Chapter 71 What Is Your Home Password
After getting Caroline's call, Erica immediately left the office. They'd agreed to go for Mexican food, and the spicy aroma that hit them at the door lifted her mood after working overtime.
"Over here." Caroline waved at the person by the entrance.
Erica walked in with a smile. The restaurant was packed at night, and when Caroline arrived, only a spot in the far back corner was available.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
Caroline, "No, I just got here too."
Erica took the menu Caroline handed her. Caroline had already picked some dishes, and Erica added a few of her favorites before calling over a server. "That's all, you can bring the food."
Server asked, "What would you ladies like to drink?"
Erica said, "Bring us a pitcher of beer."
Caroline said, "I'm not drinking. I have a headache today. Just bring a pitcher of the complimentary orange juice."
Erica's eyes widened. "No alcohol?"
Caroline nodded, looking listless.
"Still want the beer?" The server asked.
Drinking alone wasn't fun for Erica either. "Never mind, just bring a pitcher of orange juice."
After the server left to prepare their order, Erica took off her coat and asked Caroline, "What's wrong? Something bothering you?"
Since it involved Leopold's privacy, Caroline couldn't tell an outsider, so she just blamed it on stress from the election campaign, saying she was feeling anxious.
"And here I thought it was something serious, making you look so worried." Erica took the orange juice the server brought and poured some for Caroline. "Work stuff should only bother you during work hours. Now it's after work, so you need to step out of your work identity and be a happy person."
Caroline took a sip of orange juice. "I'm not as carefree as you. I can't rise above petty concerns."
"But right now you're not finding it fun at all—it's affecting your mood. Looking at how down you are, I thought you'd had another breakup." Erica gulped down more orange juice. "So refreshing! Free stuff really does taste better."
Caroline laughed helplessly. "Sometimes I really envy you. It's like nothing ever bothers you."
"I have worries too! Just now I was stressed out. When you called me, I was working overtime at the office. You don't know those stubborn old folks—seriously, changing their minds is harder than lifting the Earth." Erica wanted to vent, but remembering Caroline was already feeling down, she didn't want to add to her troubles. "So, from me you can learn one thing: never let work problems follow you into your private life. They don't deserve to take up our personal time," she made a slashing motion across her neck, "and make us miserable."
Caroline laughed out loud. When you're feeling down, only friends can really heal you.
Seeing the server pushing a cart toward them, Caroline said, "Food's here."
The freshly served Mexican dishes sent up wisps of steam. The two ate and chatted, even taking a photo to commemorate the moment.
Caroline posted the photo to her social media. Leopold clicked to look—out of nine photos, only one was a selfie of Caroline. He stared at her smiling face, his gaze softening.
Heavy snow, good food, good friends.
Leopold wanted to like it, but then changed his mind.
Erica said, "Cheers, to eating happily."
Caroline raised her glass and clinked it with hers. "Cheers, to happiness."
On the way home, Caroline kept thinking about something. All her life she'd lived under restrictive rules—elite middle school, top high school, prestigious university, major approved by the system. Even her blind dates were with people her parents liked. She didn't want to reject all the decisions her parents had made for her, and she remembered the best conditions they could provide within their means, but she always felt constrained. She could accept all the arrangements because those were decisions that truly could make her better.
But the blind date thing was different. This relationship didn't make her better—instead it made her anxious, irritable, and suspicious. This wasn't who she really was.
Only when Caroline was with Leopold did she feel happy, free, and completely relaxed.
She pulled her car over to the side of the road, took out her phone and dialed Leopold's number. Each ring in the receiver tested her patience and courage.
At that moment, Leopold was handling a customer complaint. His phone kept vibrating in his pocket. It wasn't until half an hour later that Leopold returned to his office to call Caroline back.
After seven or eight rings, the call connected.
"What's up?"
Leopold heard her voice sounding muffled. "What's wrong with you?"
Caroline was lying on the sofa, not daring to open her mouth wide. "I'm wearing a face mask. What do you need?"
Leopold stood with one hand in his pocket, leaning against the edge of his desk. His slightly lowered profile showed sharp angles under the light, handsome and defined. He curved his lips slightly. "You forgot—you just called me. Sorry, I was dealing with some hotel matters and didn't pick up."
Caroline was silent for a moment. "Wait a second."
Leopold was perfectly patient. "Okay."
Caroline quickly sat up and ran to the bathroom to remove the face mask from her face. After wiping it clean, she ran back to the living room sofa and picked up her phone. "I'm back."
Leopold heard her running footsteps. "No rush, why are you running? What if you fall? I'm waiting right here."
Caroline took a deep breath. "Leopold."
Leopold said, "I'm here."
Caroline clenched her fingers, her knuckles turning white. "You..."
Leopold could tell she was about to give him an answer. Without realizing it, he tensed up, his body instinctively tightening, even forgetting to breathe.
In the huge office, only one lamp was lit. He stood alone under the light.
"You've passed the trial period."
He froze for half a second. "What?"
Caroline said, "I've discovered that being with you makes me happier than living alone. Finding someone who makes me happy—I really treasure that, and I treasure this relationship too."
Her words touched his heart and made Leopold determined to hold onto her.
Leopold asked, "So, we're going to keep trying to be together?"
Caroline replied, "Yes."
Leopold glanced at his watch. "Are you tired?"
Caroline didn't understand. "Not yet, why?"
"Wait for me."
"What?"
The call suddenly cut off.
Caroline looked at the darkened screen. "He hung up? He actually hung up on me?"
Suddenly it dawned on her that Leopold might be coming back. She quickly called him back, and the instant it connected, Caroline asked, "Are you coming back?"
Leopold replied, "Yes, I'm already in the elevator."
Caroline exclaimed, "It's so late, stop messing around, okay? It's not safe on the road."
Leopold watched the changing numbers on the elevator. "Right now I just want to see you."
Caroline was thinking the same thing, but she was being stubborn about it.
"Drive carefully."
"I know. You have to promise not to fall asleep before I get there."
Caroline said, "You're the one who wants to come, I didn't ask you to. If you're worried I'll fall asleep, just come tomorrow."
Leopold walked out of the elevator. "What's your door code?"
Caroline said, "How can I tell you that?"
Leopold said in a helpless tone, "On such a cold night, I'm driving alone in the dark, standing in an empty hallway, listening to the wind howling, my hands and feet frozen red. I can't bear to wake you up, so I can only wait at your door, cold and hungry."
Caroline recited a string of numbers.