Chapter 274 Discussing Late Night Topics?
The screen lit up, revealing Caroline's slightly flushed cheeks, which made her skin look even fairer and more translucent. She wasn't wearing her work clothes but had changed into comfortable loungewear. That unique, pure and gentle quality made her look especially charming.
"Done with work?" Caroline pointed her phone camera at the dining table. "Erica and I are having hot pot at home."
Seeing Erica, he said hello. Erica turned her phone around, too, and the four of them started chatting through their screens.
Maddox had just landed a major industrial museum design project for a large company and was waiting by the roadside for a taxi to take him back to his hotel.
Seeing Leopold on his phone, he suggested, "Leopold, Brighton is developing quite well now. Have you considered opening a branch of Celestial Waters Hotel here?"
What he thought was a casual comment, Leopold took seriously and asked, "Brighton is a small city, right?"
Maddox said, "It's called a small city, but from what I can see, its growth is no different from big cities. The population and economy are just as strong. Are you really thinking about opening a branch in Brighton? If you do, you have to let me do the design. I'll give you a discount."
Erica joked, "You really know how to seize every business opportunity."
Maddox looked at Erica, his expression immediately becoming all smiles. "Erica, I closed another big deal today."
Seeing him looking like he wanted praise, Erica played along, "Mr. Harrison, you've become even more impressive in my eyes. But don't push yourself too hard. What if you wear yourself out?"
Maddox raised his eyebrows. "Don't worry, with my body, I could run up ten flights of stairs without breaking a sweat."
Caroline noticed Leopold was doing something on his computer and asked, "Are you working again?"
"No." Leopold looked away from his computer and smiled at the person on screen. "Just looking up some information."
Caroline asked, "I remember you said filming officially starts tomorrow?"
"Yeah, the hotel rooms are fully booked, and all the nearby guesthouses are packed too. They're all fans coming to see the celebrities. Tomorrow's going to be really busy."
Considering the large crowd of fans, Caroline reminded him, "When there are lots of people, things can get chaotic. Make sure the security measures are in place."
Leopold smiled. "Honey, I just finished a meeting with the security team. What you're reminding me about is almost exactly what I emphasized."
Caroline rested her chin on her hand and smiled. "Looks like we're good partners who think alike."
Just then, Lily's call came in.
"Honey, I've got a call. Talk to you later."
Caroline blew a kiss at the video screen.
When she put down her phone and looked up, she saw Erica across from her and Maddox in the video, both staring at her. Erica said, "How are you and Leopold still as sweet as when you first started dating? If I try to kiss Maddox now, he acts disgusted. Watch this."
Erica blew a kiss at the video screen.
The next second, Maddox's exaggerated voice came through the video, "We're adults here. Can we show each other some respect?"
"See? That's how annoying he is." Erica said to Maddox, "Alright, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
"Wait," Maddox quickly stopped her. Erica asked, "What?"
Maddox mimicked her earlier gesture, puckering his lips. "Honey, give me a kiss."
Erica immediately covered her mouth.
"Erica, seriously?"
The next second, Erica got up and ran off. Caroline quickly followed her to the bathroom, gently patting Erica's back. She bent over and dry-heaved a few times before straightening up, her eyes slightly red. She swallowed and said, "This is my first time with morning sickness."
Caroline handed her a tissue. "Wipe up, I'll get you some water."
In the video, Maddox was still calling out, "Erica, Erica, what's wrong?"
Caroline passed by the phone and said to the person inside, "It's all your fault. You made her throw up."
Maddox was speechless.
Caroline held back a laugh and handed the water glass to Erica. She sat down, looked at the screen, and said, "Yeah, it's your fault. You made me throw up."
Maddox looked out the car window. "I'm almost at the hotel. Hanging up now."
Caroline told Erica to go rest while she cleaned up the dining table.
"It's okay, let's clean up together. Two people work faster."
Before bed, Caroline poured a glass of warm water and placed it on Erica's nightstand. "If you get thirsty at night, the water's here."
Erica lay on her side in bed. "Caroline, stay and chat with me for a bit."
Caroline walked back and sat on the edge of the bed. "What do you want to talk about?"
Erica said, "I was just texting with Maddox about decorating our home, the wedding, and gift money. My parents' idea is that, considering he's still in the startup phase, our family can cover these expenses, and I'll bring some symbolic gifts from the wedding back to our home."
Caroline noticed her serious expression. "Maddox didn't agree, did he?"
Erica nodded. "Leopold really is good at predicting things."
Caroline said, "Since Maddox has made his position clear, you should respect his wishes. Marriage is something both families need to discuss together anyway."
Erica said, "I just feel bad that he's working so hard, and he's worried I'll feel shortchanged. He's becoming more and more reliable."
Caroline said, "A good marriage is largely about helping each other grow and being understanding. The more you think about each other, the happier you'll be. Right now, you're both adding points for each other, so your future will definitely be happy."
Erica looked at her. "Caroline, having a friend like you is what I'm most proud of in this life."
Caroline joked, "Confessing to me late at night—are you trying to get me so excited I can't sleep?"
Erica laughed, her eyes full of maternal warmth. People really do need to go through things to grow and change.
"I'm serious. How many people can find a friend they can talk to without any reservations? So many people want to talk to someone, they open their phone contacts, but can't find a single person to call. They scroll through all their messaging apps but can't find anyone to confide in."
"If you tell family about bad things, you worry they'll be concerned. If you share with friends, they might not genuinely be happy for your good news, and how many people truly sympathize with your troubles? They might even turn what you said into gossip the moment you hang up. Among all the people around me, how many have a friendship as precious as ours? In my heart, I'm really, really proud of this."
Caroline said, "It sounds a bit cheesy, but I accept your pride."
Erica tickled Caroline's waist. "Calling me cheesy, huh? Let me make you even cheesier."
Caroline laughed so hard she could barely breathe, holding down Erica's hands. "Not cheesy, not cheesy! I'm really touched, okay?"
Erica let go. "Alright, go to sleep. You have work tomorrow."
Caroline turned off the bedroom light and said to the person in bed, "Good night, my proud best friend."
Erica responded from under the covers with a laugh, "Good night, my happiness booster."
These two friends would probably still be the most playful pair in the nursing home when they're old.
Caroline returned to her bedroom. The moment she lay down, Leopold's message came through.
North: [Asleep yet?]
Caroline: [Not yet.]
North: [Beautiful lady, late-night chat? Fifty dollars per hour.]
Caroline: [No thanks.]
Caroline: [Mainly because I can't bear to spend the money.]
North: [You're so beautiful, I'll give you a freebie.]
Caroline: [I have a husband.]
Leopold laughed and typed: [You have a husband? Doesn't that make chatting even more exciting?]
Caroline: [Sounds like you have experience. You're so smooth—how many have you chatted with?]
Leopold was speechless.