Chapter 20
"Levi, I think you look great in this suit."
Jessa looked Levi up and down, like one of his fans.
I deliberately coughed to remind them not to treat me like I was invisible.
I'd dressed up a bit—couldn't let the Morgan family think I looked shabby.
Levi took off his jacket and casually hung it on the coat rack.
Seeing that I was wearing a brown coat, he pulled out the sweater I'd given him before from the closet and quickly changed into it.
"Levi, won't this look too casual?"
"No."
I'd once told Levi that there was no need to dress too formally for a family dinner—in fact, dressing more casually would make us seem more natural.
Today, he'd chosen to wear the sweater to match me, and for a moment, I had this strange feeling. Could it be that he actually remembered what I'd said before?
"Actually, I'd like to visit the elders too..."
"We're leaving now."
Levi cut her off, not letting her continue. Obviously, what Jessa was saying right now was inappropriate—after all, I, his legitimate wife, was still here.
I just hoped Jessa wouldn't make things difficult for me. As for what went on between her and Levi, I didn't care anymore.
I smiled bitterly to myself—right now, I felt like just staying alive was what mattered most.
"Then I'll prepare some late-night snacks, in case you want something when you get back." Jessa was hoping he'd come home early for another candlelit dinner with her.
Levi didn't object.
"Let's go."
Was he inviting me?
In the past, when we didn't leave together, I'd always make up excuses to get by.
"I'll get the car." I picked up my bag and caught a glimpse of Jessa's dark expression. My mood wasn't much better.
This was my home, and she was treating it like her own territory.
"Come with me."
Levi's words sounded like an order, and I couldn't really refuse. After all, I needed to put on an act with him tonight. My goal was simple—I wanted Aiden to feel at ease.
"She..."
Jessa was so angry she almost jumped up, but to maintain her ladylike image, she calmed down.
I didn't want to ride in Levi's car. I'd rather drive myself—it was more comfortable. Breathing the same air as him could be suffocating sometimes.
"Mrs. Morgan, it's getting cold. Wear a scarf."
Indigo handed me a scarf, and it did feel much warmer after I put it on.
The car was very quiet. We didn't say a word the whole way.
Silence seemed to have become our understanding.
Levi's parents had been abroad for two years now—the Morgan family's overseas business needed managing. I suddenly remembered what Aiden had said to Jessa and her mother last time. So, leaving Levi in the country was also to keep him and Jessa from staying in touch.
Looking at it this way, Aiden had indeed used some tactics.
So Levi had been holding in his resentment for a long time.
I thought it over and over—I needed to find time to have a good talk with Aiden. After six years of trying, Levi still couldn't let go of Jessa. It was time for me to start living my own life.
"Grandpa, Grandma, sorry we're a bit late."
I handed the tea Aiden liked to the housekeeper while taking off my coat.
Rhea warmly handed me a glass of hot water. "It's cold out, isn't it? You young people don't dress warmly enough. Warm yourself up."
"Thank you, Grandma."
My eyes felt hot. All the sadness and hurt from these past days were about to burst out after seeing them.
"We're family, no need to be polite. Come quickly, tonight we made all your favorite dishes."
Rhea pulled me to sit down, then said to Aiden, "These two kids haven't been back in a while. I really missed them."
Aiden said cheerfully, "Young people are busy. It's not easy for them to find time to come back. Let's eat."
"Blair, you look like you've lost weight. You need to eat more today." Rhea felt sorry for me, her eyes getting teary.
"Grandma, I'm just keeping in shape."
"Are you not getting enough nutrition? Post-surgery recovery is very important. After what happened..."
Aiden put some vegetables on Rhea's plate. "Talk about something happy. That's all in the past, let's not bring it up."
Rhea smiled awkwardly. "Right, let's not talk about that. Everyone eat up. Levi, your favorite ribs—have a piece."
Levi didn't say anything.
I picked up my chopsticks and got him a piece. "The chopsticks are clean."
Levi tried it and took a bite of rice.
"Blair's words work better. Happy wife, happy life." Rhea tried hard to liven up the atmosphere.
"Why didn't Celestia come?"
Aiden suddenly asked.
"Oh, right, why didn't Celestia come?" Rhea missed the child, too.
The air instantly froze. I looked at Levi, but he still didn't seem inclined to speak.
"Well, Celestia got tired of playing today. She usually has a regular sleep schedule, but today, being the weekend, she didn't nap during the day, so she fell asleep in the evening."
I explained reluctantly. Actually, I wasn't afraid of them knowing about Celestia's injury—I just didn't want them to worry.
"Oh, when it's cold like this, the worst thing is catching a draft after waking up. Next time then. Bring the child next time."
Aiden took a sip of wine and looked at Levi. "Want a drink?"
"No."
Levi hadn't had a drink with Grandpa in a long time. From what I remembered, he only drank when Celestia asked him to. Otherwise, he'd just stubbornly resist Grandpa.
"Now that you have your own little family, you need to cherish it. Live in harmony and peace—that's good."
"Right, right. Last time we took Celestia out, so many people envied us. These days, young people either choose not to have kids or not to marry at all. I feel like they're a bit lonely."
Everything Grandpa and Grandma said showed they hoped our family would be harmonious. I observed Levi—he seemed to be completely ignoring them.
"Levi, Blair needs time to recover after surgery. Don't rush her back to work, and help her with the child when you can." Rhea reminded him.
He put down his bowl and chopsticks. "I'm done. Take your time."
Aiden's expression immediately darkened. He was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted.
"Grandma, I think she's full of energy. We even saw each other at the school anniversary celebration a few days ago."
Cleo came in from outside. She was alone, without her child or husband.
She walked over to Levi and patted his shoulder. "I'm telling you, Levi, you need to control your wife. Stop letting her show her face everywhere—she represents our family's reputation too."
I was a wife who kept her marriage secret. Who even knew about my relationship with Levi?
Besides, I did everything openly and honestly. How had I embarrassed him?
"I have something to do. You all keep eating."
Levi stood up, adjusted his cuffs, and walked out.
Leaving me alone to face his family.
He didn't even take Cleo's words to heart because he was certain I wouldn't do anything inappropriate. All these years in the Morgan family, I'd given him plenty of face.
Just like today, I calmly continued with the dinner, and he knew I would still do my job as "Mrs. Morgan" as always.