Chapter 956: A Good Question with No Solution

Chapter 956: A Good Question with No Solution

Randall grabbed Susan's bag, then opened the wardrobe, pulled on his thick jacket, and headed out the door hand in hand with his girlfriend.

His roommates were getting ready for bed. When they saw the two of them leaving, they teased, "Randall, going out again? Heading to a hotel?"

"Get lost." Randall punched one of them lightly on the arm. "I'm walking Susan home."

In the elevator, Randall draped his arm over Susan's shoulder and pulled her into his arms with a gentle tug.

When they stepped out of the building, a cold wind hit them. Randall took his jacket and wrapped it around Susan's back. "Put it on. Don't catch a cold."

Susan looked down, pouty and unhappy.

Seeing her sulking, Randall reached over and pinched her puffy cheeks, squeezing the air right out of them.

Without a word, he leaned down and kissed her. There was a faint trace of alcohol on his lips, but it wasn't sharp or heavy. Instead, a subtle, clean scent filled her senses. Susan closed her eyes and felt the tenderness in his kiss.

Under the cold night sky, beneath the soft yellow glow of the streetlights, they were the only two people on the quiet path. Randall's lips moved gently against hers, and in the warmth of his arms, Susan felt a rare softness from him, a kind of care she didn't often see.

Then the gentleness shifted. What had felt like a soft, steady rain turned into something stronger, more urgent. Susan's back ached from how tightly he held her, and she couldn't get a word out.

She managed to pinch his waist, and slowly, he eased up, his movements growing tender again before he finally pulled back and let her go.

When he looked at her again, Susan's eyes were hazy, soft, and a little dazed.

Randall swallowed and murmured, "Good thing we're not in the bedroom."

Susan's face flushed red in an instant. She actually understood exactly what he meant.

"Get the jacket on. I'm taking you home."

Late at night, they walked out of the complex onto an empty road. Not a single car in sight. Just the streetlights standing quietly on either side, casting their glow across the asphalt, still and peaceful.

The autumn wind was cold. The night had turned sharp. A gust swept through, sending dry leaves skittering and rustling across the ground.

Randall held Susan's hand as they walked along the quiet street.

Susan opened her mouth and breathed out. A small cloud of warm mist appeared in the cold air. "Randall, look at that!"

She pointed at the little puff of breath, delighted by her own discovery.

Randall smiled quietly, his eyes fixed on her, full of warmth. Susan turned and met his gaze, completely adoring and tender. The memory of the kiss came rushing back, and her cheeks burned as if someone had pricked them with a pin.

"Randall, when you don't say anything, you really remind me of Mr. Olteran."

Randall: "How so?"

"You're both the same. Mr. Olteran treats his wife like a kid who never grew up, and you do the same thing with me. You always think I haven't grown up, that I'm still a child. So whenever something goes wrong or gets hard, you never tell us. Because you don't want us to worry." Susan stared down the endless road ahead, her voice carrying a quiet sadness. "But sometimes we want to help too. Even if it's just telling a joke to make you smile."

Randall was about to say something when Susan added, quietly, "You never even give me the chance."

Randall was speechless. So it really did come back to her not being allowed to take care of him earlier that night.

"Susan, whether you're dating or married, everyone needs their own private space. I have someone I love, so I'm not going to pretend I'm fine when I'm not. I don't say things because I don't want to bring that ugliness near you, and I don't want you carrying more than you should.

Sometimes not knowing the truth might leave you feeling a little down. But knowing the truth and feeling completely helpless, that's a different kind of pain." Randall looked into her eyes. "I don't love you like you're a child who never grew up. I love you like my girlfriend, the person I want to spend my life with."

Susan felt a sting behind her nose. Maybe it was the cold wind, maybe she'd breathed in too much of the night air. Her eyes were starting to burn.

When she spoke, there were tears in her voice. "But Randall, I want to actually be useful to you. I don't want to be the kind of girlfriend who just follows you around and can't do anything for you."

Randall quickly raised his hand and wiped the corner of her eye. "You're here with me every single day. That already means everything. Susan, you're enough. Stop trying to figure out what you need to do to prove you love me. Even if you never did a single thing for me, I'd still only want you."

The tears spilled over, and Susan buried herself in his arms. "Randall, I just worry about you."

Randall laughed softly and ruffled the back of her head. Holding her close, he said, "Nothing to worry about. If I can't handle a little hardship, how am I ever going to be your rock?"

As they kept walking, a taxi came by.

Randall flagged it down and saw Susan safely home.

It was past midnight by the time she got in. Everyone else in the house was already asleep.

The next morning.

Teddy was napping on the living room couch. Everyone who walked past gave his little cheeks a poke, patted his tiny hand, and said goodbye.

By the time Teddy woke up, Patrick had already dropped off his wife and come back.

Father and son locked eyes. Teddy had barely opened his eyes before his little fist shot up in the air. If his dad didn't pick him up right now, there was going to be a full meltdown in the living room.

Patrick scooped him up. One of the household staff handed little Randall his bottle of formula.

That morning, Teddy refused to let go of his dad and happily followed him all the way to the office.

When Randall arrived at work the next day, Jenny came over to say hi. "Sober yet? You didn't pick up when I called last night."

"Yeah, I hung up."

"Why? Worried your girlfriend would get jealous?" Jenny asked with a grin. "Come on, you love her that much and she still gets jealous?"

Randall smiled. "You're overthinking it. I just didn't want you hearing things you shouldn't."

Jenny's smile cracked.

The day before, Randall had told Susan that just having her around every day was enough to make him happy. And so, Susan made sure she was always there.