Ivy seemed satisfied that I'd finally fallen in line, letting out a smug little hum. "You'd better not try to stir things up between Matthew and me. If I find out, your life will be on the line." After delivering her threat, she turned and left without looking back.
Watching her walk away, I became even more determined not to let her stay by Matthew's side.
We returned to the restaurant one after the other. When Matthew saw me arriving late, he smiled and handed me the menu. "Karena, you're finally back. Is there anything you want to eat? We've already ordered some dishes."
I had no appetite at this point. "I'll just eat whatever you guys ordered."
I looked up at Ivy, who was smiling sweetly, and a secret anger rose in my heart as I thought, 'Ivy gets some serious skills. They've only just met, and they're already a couple.'
With this thought, I smiled at Matthew and asked in a soft tone, "Matthew, you still haven't told me how you and Ivy came to be together. You are indeed fortunate to have found such a beautiful girlfriend."
"I met her at a bookstore before. It was I who took the initiative to ask for her number." At this point, Matthew scratched his head hesitantly. He didn't know why he was so obsessed with Ivy at that time.
After getting her contact information, he immediately added her. Then they gradually got to know each other, and he couldn't believe that he had already gotten together with Ivy in just two days.
Previously, he had always thought of himself as reserved, but unexpectedly, when he encountered someone he liked, he became remarkably proactive.
"Ivy, what do you do? You look so beautiful; you must not be a student anymore, right?" I asked with a smile.
Ivy smiled at me. "I am already at work." She had meticulously arranged everything for herself, with her identity flawless.
"Alright, quit the twenty questions and just eat your food." Howard reached out to serve me some food, his indifferent voice sounding a bit low.
I then remembered he was still there, so shocked that I almost had forgot his presence.
'Yes, I can't deal with Ivy, but Howard can.' Thinking of this, I immediately started being extra attentive. "Dig in too, don't just serve me food." I reached out to serve Howard a piece of fish. "This is your jam."
Seemingly taken aback by my sudden attentiveness, Howard raised an eyebrow at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
I immediately smiled at him.
"By the way, I haven't asked yet—how did you two get together? Karena's never mentioned you before." Matthew looked at me with a bit of sadness. "Maybe it's because I've been abroad that we've drifted apart. You didn't even tell me you had a boyfriend."
Before I could think of how to respond, Howard explained first, "We're together because of fate. It was meant to be, like it was written in the stars."
Matthew smiled at me. "I used to not believe in fate, but ever since I met Ivy, I know it's a real thing."
Looking at them being so affectionate, I felt suffocated, my knuckles turning white as I gripped my fork. 'Fate? Matthew is just naive. He doesn't even realize he's being played.' I thought.
Howard chuckled lightly, his gaze falling on the woman sitting next to Matthew, a hint of coldness in his eyes. "Whether it's destiny or a curse is hard to tell. Sometimes, when people aren't thinking straight, they do foolish things. Understanding your true feelings is what really matters."
Ivy's eyes turned cold. "Mr. Smith, I disagree with you. In my book, if you like something, you gotta go for it. What's wrong with that?"
"Going for it is fine, but you gotta know if it’s right or not. Some people and things just aren't meant to be." Howard said.
There was always some tension in their conversations; even I could see that.
Matthew frowned slightly and cleared his throat. "The food is getting cold. Let's eat first."
When it was time to part, I held Ivy's hand and looked at her seriously. "Ivy, come visit me whenever you have time. You're always welcome."
Ivy raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting between Howard and me, seemingly teasing, "Are you sure it's convenient? Won't I be interrupting your time together?"
Matthew was momentarily stunned. "Are you two living together already?"
I was flustered, thinking Ivy mentioning this in front of Matthew was obviously intentional.
Howard pulled me into his arms, a faint smile on his charming face. "We're together, so living together is normal. Haven't you two moved in together yet?"
Matthew blushed and looked a bit embarrassed. "We've only been together for two days, moving in together doesn't feel right." He then looked at me seriously. "Karena, I know it's not really my place to say, but living together can be a bit tougher on girls. I'm not against you making your own decisions, just want you to take care of yourself."
Hearing his instinctive concern, I sorrowfully lowered my head, feeling a pang of embarrassment.
Seeing me silent, Matthew thought he had upset me and quickly restrained his emotions.
Watching them leave, I turned to Howard. "Howard, you have to help me."
Howard pursed his lips, his face expressionless. "You come running to me when you need something, but just a moment ago you were yelling at me and questioning my motives."
I was always good at rolling with the punches. I quickly grabbed Howard's arm and apologized, "Sorry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have done that. Please don't hold it against me."
Seeing me being so tactful yet doing it for another man, Howard couldn't help but feel a bit miffed. "You're willing to do anything for your Matthew."
Hearing the dissatisfaction in his voice, I became even more earnest. "This is a serious matter. How can a human and a ghost be together? I'm afraid Matthew will get hurt, so please help me."
He didn't respond, just looked at me silently. "If I were in danger one day, would you be worried for me too?"
I knew what he wanted to hear and nodded without hesitation. "Of course, I would worry about anyone around me if they were in danger."