Chapter 246 Love Brain
"One good news and one bad news. Pick one," Leopold said with a smile.
Caroline leaned against the kitchen island. "I want a good night's sleep tonight, so definitely the good news."
Leopold said, "Dash should be okay now."
Caroline frowned. "I don't even know him. How is that good news for me?"
Leopold said, "If he's okay, I can come back."
Caroline raised her eyebrows cheerfully. "Well, in that case, it is good news."
Leopold smiled warmly and continued casually, "Can I tell you the bad news now?"
Caroline frowned at the person in the video. "Can I choose not to hear it?"
"Sure, then I won't mention that I have to stay another two weeks."
Caroline was speechless. "I already said I don't want to hear it, and you still told me."
She pouted with puffed cheeks, looking exactly like an angry pufferfish. Leopold's eyes softened as he smiled. "Just two more weeks. Whether things work out or not, I'm coming back. I can't bear to leave you home alone, feeling empty and lonely."
"Who's empty and lonely?" Caroline's smile widened. "Focus on your work and don't worry about me. I can take care of myself just fine. I'm more worried about you working too hard over there."
"How hard can it be? At most, I just have to visit a few more places and say a few more words." Leopold tried to make it sound simple.
"Don't make it sound so easy just to put my mind at ease. You're in a foreign country with different laws and systems. You must be facing a lot of problems."
Since Leopold went abroad to handle Dash's situation, Preston hadn't shown a single bit of genuine concern. He'd been focused on whether Dash's arrest would affect the company's reputation and stock price, and was even prepared to abandon Dash.
Leopold said, "Honey, you're so good to me. From now on, I'll give you all my money to spend."
"What do you mean? You just figured that out today? You didn't want to spend it on me before?" Caroline teased him on purpose to lighten the mood.
Leopold laughed heartily. "How could I not spend it on you? I always wanted to spend it on you."
Caroline smiled. "That's more like it."
Leopold glanced at the time. "You should be having dinner, right? Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. I just got home from work and just put the shrimp in the pot." Caroline switched the camera to show the wok on the stove. "Today I'm showing off my skills—salt-baked prawns."
"Impressive! Your cooking skills have leveled up. Make me some when I get back," Leopold said.
"No problem!"
The more he looked, the more he missed her. Leopold gazed at the person in the video and sighed. "I really want to kill Dash right now. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have to be so far away, wanting to hug you but can't, wanting to kiss you but can't."
Caroline thought that a man as excellent as Leopold—handsome, smart, rich, good to her, and hopelessly romantic—was simply too perfect.
"Honey, has anyone ever told you you're hopelessly romantic?"
Leopold raised his eyebrows subtly. "No, they only tell me I'm handsome."
"They? Who are they?"
"Tell me, who exactly?"
Caroline narrowed her eyes. "I never knew my husband was hiding so much."
Leopold said, "Who else could it be? All those women who secretly like me and admire me, but whom I cruelly rejected. I'm very popular, you know. You better treat me well and never let go, or who knows who might snatch me away."
"If someone can snatch you away, it means you weren't mine to begin with. If you're mine, no one can take you away," Caroline said.
"Exactly! That's the right attitude. I'm such an upright person, how could I not resist temptation? If anyone dares to steal me, my wife will be the first to step up and stop them."
Caroline said, "You're different now from when I first met you."
Leopold touched his chin. "How am I different? More handsome, right?"
Seeing his smug smile, Caroline knew she'd given him another chance to show off.
"Yes, even more handsome than before, and your temper is much better too."
Leopold said, "Keep praising me. That's not enough. Use more colorful words and add more emotion."
Caroline propped her phone up nearby and turned on the stove. "Childish."
"Me, childish? I'm so mature and steady." Leopold spread his hands. "Do you know what they call me?"
Caroline looked at her phone and heard Leopold say shamelessly, "I'm the dream of a billion girls."
Caroline pursed her lips and clicked her tongue. "Harry Styles only has 900 million. You have a billion. What makes you better than him?"
Leopold said, "Have some sense. The population is growing, you know."
"Are you done? I'm trying to cook here and all I'm hearing is you talking. If the shrimp burns, it's your fault."
Leopold laughed. "I do have something—missing you is my business right now."
Caroline said, "Actually, you handled Dash's situation pretty quickly."
The mention of Dash gave Leopold a headache. "If he hadn't caused trouble, I wouldn't have had to come all the way to Eldoria."
Caroline comforted him. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You helping Dash this time is a turning point in his life. It's a major life event, so try to handle it as well as you can. He's in a foreign country with no one to talk to. It's pretty pitiful."
Leopold wasn't at the point of sympathizing with Dash yet. "Him, pitiful? He's hateful. You should feel sorry for me instead. I miss my wife so much I can't sleep. Do you have any solutions?"
Caroline smiled helplessly. "I'm keeping you company by chatting with you, aren't I?"
Leopold sighed deeply. "It still doesn't ease my longing."
"What do you want me to do? I can't crawl through the phone to get to you."
"Actually, there is another way." Leopold's shoulders shook with laughter.
From his expression, she knew whatever he was about to say wouldn't be appropriate.
Caroline warned him, "Watch your words. I'll hang up the video call anytime."
"Okay, okay, I wouldn't dare." Leopold touched his nose.
Caroline saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Leopold! Try saying it and see what happens."
Leopold quickly placated her—she really would hang up. Who told Caroline to be so easily embarrassed?
As they were chatting warmly, there was a knock on the office door.
He said to the person in the video, "Honey, I've got something to handle. I'll hang up now."
Caroline blew him a kiss through the camera.
Putting down his phone, Leopold called out, "Come in."
Lily rushed in from outside, looking like something had happened.
"What's going on?"
Lily said, "Jack just called me. He said Dash was injured and is in the hospital."
Leopold's heart sank, his expression changed slightly, and he stood up. "Let's go check on him."
When they arrived at the hospital, Dash was still in the emergency room. Jack was standing outside the door waiting.