Harper looked at Patrick who was thinking about her, and could only nod.
But no matter how clear her thoughts were, deep down, she still didn't want to face it.
Thinking of the intimate scene between Joseph and Olivia in front of her, she felt very sad.
But since the words had been spoken, she naturally had to go.
When the two of them arrived at the restaurant, they only saw Olivia sitting alone, with no sign of Joseph.
Harper couldn't help but relax a little.
"You're here! Come over and sit down." Olivia warmly waved at them. "Joseph might take a while. But I know what he likes to eat, and I've already ordered for him. You don't have to wait for him."
Patrick glanced at Harper and then helped her pull out a chair.
Olivia then noticed the injury on Patrick's face and looked surprised. "What happened to you?"
Patrick touched his mouth. "I accidentally bumped into something earlier. It's nothing. Just a minor injury."
As soon as the incident was mentioned, Harper couldn't help but feel guilty.
After all, Patrick was innocently implicated and inexplicably injured, yet he didn't pursue it.
She looked at Olivia, who seemed to want to continue questioning and changed the subject. "What did you order? I'm a bit hungry. Can I take a look at the menu first?"
Olivia stopped herself and handed her the menu. "I ordered some dishes randomly. Feel free to choose whatever you want to eat. I'm treating you today, so feel free to order what you like."
Harper smiled and nodded. She took the menu, but her mind was elsewhere.
The enthusiastic waiter next to them started introducing the dishes. "Our Tacos is the signature dish here. It is spicy and refreshing. Would you like to have a try?"
Harper was someone who loved spicy food, and hearing the description made her feel hungry, so she smiled and said, "I'd like a serving of that."
At this, Olivia's eyes flashed with a different emotion.
She suddenly said, "You guys go ahead and order. I'll go check if Joseph is ready."
After seeing the two nod, she got up and left.
After Olivia returned to the room, she saw Joseph sitting on the sofa with a serious expression, unable to tell his emotions.
"Joseph," She walked over and called out, "Didn't we agree to have dinner with Harper and Patrick? They're all here. Let's go down now?"
Joseph's eyes finally moved. He stood up and went to the bathroom.
Olivia watched his back, the smile on her face disappeared.
After a while, as the dishes were being served, Olivia and Joseph finally appeared.
Harper didn't know what Olivia was saying to Joseph, who was listening attentively.
She pretended to be calm, picked up her cup, and looked out the window.
Joseph changed into a casual outfit, looking neat and tidy.
In contrast, his previous hostility toward Patrick seemed like an illusion.
Joseph sat down next to Olivia. In a fleeting moment of eye contact, he inadvertently locked gazes with Patrick.
Although their gazes were unfriendly, they tacitly understood each other and had no intention of bringing up what had just happened.
Seeing them like this, Harper understood.
Joseph's appearance of nothing happening clearly showed that he still didn't want others, especially Olivia, to know about their relationship.
Perhaps his outburst earlier was just a moment of impulse, for the sake of a man's pride and dignity.
For a moment, Harper found it somewhat amusing.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was filled with fake harmony. Olivia felt the need to start a conversation.
"Do you know? Most of the people attending our exchange today are very talented doctors."
Harper was too busy eating, looking extremely hungry.
Patrick, on the other hand, showed a keen interest. He put down his fork and said, "Really? If you can participate in the exchange, it means you are also very talented."
Olivia smiled and turned to Joseph beside her with shining eyes. "Many seniors have been praising Joseph today. Others may not reach his level of achievement until they are 40, but he had already achieved it before turning 30. He is so outstanding."
Listening to her loving praise, Harper continued to eat. She felt the spicy taste in her mouth less noticeable.
Patrick looked at them, smiling with an indescribable meaning, unsure if it was envy or something else.
Joseph calmly sipped his soup, looking completely detached.
Olivia turned back and looked at Harper. "Are you here for a competition this time?"
Harper put down her fork, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and nodded. "The competition is tomorrow. So after dinner, I have to go back to work on my sketches."
"Oh, I see. Good luck!"
Olivia encouraged them and then asked, "Do you have any extra tickets? Give us two. I haven't been to this kind of competition before. It must be interesting. And I can cheer you on."
Harper sighed inwardly, preparing to refuse.
But Patrick spoke up first, "Sorry." He showed a very embarrassed expression. "This competition is not open to the public, and we don't have the authority to get tickets."
With just two sentences, he refused Olivia’s ask, relieving Harper of the awkward situation.
Olivia nodded regretfully. But then her face suddenly changed, turning slightly pale.
She bent down, curled up a bit, and covered her stomach with her hand, breathing rapidly. "Joseph, my stomach suddenly hurts."
Joseph's face changed, and he quickly got up and walked to her side.
"What's wrong?"
Without medical equipment, he could only give her a simple examination, pressing on Olivia's stomach a few times.
Seeing her in pain and turning pale, Patrick and Harper also felt worried. They stood up and wanted to see if they could help.
Olivia felt waves of pain in her stomach. She reached out and tightly grabbed Joseph's wrist. "Joseph, I need to take medicine right away. There are some in my suitcase upstairs."
Joseph, furrowing his brow, helped her lie down on the nearby sofa and took off his coat to cover her. He said in a deep voice, "Lie down. I'll be back in a moment."
Before leaving, he glanced at Harper and Patrick, indicating for them to keep an eye out.
Harper, who felt uneasy deep down, had a clear understanding of the situation at this moment. So she poured a cup of hot water for Olivia, fed her a sip, and comforted her. "He'll be back soon. Just hold on a little longer."
After a while, Joseph returned with the medicine and immediately fed it to Olivia.
Seeing Olivia's complexion improve slightly, he finally asked, "What happened exactly?"
Looking weakly at the table, where the Tacos dish was placed in the middle, Olivia whispered, "Maybe that dish was a bit too stimulating. I thought, it's a specialty dish, and trying a little bit shouldn't be a problem."
Joseph's gaze turned cold. "Who ordered it?"