ah? Oh!” Evelyn was stunned for a moment. Then she realized what he meant. She quickly waved her hands. “You don’t have to deliberately make time for me!”
Right now, she just wanted to be left alone. Especially by him.
Why would she want him to spend more time with her?
What would they even talk about when they were alone? Would they just exchange boring pleasantries like they were doing now?
Or would she ask him what the gay world was like?
That didn’t seem like a good idea.
Alexander turned his head and saw her awkward expression. He just smiled.
Luckily, he didn’t say anything else. Evelyn felt like she was about to lose her composure.
Finally, she found a topic. “Is there any food in the apartment? Maybe we should stop by the supermarket first and buy some things,” she suggested.
“Grace has already bought everything. If you think something is missing, just call her and tell her to get it.”
“Oh, okay,” Evelyn replied.
She thought to herself, if she needed a bottle of vinegar, would she really call Grace and ask her to buy it?
It would be easier to just go downstairs and buy it herself.
Her lifestyle and attitude were clearly different from Alexander’s. It seemed like there were still many things they would need to work out in the future.
But as long as she treated him sincerely, she was sure they could get along peacefully.
As long as she treated him sincerely.