Meanwhile, in the living room downstairs, Ernest and Hassan were entertaining Lance. The three men discussed topics related to finance and the business world. Mrs. Walsh and Leticia sat nearby. Several times, Leticia tried to start a conversation with Lance, but each time, her mother stopped her.
"Mom, what are you doing? Deanna isn't here. This is my chance to get close to Lance."
"If you trust me, don't approach Lance now," Mrs. Walsh said sternly.
Seeing her mother's serious expression, a light bulb went off in Leticia's head. "Mom, do you have a plan?"
"Something like that. Since you want to be with Lance, I'll help you," Mrs. Walsh's eyes gleamed with calculation. She had thought it over thoroughly the night before and decided that if her daughter could connect with the Mercer family, it would benefit their share of the family inheritance.
Leticia didn't know all this, but she chose to trust her mother. She suppressed her eagerness and kept her eyes fixed on Lance, her affection evident.
Lance noticed the intense gaze and felt uncomfortable. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Deanna and Old Hughes talking at the staircase.
"I'm running low on some herbs and plan to go out and buy more. Would you like to join me?" Deanna asked.
"I'll pass. I don't want to be a third wheel. Take Lance with you and spend some time outside," Old Hughes joked.
Deanna had grown immune to Old Hughes' teasing and no longer felt embarrassed. She nodded and smiled, "I understand."
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Walsh's enthusiastic voice came from behind, "Dr. Deanna, are you going out? Leticia and I were planning to go shopping too. Why don't we all go together? The more, the merrier."
"Uh..." Deanna was taken aback and looked at Mrs. Walsh in surprise. To her, Mrs. Walsh's attitude seemed unusual. Given her strained relationship with Leticia, Mrs. Walsh had always been polite but distant towards Deanna.
As Deanna hesitated on how to respond, Old Hughes stepped in to help her out. "The young couple hasn't seen each other in a while and finally has some time for a date. We should not intrude. You go shopping, and let Anna and Lance enjoy their time together."
Mrs. Walsh's face turned slightly awkward at these words. She hadn't expected Old Hughes to defend Deanna so bluntly.
Seeing this, Ernest frowned and said to his wife, "Old Hughes is right. Dr. Deanna and Mr. Mercer haven't seen each other for a while; don't interrupt them. I'll have Hassan accompany you two shopping."
With that said, Mrs. Walsh had no choice but to relent. She forced a smile and said, "I didn't think it through. I just wanted some company and forgot that Dr. Deanna and Mr. Mercer haven't seen each other for days. I won't disturb you then."
Deanna breathed a sigh of relief at this. After a quick preparation, she and Lance left the Walsh family mansion.
Xavier's eyes widened as he saw Mr. Mercer and Dr. Deanna walking out hand in hand.
"Mr. Mercer, you and Dr. Deanna..."
Though he didn't finish his sentence, both Lance and Deanna understood what he meant.
Deanna blushed slightly while Lance held her hand tighter and waved it in front of Xavier, saying gently, "We're together now. You should address her properly."
"Address her properly?" Xavier was momentarily confused before realizing what Lance meant.
His dark eyes sparkled as he extended his hand to Deanna with a playful smile, "Congratulations to Mr. Mercer and the missus for finally getting together! How about a red envelope for some good luck so I can find someone soon too?"
Deanna's cheeks turned rosy at being called "missus," but she didn't deny it.
"Sure, I'll have Lance give you a big bonus later so you can find someone by the end of the year."
"Thank you, missus!" Xavier said joyfully and eagerly attended to them.
Once in the car, he asked, "Missus, where are we heading now?"
"First, let's find a traditional medicine pharmacy; I need to buy some herbs. Then we can stroll around the nearby park. How does that sound?" Deanna asked Lance.
Lance looked at her warmly and replied in a deep, magnetic voice, "I'm fine with anything; I'll follow your lead."
Seeing such a tender side of his boss made Xavier shiver slightly; he found it hard to handle.
Moreover, he suddenly realized something disheartening: even with a big bonus, he couldn't feel happy anymore.
Mr. Mercer and the missus were together now, which meant he would spend the whole day with them as a third wheel, constantly witnessing their affection.
"Missus, Mr. Mercer, can I ask you something?" He looked at Lance pitifully.
Lance raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"
Deanna also looked over curiously.
Xavier played the fool deliberately, "Could you please show some love to a bachelor like me today and not be too affectionate?"