Chapter 72 Never Test Human Nature
Suddenly realizing she had just showered and was still in her pajamas, Caroline rushed to the bathroom, unwrapped the towel from her hair and blow-dried it. Her face looked a bit pale, so she applied a light layer of lipstick to brighten her complexion, then returned to the bedroom to change into casual clothes before sitting in the living room to wait.
Based on the time Leopold had told her, he would arrive in about an hour, but she felt inexplicably anxious and had to go to the kitchen for a glass of warm milk to calm her nerves.
She had imagined what would happen next, which only made her more restless.
An hour later, the door opened from outside. Caroline stood up, trying to appear calm as she walked to the entrance. Their eyes met, unable to contain certain emotions.
Leopold smiled, "Were you waiting for me?"
Almost no one could resist Leopold's face, especially when he smiled so warmly and tenderly, looking at you with such affection in his eyes.
Caroline's heart skipped a beat, but she stubbornly refused to admit it, "No, I usually stay up late anyway."
She wasn't good at lying—anyone could see right through her.
Leopold took off his coat and hung it on the rack in the entrance. Caroline watched his hands as the cuffs of his white shirt pulled back, revealing his strong, muscular forearms.
He gave the impression of being refined and gentle in a suit, but if you'd actually seen his physique beneath it, you'd understand what it meant to have a body that showed elegant lines when clothed while maintaining beautiful curves when undressed.
As Leopold turned around, Caroline quickly looked away and asked casually,
"What would you like to drink?"
Leopold took Caroline's hand, "Nothing. I just came to see you."
He led her to the living room, and they sat together on the sofa watching TV. A romantic drama was playing, and the plot had reached an intimate scene between the leads. Just as they were about to kiss, with the suggestive background music and dim lighting, Caroline wanted to change the channel, but noticed the remote was on the armrest on Leopold's side. She could only awkwardly shift her gaze toward the window.
On the sofa, neither of them spoke. Caroline felt like she was watching TV with family members when an intimate scene came on and wanting to find a hole to crawl into.
Just as she was feeling uneasy, Leopold asked, "Do you think they really kiss when filming kissing scenes?"
Caroline's heart jumped to her throat, "I don't know, but I've seen some celebrity interviews where they mentioned using camera angles."
Leopold asked an even trickier question, "If they use camera angles, that means some are real kisses."
"I don't know, maybe." She was dying of embarrassment. Could he please ask about something else?
Leopold continued, "Do they brush their teeth or rinse their mouths or chew gum before kissing?"
Caroline swallowed, "Some actors probably do. I heard a funny interview once where an actor said the actress he had a kissing scene with deliberately ate garlic right before filming."
Leopold let out a hearty laugh that resonated through his chest. Caroline glanced at the TV—why were the leads taking their shirts off now? She cleared her throat, "Don't you want something to drink?"
Leopold suddenly turned to face her and asked, "Are you thirsty?"
Caroline's ears burned, "No."
He said, "I'm not thirsty either."
If you're not thirsty, then let go of my hand.
Leopold chuckled through his nose, "What did you have for dinner?"
"I—" Caroline was about to answer when she remembered the earlier questions, "I had Mexican food, but I showered when I got home."
Leopold leaned toward her, his shoulder getting lower and lower. Caroline's face flushed and her heart raced as she closed her eyes.
He traced her pretty features up close—her eyebrows, her straight nose—finally settling his gaze on her rosy lips.
At this moment, he could easily go further and do as he pleased, but Leopold felt it wasn't the right time. If he had rushed over at night just to kiss her, it would be too disrespectful.
But seeing her nervously close her eyes, Leopold couldn't help but laugh.
Hearing the laughter, Caroline opened her eyes and noticed Leopold's playful expression. Embarrassed and annoyed, she pushed him away and tried to leave, but he pulled her into his arms.
He gently coaxed her, whispering affectionately in her ear, "I didn't come here to kiss you. I just feel at peace now and want to spend more time with you."
She really wanted to find a hole to crawl into. This was too embarrassing. She kept her head down and said nothing.
Leopold knew she was thin-skinned, so he changed the subject, "What time should I pick you up Friday night?"
Since her parents had invited him, it would be better if they went together.
Caroline said, "My dad decided to celebrate his birthday at home. He'll definitely leave work on time, so pick me up at five at my office."
Leopold, "Okay."
Caroline, "About your parents' situation, I originally planned to keep it from them for a while—"
"I don't think that's a good idea." Leopold interrupted her. "If they find out later, they'll think I deliberately hid it, and it'll be even harder to gain their approval. I'd rather face the pressure from the start and try to convince them than hide the truth and risk losing you."
Caroline said, "I think the same way. There are no secrets forever. Seaside City isn't that big or that small—if they happen to hear about you from someone else, they might never accept you. So I'm planning to go home tomorrow and talk to my mom about you."
Leopold felt anxious but still comforted Caroline, "Mrs. Tudor might say things you don't like to hear, but please don't argue back. Leave the opportunity to me—let me explain to her, okay?"
Caroline nodded.
They talked heart-to-heart for a long time. When it was almost midnight, Leopold took the initiative to leave.
She stood by the window as usual, watching his figure disappear into the snowy night. Fifteen minutes later, she received a message that Leopold had arrived home.
The next day.
Mother and daughter ate and chatted. When Elysia heard Caroline mention Leopold's background and learned that he was actually not a child born in wedlock but out of wedlock, and that Leopold's mother had decided to have him even knowing the man had a family.
"Isn't that deliberately being a mistress?" Elysia hated that kind of woman most.
"Mom," Caroline saw that Elysia was very angry and quickly tried to calm her down, "That's all the previous generation's business. It has nothing to do with Leopold. Children can't choose their parents. Just like I was born into a family like yours and Dad's—I didn't choose that either, right? He couldn't choose his parents either. And Leopold knows what she did was wrong, but he can't do anything about his mom. When it comes to marriage and relationships, he doesn't think like his mother at all. He's very upright."
Elysia frowned, "How do you know if he's upright or not? It's not that I'm prejudiced against him, but his mother's approach to marriage and family is so casual, with no morals or boundaries. Growing up in that environment, he must have been influenced to some degree.
How do you know he won't cheat in the future? Or learn from his dad and keep a mistress on the side, secretly having a child?
Caroline, never test human nature, and don't think people's moral standards are too high."